The Challenge
Scaling Sample Handling While Maintaining Cleanroom Safety
The customer urgently needed automation to increase their COVID‑19 testing throughput. Key requirements included:
- Process high volume—up to 360 vials per hour per machine
- Opening, filling, and capping vials in under 5 seconds per vial
- Maintain ISO‑5 environment and minimize human intervention
- Deploy a fully automated tray system to support continuous operation
- Support rapid deployment during pandemic demand surge
MWES was selected to deliver a clean‑build robotic solution that unified speed, precision, and sanitary performance.
The Solution
Tray-Based Dual‑Robot Vial Filling Cell Enclosed in ISO‑5 Cleanroom Cabinet
MWES engineered a turnkey vial filling machine featuring:
- FANUC LR Mate 200iD/7LC robot with IP67 force-sensing gripper in clean‑room‑rated stainless steel enclosure
- Rotary vial opening, filling, and closing operation—with <5-second open/cap interval
- Internal rotary motors to mimic human vial opening and capping motions
- Tray-based exchange system enabling continuous loading/unloading off-cell
- Enclosure with positive airflow and ISO‑5 certification to control airborne particles
The compact, enclosed vial filling cell automates high-speed sample processing under controlled conditions, enabling fast deployment and reliable throughput.
The Results
High-Volume, Clean, Consistent Vial Processing with Low Labor Needs
The robotic system delivered measurable operational improvements:
- Achieved filling rates of 360 vials per hour per machine
- Required only one operator per multiple machines—handling tray swaps and monitoring
- Maintained ISO‑5 cleanroom compliance, minimizing contamination risk
- Delivered full turnkey deployment—from concept to operational in six weeks
By deploying cleanroom-grade tray-based robotic vial filling cells, MWES enabled the customer to rapidly expand testing capacity, reduce labor dependency, and maintain strict quality and safety standards.
