Rapid sales growth had stretched capacity to the limit for Canada's largest generic drug manufacturer, Apotex Inc. It had outgrown its production facility in Toronto. Apotex needed a new plant flexible enough for current production volumes, yet still allow for future expansion. So Apotex turned to an automated material flow systems provider to help develop a more efficient plant.

Previously, employees hand-carried certain raw materials through manufacturing. 'Our employees were spending seventy-five percent of their time (manually) handling materials. We wanted them to focus on the manufacturing process instead,' says Ron McArthur, senior vice president, operations.

Apotex also needed to ensure it complied with strict pharmaceutical production rules. In its original facility, drug powder storage units moved through the process on hand-driven trucks, increasing the risk of cross-contamination or the retrieval of the wrong materials.

The new plant features a series of custom-manufactured, vertical reciprocating lifts integrated with stainless steel chain-driven, live roller conveyors. This system moves raw materials and finished product through the four-story operation.

Now, instead of having large amounts of raw materials around the plant floor, ingredients are 'pulled' from storage on demand when orders are received, thereby eliminating bottlenecks, system jam-ups, and the loss of materials. The facility's vertical design takes advantage of the natural benefits of gravity for delivery of drug powders to processing rooms on lower floors.

'The system has really reduced our losses in product,' notes McArthur. 'Our residual waste levels have dropped.'