Pharmaceutical manufacturers expanding production capacity must balance automation, accuracy, and traceability while meeting strict quality and record-keeping requirements. In this case study, APEC partnered with a multinational pharmaceutical company to design a fully automated premix manufacturing system with end-to-end inventory control and ingredient tracking across multiple North American facilities.
Challenges in Pharmaceutical Premix Manufacturing
The customer sought to significantly expand pharmaceutical premix production while maintaining strict control over ingredients, finished goods, and quality data.
Scaling Pharmaceutical Premix Production Across Multiple Facilities
A multinational pharmaceutical company needed to increase premix manufacturing capacity at three North American locations. Management required a system that could support consistent production processes while allowing centralized oversight across facilities.
Ingredient Traceability and Inventory Control Requirements
Because the finished products were distributed to multiple feed manufacturers, the company required full traceability of each ingredient used in production, as well as accurate tracking of finished goods from manufacturing through packaging.
Automated Pharmaceutical Premix Solution
APEC worked closely with the customer, their engineering staff, and the design-build contractor to develop a specification and implementation schedule that supported full automation and long-term system flexibility.
Barcode-Based Ingredient Tracking and Process Automation
APEC designed an automated premix system utilizing barcode scanning to track ingredients throughout the manufacturing process, from receiving through final packaging. This approach ensured accurate material handling and real-time visibility within the plant.
Flexible Control System Design Using Standard Components
The system incorporated off-the-shelf components and a configurable software platform, allowing modifications as operational needs evolved without requiring a complete system redesign.
Results of Automating Pharmaceutical Premix Manufacturing
Improved Accuracy, Reporting, and Quality Control
The automated system enabled the customer to consistently produce and track pharmaceutical premix formulas while capturing quality control data for both incoming ingredients and finished packages.
On-Time Commissioning and Compliance-Ready Reporting
The system was installed and commissioned according to the customer’s schedule. Automated reporting supported accuracy, record keeping, and ingredient traceability requirements, simplifying compliance and internal documentation processes.
This project demonstrates how automated pharmaceutical premix systems can support scalable production, accurate ingredient tracking, and compliance-focused reporting.
Explore additional APEC resources for product sheets, guides, and case studies related to pharmaceutical processing and automation, or contact APEC today to learn more about designing an automated pharmaceutical premix solution.
