Case Study - Centocor

About Centocor

Centocor is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and manufactures active ingredients for medical products at their Cork site in Ringaskiddy. For more than 25 years, Centocor has been a leader in the field of biomedicines. Through the dynamic science of biotechnology, they continue to seek innovative ways to treat cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and immunemediated inflammatory disorders (I.M.I.D.s), such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Centocor’s work has revolutionized the science of immunology. They pioneered monoclonal antibody technology, a cutting-edge approach that launched a new generation of products to treat immune-related diseases.

The Requirement

As with any world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing facility the requirement for state of the art scanning and printing equipment would prove paramount. Secondary to this requirement was a reliable in-country supplier who could advise on the best equipment to allow smooth integration of production, warehouse and back office processes. As well as a focus on actual production facility within the Cork plant there was also a requirement to automate the warehouse facility to accurately monitor and reconcile throughput of in-bound ingredients and out-bound finished products.

After a detailed tender process Centocor identified VisionID as the best fit to advise and supply AutoID materials for the production and warehouse facilities. Having close ties to the worlds leading manufacturers of AutoID equipment and a dedicated in-house Service and Support team VisionID were able to deliver the best solutions for a busy pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

The Solution

VisionID in association with production and engineering management were quick to gauge which solutions would work best for production and warehouse end users. A combination of MC9090 handheld devices and LS3408 scanners from Symbol (Motorola) and Z4M printers from Zebra Technologies provided the total solution package that allowed for data capture, storage and printing within a busy pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

The Symbol MC9090 mobile computer support current and nextgeneration business-critical applications that help maximize the efficiency and productivity of mobile workers inside and outside “the four walls” of the most demanding environments such as the Centocor manufacturing and warehouse floors. The MC9090 series of mobile computers combines the latest in mobile operating systems and processing power with advanced data capture options and integrated multi-mode wireless connectivity including wide area network (WAN), 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN (WLAN) and Bluetooth-enabled wireless personal area network (WPAN) for anytime, anywhere voice, video and data connectivity.

The LS3408 handheld corded scanner captures 1D bar codes in the harshest of conditions, even when labels are at varying distances. Featuring the widest working range available, it reads labels as far away as 45 feet and as close as .25 inches. This scanner is ideal for the Centocor warehouse and manufacturing facilities, with an ergonomic design that makes scanning comfortable during long shifts.

The Zebra Z4M is an easy-to-use, cost effective industrial printer that adapts to changing application needs. The printer's intuitive design makes operation easy for both the novice and the experienced user. The Z4M is ideal for a wide variety of applications, including shipping/receiving, compliance labelling, asset tracking, inventory control, and ticketing which was an ideal fit for the Centocor requirement.

The Outcome

The Centocor facility at Ringaskiddy now forms the strategic manufacturing centre of a new global supply chain for the company for many of their existing and new pipeline recombinant mammalian cell fermentation and monoclonal antibody products. This new manufacturing unit will produce products for the detection and treatment of many human diseases on a commercial scale but also is used to produce smaller quantities of drug material for clinical trials. The equipment commissioned for this facility will prove key to future growth as well as product integrity and VisionID are proud to be a part of this process.