Wipotec supplies vaccine producers with checkweighers in just 3 weeks

Specialist in weighing technology and serialization supplies COVID-19 vaccine OEMs and CMOs worldwide with state-of-the-art technology

The COVID-19 vaccine is a commodity in too short supply. This makes it all the more important that manufacturers expand production capacity as quickly as possible to meet the huge global demand for the vaccine. In December, Wipotec received an order from China at very short notice to produce and deliver 32 checkweighers within six weeks. By the end of the year, the first batch had been delivered within three weeks, and in the meantime the remaining machines had also arrived in China by air freight.

Fred Köhler, Managing Director Sales at Wipotec: "This was already a huge challenge for us. Under normal circumstances, we need six to nine weeks for project planning, design and production. In a joint effort by all areas, with extra shifts in production, but above all the utmost commitment of all employees involved, we managed to meet the delivery dates."

Filling and packaging are key production processes that rely on Wipotec products. Our EMFR weigh cells are at the center of just about everything we do, and in fact is the invention that started the company. OEMs building vaccine filling systems use Wipotec weigh cells for precision weight control that ensures dosage accuracy. The order entry for weigh cells is also above average. Extra shifts are the order of the day to meet COVID-19 vaccine demands.

Inquiries from pharmaceutical companies are also given priority for checkweighers. The areas of application relate to the level control of vaccine vials and the completeness weighing of test sets and reagent kits used in laboratories. The projects come from all continents and all with the same message: "Deliver fast!"

For the traceability of medicines, and to protect against product counterfeiting - of particular importance in the case of vaccines - legislation prescribes so-called serialization. Wipotec's TQS (Traceable Quality System) products used in serialization and aggregation (i.e. track and trace) applications, range from the coding of folding boxes to the aggregation of bundles to shipping cartons. Many well-known vaccine manufacturers also use TQS label coding for vials and syringes.

And the company is also involved in projects worldwide for the contract filler/CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) group. Fred Köhler again: "What our customers particularly appreciate is the easy handling of our machines. If I can change a product quickly and easily, I save time and therefore money."