Freeze dryer uses Eurotherm T800 Visual Supervisor

The Lyoscience LSG60 freeze dryer offered by Bristol based scientific equipment manufacturer, Severn Science, uses the Eurotherm T800 Visual Supervisor for accurate and reliable control

A further model, LSG60, has been added to the Lyoscience range of freeze dryers offered by Bristol based scientific equipment manufacturer, Severn Science.

The Lyoscience product range is renowned for providing an extensive choice of process and control options that deliver reliable and reproducible freeze drying.

With greater shelf and condenser capacity, this latest freeze dryer is easily adaptable for either laboratory or small-scale production, exhibiting all the usual features of the LS freeze dryer range such as stoppering, data logging and analysis, but on a larger scale.

An additional safety feature automatically diverts the condenser refrigeration power to 'crash' cool the product if the shelf cooling system fails.

This protects valuable product, potentially averting significant losses.

The freeze dryer is controlled by the Eurotherm T800 Visual Supervisor, a powerful multi-function control and display product that provides real-time process information, enabling the operator to intervene as allowed by the pre-programmed process.

All changes, alarms and events are recorded in a tamper-resistant on board database.

Unlike most equivalent systems, which require a combination of a PLC controller with a SCADA system, the T800 provides process control, data logging, set-point programming and an interactive touch screen display in a single unit.

As a result, programming takes place in a single location.

This is a major advantage, as it is saves engineering, installation, testing and validation effort.

It also reduces the possibility of error between the controller and separate visualisation system.

The T800 is compact, simple to use and capable of performing both continuous and sequential control functions.

With in-built flexibility to operate over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, setpoints can be selected to meet the needs of specific recipes and programmed into the memory for selection by the operator.

This results in greater repeatability and product consistency.

Highly reliable and accurate control is essential for all freeze drying applications.

This is especially true for the heating phase, where the water must be boiled off sufficiently slowly to avoid damage to the product and the vacuum held constant to give consistent conditions.

The Eurotherm T800 solution is ideal for this application, due to its capability to automatically monitor and control complex temperature / pressure profiles and programme sequences.

However, due to the high value of the end product, operator intervention is frequently required to test the readiness of the process to move to the next stage.

For this reason, excellent visualisation and flexibility is required in addition to accurate control.

The Eurotherm system displays the data and status in real time via unique user screens tailored for the operation by Severn Science to provide clear and consistent information.

All data is logged to disc or interfaced with the main site data warehousing system or MES system for review and analysis, as required.

As with all pharmaceutical and biotech applications, compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 is essential.

Eurotherm expertise and numerous installations in the industry assured Severn Science that the Visual Supervisor was ready for use in all validated processes, including freeze drying.

According to John Hutchinson, Severn Engineering Manager, "We continue to select Eurotherm as the best hardware / software solution for many of our products.

It has proven to be ideal for implementation with our freeze drying applications because of its reliability and accuracy.

With the T800 we are assured of a system that is quick to develop and validate and easy to operate and maintain, which is critical for our customers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.".

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