Pharmaceutical Conveyors
Custom pharmaceutical conveyor systems designed to maintain reliable container flow throughout pharmaceutical production.
Pharmaceutical Conveyor Systems Built Around Your Process
No two production lines are the same. That’s why Dabrico designs every pharmaceutical conveyor system with intention. Each conveyor system can be configured based on your container, required throughput, available floor space, upstream machinery, and downstream process. This application-specific approach supports the handling and integration requirements common across the pharmaceutical industry.
Whether you need a table that can feed visual inspection systems, receive product from a filling line, or provide temporary accumulation before labeling and packaging, our pharmaceutical conveyor solutions deliver reliable material handling your production can count on.
Smooth and Consistent Material Handling
Fine-Pitch Belt Conveyors for Stable Container Travel
Traditional conveyor belts have larger gaps between their cleats. These gaps can create an uneven surface for molded glass vials with jagged or irregular bottom edges causing containers to tip, separate, and travel inconsistently which can disrupt production.
To solve this, our belt conveyors use fine-pitch belts that provide a smoother surface for molded and tubular glass containers. As a result, our design helps vials remain upright and close together as they move downstream.
Stainless Steel Construction for Demanding Production Environments
Our accumulation tables are built with pharmaceutical-grade materials. All of our systems use solid-welded stainless-steel frames. This creates a more durable structure compared to alternative machines that are designed with bolted aluminum extrusion.
In addition, all of our welded areas are passivated to help remove impurities and protect the surface against corrosion.
Continuous Accumulation That Keeps Pharmaceutical Production Moving
Dabrico’s tables use multiple conveyor sections to maintain a continuous supply of containers.
A forward-moving belt transports product toward the machine infeed. When more containers enter the system than the downstream machine can accept, reverse-running belts carry the excess product back through the accumulation area.
This recirculation prevents product from remaining stagnant and helps keep containers available for the next stage of the process. The result is steady handling even when upstream and downstream operating speeds do not match perfectly.
Autoflow™ Moves the Last Containers Forward
Low product volume creates a common problem on accumulation tables. The last few containers may stop in a low-pressure or dead-space area near the conveyor discharge. An operator then has to push them manually toward the next machine.
Dabrico’s Autoflow™ technology provides feed assistance that continues moving containers toward the machine. This supports smoother transfer when fewer products remain on the table and reduces the need for manual intervention.
Vial-Down Protection Helps Prevent Jams
A tipped vial can enter a transfer point and cause a jam that interrupts operations. Dabrico addresses this risk with a vial-down block that uses a zigzag profile. Upright containers follow the shape of the guide and continue through the system. Containers that have fallen over can pass beneath the block and drop into a catch tray. Removing tipped containers before they enter the next machine helps protect line continuity and reduces the need for operators to clear avoidable jams.
Custom Conveyors Designed for Your Production Line
Standard conveyor models do not fit every production environment. Floor space, existing equipment, operator access, and container requirements can all affect how well an off-the-shelf system performs. Dabrico designs custom conveyors around the specific needs of each application.
Custom Pharmaceutical Conveyor Configurations
A custom pharmaceutical conveyor may include:
- Straight or angled conveyor sections
- Tray-on and tray-off stations
- Product-specific guide arrangements
- Adjustable transfer heights
- Reverse-flow accumulation lanes
- Multiple infeed locations
- Machine-to-machine transfers
- Inline openings for upstream equipment
- Integrated controls and safety circuits
- Customized table dimensions
Dabrico can also adjust the tray-on station depth so the conveyor surface sits flush with trays of different thicknesses. This creates a smoother transition as operators move containers onto the table.
Why Choose Dabrico for Pharmaceutical Conveyors?
Dabrico has decades of experience designing machinery for pharmaceutical visual inspection and container handling. That experience shapes how each accumulation table is engineered. We understand that reliable material directly affects throughput, operator workload, and product quality. A conveyor that tips containers, creates inconsistent spacing, or requires frequent manual intervention can become a constraint on the entire line.
Our pharmaceutical conveyors are designed around practical operating requirements:
- Solid welded construction
- Smooth container movement
- Toolless guide adjustments
- Continuous product recirculation
- Integrated control options
- Flexible tray stations
- Custom layouts
- Direct engineering support
As a result, our pharmaceutical conveyor solutions deliver unmatched performance and reliability.
The Importance of Using the Right Pharmaceutical Conveying Solution
Material Handling Trends in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Pharmaceutical production is becoming increasingly diverse. New modalities now represent $197 billion, or 60% of the projected pharmaceutical pipeline value, up from 57% in 2024. As more manufacturers expand beyond conventional pharmaceuticals, their facilities must be prepared to handle a wider range of formulations, containers, and product presentations.
This shift has important implications for material handling in the pharmaceutical industry. Equipment that is designed around one container size or production format can make product changeovers slower and more complex. Pharmaceutical manufacturers increasingly need conveyor systems that can adapt as their product mix changes.
Dabrico’s pharmaceutical conveying systems are built for this type of flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing. Operators can reconfigure guide rails, conveyor widths, transfer points, and other components onsite to accommodate new products without replacing the full line. This makes our custom conveyors well-suited for pharmaceutical applications where manufacturers need to run multiple container types or frequently introduce new products.
The Importance of Smooth Material Handling in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Approximately 20 billion injectable drug vials are processed each year. At that scale, even occasional material-handling problems can create costly disruptions throughout pharmaceutical production. A tipped container, sudden impact, or poorly controlled transfer can damage glass, interrupt flow, and force operators to stop the production line.
Research into pharmaceutical glass cartridges has found that containers experience repeated shocks as they move through accumulation tables and conveyor systems. Over time, these impacts can create stress points where microscopic cracks begin. Glass-to-glass contact can also damage containers or affect product quality.
Smooth handling helps reduce tipping, abrupt transfers, container collisions, and unnecessary mechanical stress. Well-designed pharma conveyors keep products moving consistently between upstream and downstream equipment. This supports reliable operations, protects fragile containers, and helps manufacturers maintain steady output without preventable interruptions.