Bosch launches Track and Trace system

Bosch Packaging introduced new track-and-trace equipment which provides item-level 2D datamatrix coding of pharmaceutical products at Pack Expo 2010 in Chicago, USA, last week.

The Track and Trace system (pictured) uses a Carton Printing System (CPS) module consisting of a printer and camera, which automatically prints unique serial number codes onto packs and verifies them.

The serial number is accompanied by the pack expiration date, batch number and global trade identification number (GTIN), all encoded into a machine-readable 2D data matrix code. Printed tracking data is automatically checked for accuracy by the camera which reads and verifies each printed digit and cross-checks the human-readable text with the 2D data matrix code.

All information is then stored in a centralised database, ensuring tracking and tracing of the product is possible after each pack exits the factory, according to Bosch Packaging. "The database can also be modified to provide the printed data to regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)," it added.

"We offer Track and Trace on machine level in packaging lines as well as on plant level where numerous systems are linked to the same database," commented Franz Ludwig, product manager for the Track and Trace system.

The advanced solution can be integrated into existing lines, including packaging machines, checkweighers, printing modules for cartons and bottles, hand-packing tables and validation tables for quality assurance.

Bosch said the new system "allows for the traceability of individual products throughout the supply chain and facilitates the identification of counterfeit products," while also providing manufacturers with "documented proof of what has been produced at item level."