ACG Group, an organisation offering manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, has introduced a portfolio of next-generation production, packaging and inspection machinery.
Comprising equipment solutions from two of its four business units, ACG Engineering and ACG Inspection, the NXT Series comprises machines featuring the company’s new USER approach to optimal operator experiences. New machines include Protab 300 NXT, Protab 700 NXT, BMax NXT, KartonX NXT, Verishield CS18 NXT.
An acronym, USER stands for UltraHMI, StealthDesign, ExploreAR (Augmented Reality) and RevealiOT. Combined, the company argues that these elements will bring sweeping changes to a significant portfolio of ACG machinery including tablet presses, blister and carton packing equipment, and serialization units for Track and Trace applications. The result, ACG says, is a sizable step forward in all facets of the production experience:
UltraHMI: Aligning with the continued push for increasingly automated manufacturing solutions, ACG’s newly imagined HMI system reportedly provides control of high-precision, contamination-free machines requiring “minimal human-machine interaction”. Highlights include a simplified operator experience, better data visualization, decision-centric dashboard, and IIoT connectivity.
StealthDesign: With a “smooth, flowing style”, this new machine look seeks to exemplify ACG’s commitment to versatility, maneuverability, and maximized output at a minimized footprint.
ExploreAR: ACG argues that its “unsurpassed” Augmented Reality solutions raise the bar of process efficiency. Harnessing the potential of AR technology, ExploreAR reportedly reduces production downtime, identifies and resolves maintenance issues more quickly, and keeps manufacturing moving at a more optimized pace. Highlights include real-time monitoring, remote diagnosis, and proactive service support, proactive maintenance and more realistic operator training.
RevealiOT: ACG’s IIoT platform reportedly enables intermachine connectivity and smart manufacturing processes via dashboards detailing difficult-to-measure KPIs. Digestible data reportedly provides actionable metrics, leading to predictive maintenance, improved product quality and maximized overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). This new system information also allows for “Golden Batch” repeatability and optimized production schedules, significantly improving machine efficiency while reducing line downtime.
