Stevanato Group has strengthened its collaboration with Microsoft Italy to meet the challenges the pharmaceutical glass industry is experiencing from the COVID-19 pandemic. The group is playing a key role in the production of plastic components for diagnostic tests and glass primary packaging for drugs.
It provides packaging and syringes for the major international anti-COVID-19 vaccine programmes, as well as pharmaceutical inspection equipment.
Stevanato’s digital transformation plan includes the development of a series of applications that use Microsoft Mixed Reality technologies and which are designed to respond to the current needs of the pharmaceutical sector.
For example, a Virtual Audit plan was launched, thanks to which the Stevanato Group quality teams wear the Microsoft HoloLens2 holographic headset with integrated Dynamics Remote Assist.
This allows them to move throughout the installation to show customers in remote connection all processes, including production phases and lab testing.
This also makes it possible to perform a remote quality system audit to ascertain that the installation complies with required standards and customer needs without requiring an interruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain, which is even more strategic during the pandemic.
In addition, the HoloLens headset also makes it possible to perform the Virtual FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) — the final pre-delivery inspection that assures the remotely connected customer that the equipment is functioning properly.
While wearing the headset, a technician can demonstrate machine components, start it up and share documentation.
Remote acceptance of equipment for the inspection of drugs and vaccines being developed makes it possible to accelerate delivery to pharmaceutical companies, a critical factor in this period when the company has to manage large volumes on a short time frame.
The digital transformation process within Stevanato also includes the development of Artificial Intelligence to improve the performance of inspection systems and detection of defective glass containers filled with drugs.
The group recently launched a project designed to make inspection equipment supplied by the group even more intelligent.
Artificial Intelligence will help guarantee maximum quality to the pharmaceutical industry, by reducing potential errors and detecting defective products along the production line.
The integrity of the containers is essential and, thanks to Microsoft AI integrated into Stevanato’s inspection equipment, pharmaceutical companies will be able to make use of reliable algorithms to identify any defects.
False positives can be reduced by 10-fold, also decreasing container production waste, while the detection rate can be improved by 5%.
These projects are part of Stevanato’s broader Digital Transformation plan, which aims to complete its New Digital Ecosystem by 2022.
