Product category:
Pharmaceutical Processing News
News Release from: Hosokawa Micron | Subject: PDD and PMD
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 September 2005
Metering screws for pharmaceutical
powders
A new Pharma Double Metering Screw and Pharma Micro Metering Screw solve product residue and cleaning problems associated with conventional powder screw feeder equipment in pharmaceutical powders
A new Pharma Double Metering Screw PDD and a new Pharma Micro Metering Screw PMD from Hosokawa Alpine solve product residue and cleaning problems associated with conventional screw feeder equipment in the metering of powdery substances in the pharmaceutical industry With demands for accuracy, cleanability and tight batch control coupled with increasing demands for flexibility of operation for multi processing plants it is essential that the feeder does not become the 'weak link' in the processing line
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 13 Nov 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
In Line Disintegrators solve major process problem
Hosokawa Micron recently supplied six Reitz In Line Disintegrators to the UK site of a major multi national chemical company to solve a major agglomeration problem
Olive stone grinding to produce activated carbon
One of the world's leading producers of activated carbon has installed a complete turnkey milling and process control system from Hosokawa Micron to give them unmanned production 24/7
There are requirements quite specific to the pharmaceutical industry which design of the metering unit must meet, notably, suitability for sterilisation, both for SIP and in an autoclave, suitability for use in a potentially explosive environment as well as operational flexibility.
These challenging complex requirements are not addressed with standard feeder designs.
The Pharma design Double Metering Screw PDD consists of only three modules, the product chamber, bearing unit and drive unit thus offering quick dismantling and easy cleaning.
Further reading
Multi purpose micronising plant for pharma use
Modern pharmaceutical plants are no longer single product facilities, the ideal is a highly flexible multi purpose plant, which can process several high value products in the one fully validated unit
Isolator technology for wet chemical synthesis
Companies operating in the wet processing field of chemical synthesis now have access to innovative barrier containment systems when safeguarding personnel from potentially hazardous substances
New Hosokawa Micron wet grinding mills
The Alpine ANR Wet Agitated Pearl Mill is designed for the large scale ultrafine wet grinding of medium to hard materials where the downstream process can accept a fine wet product
The three modules can be connected to each other by a central interlocking mechanism.
The product chamber and the bearing unit which houses the auger and agitator are dismantled together, this means that the auger and agitator can be removed without the need for tools.
As the product hopper is equipped with a safety guard on the inlet a special tool is required for its removal for safety reasons.
The integrated horizontal agitator design prevents product bridging often associated with sticky pharmaceutical powders and guarantees an optimal filling level on the screw.
Dependent on the screw design, the horizontal agitator can be in rotating or oscillating mode.
By minimising the clearance between the agitator and the hopper wall, it was possible to minimise any residual build up within the chamber, therefore maximising the yield on any process.
The PDD is manufactured in materials to suit the application and cleaning regimes and agents used whilst the bearing unit, bottom section of the product hopper and outlet sections are monobloc parts to minimise dead zones and product deposition.
The bearing and drive end of the feeder are fully sealed from the product chamber, therefore reducing the possibility of both product contamination and spillage outside the feeder.
Design in Miniature.
Where small amounts of material are to be produced in the region of 1g/min the new Pharma Micro Metering Screw offers ultra low levels of product residue within the chamber making it ideal for use with high value pharmaceutical products.
The Pharma Micro Metering Screw is available as a gravimetric metering unit which measures continuously and compensates for changes in bulk material properties or coating formation.
It is also available as a highly accurate volumetric.
The Pharma Double Metering Screw PDD, performance range 6-200 litres/hour and the Pharma Micro Metering Screw PMD performance range 0.12 - 6 litres/hour, have both proved themselves in operation, meeting all the statutory processing regulations and standards within the pharmaceutical industry but also offering a high degree of flexibility of operation.
• Hosokawa Micron: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
