New industrial oven with “pill pushing†robotic gantry precisely removes excess moisture from 3D-printed pharmaceuticals
A leading pharmaceutical manufacturer approached Thermal Product Solutions with a request to develop an oven that would uniformly remove excess moisture from 3D-printed prescription medications. Gruenberg engineers designed and developed a new custom industrial oven with an external robotic gantry, heat-saving windows, and internal actuators and sensors that precisely positions and dries trays of pills to exact standards.
New Columbia, Pa. May 29, 2015
When a leading manufacturer of pharmaceuticals approached Thermal Product Solutions with a request to design an industrial oven that would uniformly remove excess moisture from prescription medications being produced using a 3D-printing process, Gruenberg engineers developed a custom solution that includes a robotic gantry, heat-saving windows, and internal actuators and sensors that precisely positions and dries trays of 3D-printed pills to exact specifications.
To ensure the quality and uniformity of each pill, this new conveyor oven precisely times, loads, arranges, positions, heats, monitors, and removes trays of pharmaceuticals, drying them to specific standards. The oven has thin window slits, rather than a large door, to conserve heat and maintain precise temperature control of the 80â°C environment as trays of product enter and exit the chamber.
Thermal Product Solutions designs and manufactures industrial ovens, furnaces and environmental temperature cycling and stability test chambers. Product brands include Blue M, Gruenberg, Lindberg/MPH, Tenney and Wisconsin Oven. TPS is headquartered in New Columbia, Pennsylvania. Lindberg/MPH is located in Riverside, Michigan, and Wisconsin Oven is located in East Troy, Wisconsin. For more information, visit http://www.thermalproductsolutions.com.
Featured Product

IP Seals for Robots
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies' IPRS (Ingress Protection Seals for Robots) provides reliable protection for robotic systems operating in harsh environments. Designed to prevent dust, moisture, chemicals, and wear from compromising performance, IPRS extends service life and reduces maintenance. The adaptive Z-shaped geometry ensures sealing integrity under continuous motion, making it ideal for high-speed automation and outdoor applications. Manufactured with high-performance elastomers such as Fluoroprene XP and EPDM, IPRS offers exceptional resistance to lubricants, cleaning agents, and extreme temperatures. This makes it the perfect solution for six-axis robots, SCARA robots, AMRs, AGVs, and cobots.
With its low-friction design and durable materials, IPRS enhances energy efficiency and operational reliability in industrial and autonomous robotics. Learn more about our IPRS Seals