Vol 1, No. 8

August 2004

In This Issue:
  • FILAMATIC Testimonials

     
  • Filling "Unit-ology" 101 - A Basic Course in FILAMATIC Filling Units

     
  • PMMI PackExpo 2004 Preview

     
  • Contest Winners - Oldest FILAMATIC Still in Use

     
  • www.filamatic.com Website Update

     
  • FAQs

Announcement of the "Oldest FILAMATIC® Filler" Contest Winners

We would like to take this opportunity to announce the two winners of our contest to find the oldest FILAMATIC® filler still in use. The contest, announced in the April edition of this eNewsletter, drew to a close at the end of the business day (5:00 PM EDT) on June 25th -- the deadline for submitting entry information.

The winner of the $100.00 Amazon.com gift certificate for the "Oldest FILAMATIC® Filler" still in use is Mr. Pablo Ramudo of the North Marin Water District. Mr. Ramudo's FILAMATIC® filler is a Model AB bench-top/semi-automatic filler manufactured and shipped in August 1972.

The winner of the random drawing for a second $100.00 Amazon.com gift certificate is Ms. Kathi Baade of Vision Pharmaceuticals. While Ms. Baade's three FILAMATIC® fillers, two Model AB's and a Model DAB-6, were not the oldest still in use, they nevertheless have been operating reliably since they were manufactured between 1975 and 1978.

Thanks to everyone that entered our contest.

www.filamatic.com Website Update

Don't forget to check out our multimedia, interactive, www.filamatic.com website. Navigation tools, including pull-down menus and key word searching, allow visitors to readily access company and product line information organized by equipment/ machinery type and customer industry. The website is continually updated with new information regarding NIC's diversified line of FILAMATIC® packaging machinery.

The most recent additions to our website's content include:

Coming attractions include:

  • Information regarding FILAMATIC® integrated systems

  • A webpage containing FILAMATIC® Testimonials (see the related article above right)

  • A news release reviewing containers and closures handled by FILAMATIC® and CAPAMATIC® packaging systems

  • A webpage showing our Customer Care statement

  • Spanish-language specification information for our FILAMATIC® Model MRV filling systems

  • Video of our MRV and molten products filling systems

The "Press Releases" and "Newsletters" webpages, accessed via the "About Us" menu found on our homepage, are noteworthy. The former provides a listing of and access to all press releases, typically new product information, issued by NIC after October 2002. The latter allows a website visitor to access all previous editions of NIC's "FOCUS on FILAMATIC®" eNewsletter.

FAQs

Q: Does National Instrument Company offer quantity discounts on any of its products?

A: Yes, quantity discounts are available for orders of four (4) or more FILAMATIC® filling unit or nozzle assemblies, six (6) or more glass syringe assemblies (used with type FU-0 or FU-50 filling units), or fifty (50) or more wear components such as washers, o-rings, or sets of Teflon piston rings.


Q: Is a service technician available to assist with the installation and set up of my new FILAMATIC® filler?

A: National Instrument's staff of trained technicians is available to assist with the installation and set up of any FILAMATIC® packaging system. We understand that, when it comes to new packaging equipment, our customers have various levels of in-house expertise and we are happy to provide factory-trained technicians to aid in the set up of new FILAMATIC® equipment. This service may be included in the contract of sale for the new equipment, or it may be obtained on an as-needed, hourly basis. We also offer flexible service agreements that can be structured to include ongoing, periodic maintenance of your FILAMATIC® systems in addition to new equipment installation/set up assistance. Please contact our Technical Service, Customer Service, or Sales Department to discuss your needs.

Q: How often should I clean my FILAMATIC® pumps?

A: It is difficult to provide an answer that applies to every application, and much depends on the products that are being run (e.g. viscosity) and the length of time the FILAMATIC® filling unit is in use. Some products, such as those that are corrosive, require more frequent and thorough cleaning in order to maximize the useful life of the components of the filling unit. However, regardless of whether your internal quality control process specifies the use of soap and water, alcohol, silicon oil, or an autoclaving cycle, periodic cleaning is required to keep your filling units in prime operating condition. Please contact our Technical Service Department with the specifics of your application to obtain an appropriate recommendation.


If you have a question, or questions, that you would like to have addressed in the FAQ section of FOCUS on FILAMATIC, please forward it/them via e-mail to Mark Bennett. Your question(s), and the associated answer(s), will be included in the next edition of this eNewsletter.

 
Testimonials -- Testaments to the people that make up an organization

For fifty years, we have satisfied the packaging equipment needs of Fortune 500 organizations such as The Procter & Gamble Company, Abbott Laboratories, The Estee Lauder Companies, and Gillette Company, as well as those of hundreds of small and mid-sized companies.

The creative solutions devised by our dedicated and talented group of engineers and technicians have won a number of design awards and formed the basis for numerous U.S. and international patents. But it is the day-to-day interaction between our technical and customer service staff members and our customers, and the personal attention given to their needs, that occasionally inspire them to write and let us know what they are thinking. Here are excerpts from three recent notes written by our customers.

A plant engineer for the Dial Corporation wrote: "On behalf of the Dial Corporation, I would like to extend our appreciation to National Instrument personnel who did such a professional job on the In-Case Filler for the Los Angeles Plant. The culmination of the long hours and hard work have resulted in a product that speaks highly of the professionalism that NIC has a reputation for. Thanks to Jack Grosskopf, Jack Chopper, Tim McGrath, Bryan Ciolek, Peter VandeGeijn, Mark Sheavley, Mark Evans, Jim Striese, and especially Mark Angelos for all their work on the In-Case Filler. It has been a real pleasure to work with Mark Angelos, who has guided the project on a steady course to meet the goals of keeping the project on track and in budget. Thanks also to the crew who built the machine. Although we have not met, your craftsmanship is evident throughout the In-Case Filler...."

An automation engineer for Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals said: "I am writing today to express our satisfaction with your organization. When researching options for liquid filling equipment, we were impressed with your knowledgeable and experienced sales and engineering staff. With our custom application, each member of your team contributed helpful information and offered suggestions to maximize our special production needs. We are very happy with the final product and can honestly say we wish all our vendors were as professional, and produced the quality product that the National Instrument Company does."

Finally, the President of Herban Cowboy, a Pennsylvania-based supplier of personal care products, had this to say: "I am writing today to express my enthusiasm for the product service and follow-up I received when placing an order with your organization. I had recently purchased your Filamatic bench-top system for my expanding cosmetic business and then required pumps to process a new, more viscous liquid. I had previously heard of the superior quality of your product and can confirm the equipment performs consistently and accurately, just as expected..."

We want to take this opportunity to let our customers know how much we appreciate their thoughts and comments on our performance. Your positive feedback provides a big boost to our team and inspires us to continue our efforts to design and manufacture innovative packaging machinery for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and specialty chemical industries.
The full text of these and other testimonials will soon be available on our website.

Filling "Unit-ology" 101 -- A Basic Course in FILAMATIC® Filling Units

FILAMATIC® Filling Units have been around for nearly fifty years. During that time, and through thousands of applications, they have evolved into a variety of forms designed to package just about any flowable material.

Each unit consists of five primary elements, as illustrated by the diagram to the right. Those elements are (1) the valve assembly, (2) the piston/cylinder assembly, (3) the intake tubing, (4) the discharge tubing, and (5) the nozzle assembly.

Usually, a Filling Unit's product contact surfaces are made with type 316 or 316L stainless steel and one or more elastomers such as Teflon® or silicone. However, we also make Filling Units with non-metallic product contact surfaces to handle free-flowing, corrosive or metal-sensitive liquids such as acids and reagents.

Determining which of the various Filling Unit types and sizes is the right one for a particular application is a five-step process that includes each of the above elements.

To review the rest of the materials associated with this basic course on FILAMATIC® Filling Units, click here.

   
PMMI PackExpo International 2004 Preview

PMMI's PackExpo International 2004, is coming up. This industry showcase for packaging machinery manufacturers is scheduled for November 7-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago. This year, the National Instrument/FILAMATIC® team will be at Booth #2325. Among the equipment that we intend to display will be a multi-function monobloc system, automatic and semi-automatic filling systems, and a variety of filling unit types, sizes, and accessories.

One of the stars of this year's show will the FILAMATIC® Model MNB-2000 Modular Compact Monobloc Systems. These highly refined systems provide a variety of servo-controlled packaging functions. These include liquid filling, fitment/plug insertion, stopper insertion (plug-style and/or lyophilization), screw capping, aluminum overcap crimping and more.

Single-index models achieve production rates of up to 60 containers per minute, while double-index systems are capable of operating at up to 120 containers per minute. The liquid metering systems available on the MNB-2000 accommodate a wide range of product viscosities and provide a fill volume range of 0.1ml to 500ml at filling accuracies to ±0.5%. These monobloc systems may be equipped with type DUS zero-particulate Filling Units that are ideal for handling injectable liquids. All FILAMATIC® modular compact monoblocs are digitally controlled with menu-driven programs that electronically adjust operating parameters for quick and easy tool-less changeovers. Quality assurance options include vision systems to check for the presence and proper installation, or application, of fitments, plugs, stoppers, screw caps, or overcaps. Additional quality control options include screw cap application torque verification and reject collection devices that retain defective containers while allowing production to proceed uninterrupted.

Our FILAMATIC® DIGIFIL® Automatic Filling Systems will also be on display. They are designed to handle a wide variety of product/fluid types and viscosities in fill sizes ranging from less than 1ml to 5 gallons. A variety of standard frame sizes accommodate as many as twelve filling stations to provide production rates of up to 200+ containers/minute. DIGIFIL® systems are available with the following liquid metering systems; Piston Pumps (stainless steel and/or ceramic construction), Lobe Pumps, Gear Pumps, Peristaltic Pumps, Flow Meters, and Time-Pressure Systems.

DIGIFIL® filling systems may be equipped with the unique DOCKAFIL® trolley configuration. The DOCKAFIL® configuration positions the liquid metering systems on a portable, dockable trolley. This highly efficient configuration is designed to make changing product contact parts between production runs quicker than ever before. All FILAMATIC® DIGIFIL® filling systems are digitally controlled with menu-driven programs that electronically adjust operating parameters for quick and easy tool-less changeovers.

NIC's Bench-Top/Semi-Automatic Filling Systems will be represented by a FILAMATIC® Model DAB-5 system. A presentation showing a variety of different Filling Unit and nozzle types in a range of sizes will illustrate the flexibility of these systems.

This product line provides solutions to many of the requirements found in laboratory, research and development, and small batch production environments. The ability to mix and match among the various Filling Systems, Filling Units, and nozzles helps our customers run a greater number of products more efficiently. NIC's line of bench-top/semi-automatic filling systems accommodate a wide variety of product/fluid types and viscosities in fill sizes ranging from less than one milliliter to 1.1 liters per dispensing cycle at filling accuracies to ±0.5%. The line features one-, two- and four-nozzle system configurations that provide, production rates of up to 30+ containers per minute depending upon the skill of the operator.

An example of how a FILAMATIC® semi-automatic filling system may be upgraded to an automatic filling system will also be on display in Booth #2325. In addition to providing for the automation of a semi-automatic filling system, our SYNCHROMAT Filling Systems incorporate an economical, "building block" design that allows the number of filling stations to be increased and optional modules to be added.

Additional innovative products, such as in-case filling/capping systems, will also be available for review on video. We invite you to stop by. Bring us your toughest filling application problem and see if our systems consultants can solve it. For over 50 years, National Instrument Company has been recognized as one of the world's premier manufacturers of integrated liquid filling, capping, and monobloc packaging systems serving the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, personal care/cosmetic, food, and chemical specialty industries. The tradition continues this year in Chicago
 

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©2004 National Instrument Company, Inc. All rights reserved (but feel free to copy it, post it, quote it, think about it, and forward it to others).