Beyond End-of-Line: Smart Product Manipulation Across the Entire Line

Efficient product handling is essential at every stage of the production process—from initial feeding to final packaging. Advanced manipulation technologies enable manufacturers to manage products like blow-fill-seal containers, inhalers, pens,  auto-injectors, vials, bottles and syringes with precision, speed and care, ensuring simple integration with existing systems and compliance with industry standards.

What is Product Manipulation?

Product manipulation refers to the ability to move, position and manage products throughout the entire production line:

• Start of the line: robotic depalletizes and tray unloading systems feed components into the line.
• Mid-line: Intelligent buffer systems manage product flow, synchronize with vision systems and adapt to varying speeds and formats. They can also facilitate transitions between machines that require different product handling—such as extracting items from a godet for labeling and repositioning them horizontally onto a pocket conveyor for flowpack packaging.
• End of the line: products can either be fed into the packaging line or prepared for intermediate process like quarantine, inspection, temporary stocking.

These systems handle products of various shapes, sizes and fragile materials with care. They are fully compatible with vision and traceability technologies.

From End-of-Line to Full-Line Integration

Since 1975, IMA BFB has led the way in end-of-line equipment. Today, we go further—leveraging our cross-industry experience to deliver customized, flexible, and high-performance manipulation systems that enhance productivity at every stage.

Modern production environments require flexible, high-performance systems that can adapt to diverse product formats and operational needs. Our manipulation technologies support:

• Automated tray loading and unloading
• Robotic product assembly
• Nesting and de-nesting of thermoformed trays or plastic injection trays
• 3D camera-base for product recognition
• Modular handling systems integrating palletizing and de-palletizing functions with product manipulation

Auto-injectors handling at the beginning of the packaging line	Full trays de-palletization and re-palletization of empty trays

Built for Flexibility, Innovation, and Customization

Our expertise in robotic integration allows us to meet the most complex challenges in pharmaceutical production. Our solutions include:

• Product feeding into pucks, worm screws, or bucket chains
• Product handling with custom-designed grippers capable of orienting products in any required position

All our solutions are turnkey, fast, accurate, and fully compliant with regulatory and traceability requirements.

By embracing the full potential of manipulation technologies, we help our partners optimize production.

Pens handling at the beginning of the packaging line

Why Our Manipulation Systems Stand Out ?

•  Seamless Integration – Compatible with existing processes from early-stage loading to final packaging
• Robotic Precision – Safe handling of containers and medical devices
• Flexibility at Scale – Customizable solutions for trays, cartons or bulk handling
• End-to-End Efficiency – Automated loading, unloading, palletizing, and transfer systems
• Compliance Ready – Built-in accuracy and full track & trace capabilities

The Benefits of these Solutions

✔ Increased Productivity – Faster operations with minimal manual intervention
✔ Optimized Space & Resources – Smarter layouts and reduced waste
✔ Future-Proof Flexibility – Modular designs that evolve with your needs
✔ Proven Reliability – Technology rooted in decades of pharmaceutical expertise
✔ Enhanced Security & Traceability – Reduced risk of tampering and loss of serialization throughout the process

Integration with palletizer for BFS storage for quarantine purposes

The Next Step in Pharma Manufacturing

Manipulation technologies are not just an add-on—they are the bridge between production and logistics, the key to greater agility and the foundation of pharmaceutical packaging.

Discover how far beyond the end of the line we can take you.