The new Settle Plate Changer SPC 1000 from Syntegon has received the German Packaging Award in the packaging machines category.

For the fifth time in a row, the German Packaging Institute (Deutsches Verpackungsinstitut e.V.) has honoured Syntegon with the German Packaging Award. This year, it went to the patented Settle Plate Changer (SPC) for automated viable monitoring in the aseptic filling process. With this innovative solution, which significantly minimises contamination risks, Syntegon supports pharmaceutical manufacturers in complying with the latest Annex 1 guidelines.

According to the EU GMP Annex 1 guideline, continuous microbiological monitoring of pharmaceutical production must be ensured. For viable monitoring this means that settle plates may be exposed to clean room air for a maximum of 4 hours. Currently, the machine has to be stopped every 4 hours during production to change the settle plate manually. Syntegon’s solution greatly decreases the necessary production interruptions and the negative impact on machine availability and minimizes human intervention in the process zone.

A segment equipped with a settle plate is placed on a defined sampling point. The energy-free adhesive gripper technology removes the lid of the plate and ensures the required exposure time of 4 hours. At the end of this exposure period, the lid is closed, and the next segment is placed on the sample point. Automated change of settle plates considerably reduces risk of contamination due to manual intervention by the operators. Additionally, using the patented Settle Plate Changer as appropriate technology, the frequency of manual interventions for passive viable monitoring can be reduced significantly. 

The German Packaging Award is an international, cross-industry and cross-material competition. It is awarded by an independent jury in ten categories. With this award, the German Packaging Institute (dvi) annually recognizes innovative and creative packaging ideas from seemingly small but groundbreaking details through to fundamental innovations. 

The Settle Plate Changer is available for new machines or can be incorporated seamlessly into your existing filling lines from Syntegon and any other brands. 

For the opportunity to meet with Syntegon and many other aseptic processing solution providers, hear talks from industry leaders and network with peers, attend the Innovatrix 3rd Aseptic BioPharma Processing Summit in Vienna, Austria, on October 29–30, 2024.

For more information, visit our website or email us at info@innovatrix.eu for the event agenda.