Pharmacy Automation for Clinical Efficiency (PACE)

Introducing PACE – an innovative solution to drastically reduce time-to-market for new medicines

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Meet PACE

PACE delivers the production, packaging, and labelling of multiple drugs in a single facility, ensuring full traceability and eliminating cross-contamination risks. Operating on one line in a GMP environment with real-time quality checks, PACE creates a demand-driven clinical supply chain that reduces waste, cuts costs and speeds up drug delivery to patients. Key features of PACE include:
  • Multiple drug types – currently supports tablets and capsules, with future types possible through new filling station development
  • Modular filling station – easily removed for decontamination and reinserted to handle different drugs
  • Automated in-line & camera-verified label printing – eliminate costly labelling mistakes
  • Scalable architecture – increase bottle hopper capacity, filling stations and storage without redesigning the system
  • Unique filling station design – allows multiple different drug types to be processed at the same time, in one cleanroom
  • QP Dashboard – a web-based interface for QPs to review verified data from each process step and authorise drug batch releases

Module name
1 Bulk Feeding and Singulation
2 Weigh Module 01
3 Desiccant Filling Module
4 Weigh Module 02
5 Tablet Filling Modules
6 Capsule Filling Module
7 Weigh Module 03
8 Sealing & Capping
9 Labelling
10 Storage & Dispatch

What PACE Can Do For You


Reduce lead time on clinical trials

Get medicines to patients quicker

Enable flexibility and complex clinical trials

Increase Productivity

Reduce cost

Sustainability - Minimise waste and CO2

Handling
Filling
Sealing
Weighing
Marking
Labelling
Packing

Developing the supply chain of the future with the capacity to drastically reduce current timescales from months to just days.

Innovative Manufacturing With PACE

Innovative Manufacturing With PACE

Bulk Feeding & Singulation
Tablet/Desiccant Filling
Weighing
Sealing & Capping
Labelling
Storage & Dispatch
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PACE’s bulk storage and singulation system handles and presents two sizes of tablet bottles, marked with 2D matrix codes for tracking. Adhering to GAMP, it ensures regulatory compliance, quality, efficiency, and process control validation.
The patented filling station design enables quick changeovers between drug types, with each station functioning independently within a single cleanroom. Bottles are scanned for verification before tablets are dispensed using controlled filling technology. The system ensures precise tablet counts and correct bottle placement for efficient packaging.
Precision weighing occurs at three stages during the filling process: after singulation for tare weight, after desiccant addition, and after tablet filling to confirm accuracy. Each bottle's unique 2D code is scanned upon module entry to ensure correct processing. This ensures precise and accurate filling at every step.
Bottle sealing uses induction sealing, where each bottle passes through the heating coil individually before being checked and sent to the capping station. Caps are applied with precise torque settings from a bulk feeding system, then bottles return to the main production line. Sealing temperatures, pressures, and cap torque values are digitally recorded for each bottle.
The labelling system is customised to handle various product types and sizes, along with different label types. Bottles are fed into the module, where a 2D code reader verifies the product and retrieves the correct label information. Labels are then printed, scanned for accuracy, and only applied if correct, preventing waste and handling both single-panel and wrap-around labels.
After labelling, bottles are placed into trays and, once verified, can be sent directly to the dispatch module for distribution or moved to storage for later release. Verified data from each process step allows for quick review by QPs, ensuring faster dispatch times.

Ground Breaking Technology

Unique in its approach, PACE efficiently meets stringent pharmaceutical hygiene and cleanliness standards whilst processing multiple different drug types in the same cleanroom.

The system efficiently fills pill bottles without the risk of cross-contamination while maintaining complete traceability throughout the system. This turnkey system comprises a number of individual humidity and temperature-monitored drug-filling stations, each of which is used to perform discrete operations.

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Our Accreditations

NQA ISO 14001 Sewtec Accreditation
NQA ISO 9001 Sewtec Accreditation
BSI Logo
Safe Contractor Approved logo
SPA Passport safety
gold oem partner of rockwell automation

Meeting industry standards and regulations is imperative within the industrial sector. We’ve been accredited by highly esteemed certification bodies such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), the British Standards Institution (BSI) and many more.

Our Experts on PACE

"We’re really excited about PACE here at Sewtec and the innovation and advancements it’s set to bring to the pharmaceutical industry in terms of clinical trials. Clinical trials need to be carefully controlled at every stage. This inevitably makes them expensive and time-consuming to run. One of the biggest issues facing pharmaceutical manufacturers is maintaining a cleanroom environment during packing - and this is exactly what our patented PACE technology does "

Lee Manning - Business Manager – PACE

Delivering the Just-In-Time Clinical Supply project

CPI’s Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Scotland took delivery of PACE as part of their Just-In-Time clinical trials supply project, promising to revolutionise the supply process of bringing new medicines to market and allow more flexibility at a lower environmental cost.

Transforming clinical trial supply chains

With a need for a more agile and responsive supply chain, PACE will allow a transition towards manufacturing plants that can respond to ‘real’ demand and connect to subsequent supply in real-time. The ambition is to develop a supply chain of the future which will drastically reduce current timescales from months to just days.

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Our Latest Reviews

Having successfully and repeatedly worked with some of the best-known brands in industries ranging from food and drink to medical devices and pharmaceuticals, our reviews speak for themselves.

Andy Dawson

We looked at three different companies to help us undertake this automation project, however, Sewtec were by far the standout in terms of their presentation, concept, level of know-how and their communication.

Colin Houlihan

Sewtec has genuinely been amazing to work with from start to finish. They have surpassed our expectations and did an excellent job of taking us on the journey with them and educating us on every step of the process.

Scott Raynsford

Sewtec have provided a professional service from concept to handover that has delivered a challenging and difficult project successfully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question that hasn’t been answered below? Contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

Can multiple drug products be processed simultaneously on the PACE platform?

Yes, the PACE platform is designed to handle the production, packaging and labelling of multiple drugs within the same facility, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Can the PACE system be customised for different manufacturing needs?

Yes, the PACE system is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to meet various manufacturing requirements, including handling different sizes and types of products.

What is the key innovation of the filling stations in the PACE platform?

The key innovation is the patented design of the filling station which allows for a series of humidity and temperature-monitored drug filling stations to operate as fully independent units on a single line. This design prevents cross-contamination and facilitates quick changeovers between different pharmaceutical product types.

What advantage does the PACE platform offer in terms of cleanroom requirements?

With the ability to pack multiple drug types and formats on a single line, the PACE platform reduces the need for multiple cleanrooms, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

What types of products can the labelling system handle?

The system can process a range of product types and sizes, accommodating various label types to suit different customer needs.

How does this system improve dispatch times?

By enabling quick reviews of verified data, the system allows QPs to efficiently assess and approve products for dispatch, resulting in faster delivery times.

What after-sales support can we expect from Sewtec?

We understand that even a minute of downtime can cost your business thousands. To provide the highest standard of through-life support, Sewtec provides Sewtec Care. Sewtec Care is a proactive approach which minimises downtime, extends system operational life and increases the skills of operators and maintainers.

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