Advair Diskus throws GSK into the forefront: GlaxoSmithKline makes effective use of robotics to produce the No. 1 asthma inhaler

GlaxoSmithKline holds a leading position in new drug discovery technologies and genomics/genetics, and it boasts an estimated 7% market share of the world's pharmaceutical business. The company's global sales top $35 billion a year.

GSK's Zebulon, N.C., plant features the only U.S. production of Advair Diskus. This powder inhaler is the leading delivery system for asthma medication, and GSK has established three identical packaging lines in Zebulon to augment the company's output at two plants in the United Kingdom and France.

The MDPI (Multi-Dose Powder Inhaler) facility in Zebulon produced 10 million devices for the U.S. market in 2004. The lines' unique features include robots, servos, automation and multiple online inspections.

The machines that were selected are adjustable for a range of sizes, and the robots can be easily retooled and reprogrammed. Bob Geer, director of respiratory process, says, "With robotics, we can easily convert the line by changing end effectors to accommodate new line extensions or any device improvements."

The Zebulon lines are fully integrated for final diskus assembly and packaging. The Advair Diskus device features 14 components, 11 of which are preassembled by the parts supplier prior to shipment to Zebulon.

There, the final three pieces are added, so that GSK can maintain full control of product quality. The fully assembled devices arrive on trays for filling, final assembly and packaging.

The product is filled onto a strip, two-up, and rolled up in a separate off-line operation. Rolls are transferred to the filling line, where they are slit and separated into two lanes for placement into the preassembled device. Then the final three parts are attached to the device and inspected for proper positioning.

Robots from Schubert Packaging Systems, after filling and final assembly, pick-and-place the devices into custom-designed pucks, which float freely on a conveyor. The devices can either continue downstream for packaging or be diverted, by the Schubert robots, into a Kanban accumulator. This is a batch process, so accumulation is a simple first-in/last-out.