Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/977310
Tablets & Capsules May 2018 11 the lines are situated at different plants (Level 4). All rele- vant data is available in the entire company network, and all results are recorded in the audit trail. The data sets are bundled with the production results according to aggrega- tion specifications and sent back to the track and trace software. From there, they can be transferred to manufac- turer and/or government databases (Level 5). Depending on country and guideline, serial numbers are either allocated centrally or generated by the company. Contract manufacturers in turn receive the numbers from their clients. A holistic serialization solution should be equipped for all cases. Companies should not only be able to manage serialization from serial number allocation through the last aggregation step, they should also be able to flexibly connect single components, third-party machines, packaging lines, their own or third-party IT systems, and entire factories with each other according to the applicable guidelines. It really is worthwhile for manufacturers and contract packagers as well as mechanical engineering companies with a focus on international customers to look at the big picture and take a holistic approach to serialization and aggregation. T&C Jörg Willburger is area sales manager at Bosch Packaging Technology (763 424 4700, www.boschpackaging.com). A holistic approach to serialization and aggregation A holistic approach to serialization and aggregation can be divided into five levels. As Figure 1 shows, the serialization process starts on the application (or station) level (Level 1), where serial numbers are printed onto folded cartons, a camera system automatically verifies the printed tracking data, and a tamper-evident security seal is applied to the carton. However, serialization isn't lim- ited to folded cartons. A holistic serialization solution should be able to print and verify labels on bottles as well (Photo 2) along with the option of a so-called helper code that can be applied to the bottle's bottom or cap, if required. In addition to serializing the smallest sealable unit (the carton or bottle), a holistic solution will include modules for the aggregation of products at different packaging levels, such as bundles, cases, or pallets. All Level 1 serialization modules should be controllable via a central user interface, with the ability to document the data (Level 2). To control both the operating condi- tions and data at any time, the connection between the physical machine level and the control software must be integrated across many stages of the company's IT (Level 3). From this level onwards, the solution's track-and-trace software must ensure that all the company's production sites are depicted. Connecting the data between all pro- duction lines makes it possible to monitor the entire pro- duction environment from one central location, even if