Fully automated vs semi-automated operations
Pharmaceutical Technology® Group got some perspective from TurboFil on automating operations, particularly the distinction between fully automated and semi-automated approaches, in its 2024 coverage of packaging trends. At the time, the company was promoting a custom-built benchtop draw filler, which offered better accuracy and a less labor-intensive setup than manual filling (2).
Even while touting the advantages of that system, however, Smook cautioned against an overreliance on automated practices.
“Automation is rarely as simple as devising a machine to replace a manual process,” she said in the article, which was published in both BioPharm International® and Pharmaceutical Technology®. “Adjacent issues such as sterility and inspection, which can become more challenging at higher line speeds, also must be addressed.”
Equipment innovation
TurboFil is now adding the MediFil cart to its broad portfolio of standardized equipment, and the company says it also frequently collaborates with customers in the design, development, and construction of customized, built-to-spec machines for the pharmaceutical, medical device, health & beauty, and chemical industries (1).
For more on equipment trends, keep an eye out for the June 2025 edition of Pharmaceutical Technology, in which Sheikh Akbar Ali, general manager and head of Development and Technology for ACG Packaging Materials, reviews the state of equipment innovation, the emerging technologies that are shaping a new standard of efficiency, how global pressures are affecting the supply chain for raw materials, and what options are available to manufacturers who desire to make their processes more sustainable (3).
References
1. TurboFil Packaging Machines. TurboFil Introduces Versatile Multiheaded Vial Filler Cart with Servo-Controlled Ceramic Pumps. Press Release. June 4, 2025.
2. Forcinio, H. Innovations in Prefilled Biologics. BioPharm International 2024, 37 (6).
3. Lavery, P. How Smart Technology Is Helping Reach Sustainability Goals in Drug Packaging. Pharmaceutical Technology 2025, 49 (5).