In the pharmaceutical industry, reputation and integrity are critical, and patient safety is at the forefront of every facet of the business. From research and development to manufacturing and packaging, the highest standards of accuracy and quality must be maintained. When TriRX Pharmaceutical Services was searching for new technology to improve their production environment and overall responsive capabilities, they implemented Rice Lake’s Internet of Things (IoT) VIRTUlink system into their everyday processes.

“A quality scale system is essential for the effectiveness of our products and most importantly, the safety for our customers,” explains Christy Pinkerton, TriRx project engineer. “Our industry is regulated by the FDA and DEA, so any opportunity to improve our processes and strengthen our authenticity is always welcomed. We saw an opportunity to leverage VIRTUlink on our 1,000-, 2,000- and 5,000-gallon tanks to see how our load cells were performing in real-time. It turned out to be a game-changer that helped all groups involved.”

If one of the load cells begins to fail, it may produce an out-of-tolerance result for the finished product. This can negatively impact the pharmaceutical’s overall effectiveness and result in lost business or diminished confidence in the company as a whole.

VIRTUlink constantly monitors the health and performance of connected equipment. By connecting to Rice Lake’s iQUBE²® digital diagnostic junction box, VIRTUlink enables remote diagnostics, automated maintenance alerts and advanced analytics. A junction box brings multiple load cells together so they can function as a single scale.

“VIRTUlink has been very beneficial,” continues Pinkerton. “It has proven itself numerous times, including an event where one port would not register any readings. We determined the ground wires were missing and possibly the nearby electrical outlet had shorted out. Once remedied, the port was back online and we received an automated notification.”