Precision control of vial stoppering pressure

World-renowned freeze drying manufacturers Usifroid have developed a feature to control and monitor vial stoppering pressure, allowing control and traceability

World-renowned freeze drying manufacturers Usifroid have developed a feature to control and monitor vial stoppering pressure.

With the increasing need for process control and traceability in pharmaceutical processing it has become necessary to be able to control and monitor the stoppering pressure.

Previously, vial stoppering systems on freeze dryers did not allow for accurate control of the stoppering pressure applied, nor could they record it.

Usifroid, part of the Air Liquide group, has developed a feature specifically for controlling and monitoring the stoppering pressure applied by the innovative and proven ball-screw stoppering systems, also patented by Usifroid.

The control of the stoppering force is based on a servo drive that controls the motor of the stoppering system.

Perfected over several years, the servo drive offers high performance in terms of accuracy, repeatability and communication.

Stoppering pressure is regulated by both the torque and speed of the stoppering servo motor.

The control loop allows for a feed-back measurement of torque which is then translated into stoppering pressure by the freeze dryer SCADA control system.

In parallel, an absolute encoder on the main stoppering screw controls the position of the shelves in the freeze dryer chamber with a precision to better than 1mm, which is particularly important for the Usifroid optional automatic loading and unloading systems.

Usifroid freeze dryers are available in the UK and Ireland through freeze-drying experts Biopharma Process Systems.

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