Baxter Healthcare

Founded in 1931, Baxter Healthcare Ltd. deigns, formulates, manufactures and markets high volume, high quality products and equipment for hospitals. Statutory controls, elaborate in-house safety procedures and tightly defined quality standards are rigidly followed to safeguard the products sterility and control the production process. Baxter is the UK's largest supplier of medical solutions and solution handling equipment. When Baxter was automating the production and packaging of their FENWEL(r) product range, ADC Bar Code Systems were the only company who could fully meet their requirements for on-line printing and application of carton labels.

The System
ADC supplied a completely integrated solution which allowed Baxter to design its carton labels in-house and and automatically print and apply product identification labels on the packaging cartons. There are 25 different labels for the product range, so built in safety checks to guarantee correct labelling were critical. Customised software with built in safeguards and password protected security levels ensures that operatives can only load the correct label when required. The labels are designed using Easy Label (r) design package at Baxter's local documentation department. Label designs are stored on a file server which is connected to the packaging area control system via the company's LAN. During a normal 8 hour shift the system prints and applies 2000 carton labels.

Each label carries complete product information as specified by the customer and relevant legislation. Prior tot he introduction of the new system each piece of information was placed or stamped onto the carton by operators in a labour intensive manner. The new system has concentrated all product information onto one label and helped to reduce labour forms even to four operators in the packaging area. The blank self-adhesive labels are automatically printed on demand and immediately applied, removing the risk of loose cut labels in the production area being misapplied to a carton.

Two labels are applied around opposite corners of the packaging carton, providing full visibility of product information regardless of the customers method of storage. The large label size allows more information to be included and, as the system prints an electronic image onto a blank label, it offers Baxter great flexibility. Any changes in customer or legislative requirements can be responded to immediately without waste of pre-printed label stock.

Critical Factors Automation of the plant means that products now flow from raw materials to finished goods and shipment in one smooth process. Carton labelling is extremely important as it is the first thing that the customer sees and it carries important information on the particular product.

ADC BarCode software validation was an important issue for Baxter. Adrian Mack, Baxter Process Engineer explains "We looked at several other systems, it was critical that we could validate the software being supplied to ensure that it met our industry standards. ADC were the only people who could effectively do this. They had a very professional approach to the way they tailored their software applications to our specific needs." During the initial development of the system specifications, ADC worked closely with the Baxter engineers to investigate the possibilities of each element of the system, and suggest any enhancements which could be made. One example of how this enhanced the system can be seen in the simplicity of the user interface, straightforward and logical prompts ensured that operators having no previous PC skills were able to operate and understand the system within minutes. As Adrian Mack explains "We found it very easy to work in partnership with ADC. Baxter encourages this approach and the positive results were, and still are, very evident. Installation was a smooth and fast operation as ADC sent both software and hardware engineers to ensure that installation went without a hitch".

Benefits
Reliability is central to the systems success. "We've never had a problem, it's a very neat solution for what we wanted to do. This is an important part of the manufacturing process, in today's JIT environment and reducing inventory it's vital that we know it won't let us down. Product enhancement was a specific requirement. "The quality of the print and the consistency of the label positioning has enhanced both the carton presentation and functionality our customers perceived this as added value. Trying to delight the customer is very important to Baxter." Good Manufacturing Practices are essential in the healthcare industry. "By eliminating all the different cut labels, the system has effectively reduced the risk of labelling issues, further enhancing our quality systems." The systems flexibility has provided significant benefits in the design and approval of the labels. Controlling the design and production of their own labels has allowed Baxter to cut out external agencies and to respond quickly to regulatory or customer driven changes. The set-up time for the system takes a minute ensuring the operation never becomes a bottleneck.

As Stephen Milner, Fenwal Production Manager, puts it "I only wish we could have done this years ago!"

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