Process & Story

Line clearance is a standardized procedure ensuring that equipment and work areas are free from remnants of a previous process. It is integral for preventing cross-contamination or mislabeling in pharmaceutical manufacturing. However, the existing process at a leading global pharma company required three personnel and took around 60 minutes daily for each line clearance procedure. The goal was to significantly reduce the time and manpower devoted to this necessary task.

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Solution

We proposed an innovative solution involving Augmented Reality (AR) glasses equipped with a Computer Vision AI system to the second person responsible for verifying the cleanliness of the room and readiness for the next product. These AR glasses could detect irregularities invisible to the naked eye, therefore enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the inspection process. The AR glasses were programmed to recognize the quality of cleanliness and any foreign objects that should not be present during the line clearance procedure. Beyond just aiding detection, the AI system also immediately generated the necessary report about the quality of line clearance performed, saving additional time. Our solution aimed to reduce line clearance processing time from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, ensuring better quality control and the ability to recognize new objects in the area. To minimize disruptions, our AR solution seamlessly integrated with the existing line clearance procedure without the need for any major modifications or pause in the manufacturing process.

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Reducing inspection time by 60%

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Result

The AR-based Intelligent Line Clearance solution significantly optimized the pharmaceutical plant's operations. By automating report generation and enhancing detection capabilities, we achieved a remarkable 50% reduction in line clearance time, allowing the procedure to be completed in 30 minutes as opposed to the previous 60-minute duration. This increase in efficiency led to a more streamlined production line, where resources were allocated more effectively, resulting in notable cost savings. The improvement in quality control also significantly reduced the possibility of cross-contamination or mislabeling of products, thus minimizing potential losses and further saving costs. In addition, the accelerated line clearance process enabled the plant to increase its overall production output, offering an additional avenue of cost-effectiveness and business growth. Thus, our solution offered tangible, measurable benefits not just in terms of operational efficiency, but also in terms of financial performance.

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150% increase in productivity

Challenges

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Adapting AR technology for complex environmental conditions

Pharmaceutical plants present a challenging environment for the implementation of AR technology due to their complex layouts and strict cleanliness requirements. Our team worked on customizing the AR system to be responsive and effective in such demanding conditions.

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Ensuring accurate recognition of new objects

The AI system was required to be trained to recognize and alert operators about new objects (never seen before) that must not be present during the line clearance process. Ensuring the accuracy of this recognition was a challenge that required extensive data collection and continually improving the AI model. Maintaining a clean environment and adhering to strict line clearance regulations were imperative for the plant's successful operation. Therefore, our AI system had to reliably identify any items that deviated from the norm and were not part of the approved items for a specific process.

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Balancing speed and thoroughness

A faster line clearance process should not compromise on accurancy. It was crucial to ensure that the AR and AI system was efficient in identifying any irregularities while maintaining a faster clearance process.