1. Tube Loading and Detection

• • Empty blood collection tubes are loaded into the tube loader hopper.
  • Tubes are automatically loaded into tube racks and transferred through the production line.
  • The detection system checks for missing tubes, reverse tubes, and improper positioning to ensure smooth operation.

2. Tube Cleaning

• • Tubes pass through the cleaning station where filtered hot air is blown inside each tube.
  • This process removes dust, particles, and contaminants before additive application.

3. Chemical Dosing / Additive Spraying

• • Tubes move to the chemical dosing station.
  • Required additives such as EDTA, K2-EDTA, K3-EDTA, Heparin, or Clot Activator are accurately sprayed using ceramic pumps and pinch valve technology.
  • A sample spray station allows verification of additive quantity before production starts.

4. Chemical Drying

• • After dosing, the tubes pass through a multi-stage drying system.
  • PTC heaters and high-pressure air circulation ensure complete and uniform drying of the additive coating inside the tubes.

5. Sodium Citrate Dosing (Optional)

• • For coagulation tubes, sodium citrate is dosed using a precision piston pump filling system.
  • The dosing system ensures high accuracy and repeatability.

6. Cap and Rubber Combination

• • Plastic caps and rubber stoppers are automatically assembled together in the Cap Combination Machine.
  • The combined cap assemblies are transferred to the capping system.

7. Cap Placement

• • The cap adding unit automatically picks assembled caps using a vacuum pickup system.
  • Caps are simultaneously placed onto all tubes within the rack.

8. Vacuum Generation and Cap Pressing

• • The tube rack enters the vacuum chamber.
  • The required vacuum level is generated inside the tubes.
  • Caps are pressed and sealed while maintaining the preset vacuum level.
  • PLC-controlled vacuum settings ensure uniform vacuum across all tubes.

9. De-Nesting

• • Vacuum-sealed tubes are automatically removed from the rack.
  • The tubes are transferred to the inspection and labeling section for further processing.

10. Vision Inspection – Additive Verification

• • A vision inspection system checks each tube for proper additive coating and dosing.
  • Tubes with missing, insufficient, or uneven additive application are identified automatically.

11. Labeling and Printing

• • Approved tubes are transferred to the labeling station.
  • Labels are applied automatically and printed with batch number, manufacturing date, expiry date, barcode, and other required information.

12. Vision Inspection – Label Verification

• • Cameras inspect each labeled tube.
  • The system verifies label position, barcode readability, batch details, and print quality.

13. Automatic Rejection

• • Any tube with improper dosing, defective labeling, damaged cap, broken tube, or inspection failure is automatically rejected from the line.

14. Robotic Tray Loading

• • Accepted tubes are picked by a robotic pick-and-place system.
  • Tubes are automatically arranged and loaded into thermocol or plastic trays according to the required pattern.

15. L-Sealing and Shrink Packaging

• • Loaded trays enter the L-sealer where shrink film is wrapped and sealed.
  • The trays then pass through a shrink tunnel where the film is heat-shrunk to create a secure and tamper-evident package.

16. Finished Product Collection

• • The packaged blood collection tube trays are collected for final inspection, carton packing, storage, and dispatch.