Through the use of mobile robots, pharma manufacturer Normon has streamlined the transport of medical vials in its A-class cleanroom environment. Omron’s mobile robots are built for performance. They handle simple transport, delivery and routing chores so Normon’s employees can continue with their higher-value responsibilities.
Established in 1937, Normon – based in Madrid, Spain – has been manufacturing high-quality medicines for over 80 years, serving customers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors throughout Europe and the US.
The company prides itself on its advanced technology and innovation, and its ability to produce affordable medicines in a sustainable way.
Omron’s mobile robots in use at Normon Laboratories pharmaceutical plant in Madrid, Spain 
The family of autonomous mobile robots from Omron
A solution for cleanroom environments
Normon has been using automated guide vehicles (AVGs) within its production process. However, following a change in the environment in which the robots needed to be deployed, the company discovered that the AGVs were too large to be used in certain cleanrooms.
Robots used in cleanroom environments must meet stringent requirements to prevent them for acting as a source of contamination. A specific type of robot is required for cleanroom applications and, as without robots, highly-qualified operators would have to transport the products within cleanrooms, instead of focusing on their own tasks.
Normon’s head engineer, Jose María Urdillo, comments: “We investigated a few different solutions on the market and became particularly interested in autonomous mobile robots, also known as AMRs, but they didn’t meet our criteria. However, we then came across an impressive AMR produced by Omron, which was suitable for work in cleanrooms.”
Customised and easily commissioned
The installation and start-up at the Normon factory were extremely fast, thanks to everything being tested previously in the Mipelsa laboratory after building a replica of the customer’s work area. Fine-tuning took place during the testing phase to fulfil all of Normon’s performance and safety requirements.
The Omron LD mobile robot is personalised to meet Normon’s specific needs and was very easy to install in the plant.
The end result from Normon’s point of view saw commissioning take place in just one week, while working in production mode. The customer was pleased with the help and advice provided by both Omron and Mipelsa, including the redesign of a tray holder to include a slight bend in one of the tubes holding the structure, which resulted in a more robust construction. This application-specific customisation was the most relevant to reduce the presence of humans in an A-class working area as specified by the requirements of the FDA. No modifications within the environment were needed when integrating the robots, which were ready for trials within a week.
Improved productivity
“Since the initial implementation of Omron mobile robots in 2018 and 2019, Normon now operates one of the first and largest mobile robot fleets in Europe, with 18 mobile robots in service. According to Normon, the project was a huge success with the robots demonstratively boosting production after one month in operation,” says Omron’s project manager, Miguel Ángel Esteban.
This proved to be the case as productivity was significantly improved – 111 000 vials could be transported in 40% less time than before, reducing the length of stay in the plant’s A-class cleanroom area. In other words, a production process that previously took one-and-a-half shifts can now be completed in less than a shift.
Following the introduction of the robots, employees can perform more specialised tasks and functions within the cleanroom, adding more value to their work and ultimately the company. What is noteworthy about this specific project is that no employees have been re-deployed or made redundant by the introduction of the cobots in Normon’s A-class cleanroom area.
Future prospects
As the Omron robots have exceeded Normon’s expectations, additional implementations are being planned for the future.
Esteban concludes: “Intralogistics solutions such as this are key to meeting the needs of our pharmaceutical customers, especially in cleanroom environments. With the newest additions to our mobile robot fleet, including mobile robots capable of transporting heavy loads, we can offer a solution for a wide range of applications.”
