German language Process magazine June 2006 issue

The German-language issue of Process magazine for June 2006 features some impressive editorial topics, as summarised here in English

The German-language issue of Process magazine for June 2006 will feature some impressive editorial topics, as summarised here.

* Plant/apparatus engineering: Gas manufacturers have to comply with FDA standards.

To qualify as a supplier to Ferring Pharmaceuticals which uses high-purity nitrogen for inerting in the production process, Westfalen had to validate the entire customised supply system for compliance with international standards.

This type of validation, which is required by customers who produce finished drugs and active ingredients, is becoming an important aspect of quality management.

* Corrosion protection in flue gas cleaning systems.

To comply with EU air pollution regulations, Spanish and Portuguese electricity suppliers had to install wet flue gas cleaning systems at the Abono, Soto and Sines power stations.

A limestone suspension is sprayed into the flue gas scrubber.

The limestone reacts with the sulphur dioxide, and oxygen is injected resulting in the formation of gypsum.

The flue gas is not released directly through the chimney.

Instead, it is first fed to a flue gas desulfurisation system (FGD).

The gas contains aggressive acid and alkali substances, and the system components which come into contact with these corrosive substances must be protected against severe thermal, chemical and mechanical attack.

The customer decided to use Tip Top Coroflake and Topline series coating systems.

* Mechanical processes: Processing nanomaterials is not always easy.

To ensure that the desired properties and functions remain intact, the particles have to be stabilised in the end product to prevent agglomeration.

An additional finishing step can sometimes enhance product quality.

Netzsch Feinmahltechnik develops and produces machines and equipment which are designed to meet the challenges of the nano age.

Self-suction or compressed air driven gas/liquid dispersion system.

Gas often has to be injected into liquids in chemical reaction engineering applications.

The efficiency of the system largely depends on the quality of the dispersion process.

The conventional method uses compressed gas or compressors and lances or other components to directly inject the gas into the liquid.

However, the mixing process is inefficient, and it consumes a lot of energy.

A lot of research and testing has been conducted to find a replacement for this obsolete technology, and a number of different techniques are now available.

This article describes one solution which combines a ring injector with a static mixer.

* Instrumentation/automation: FDT takes the pain out of parameterisation.

Engineers can use an FDT (Field Device Tool) for remote configuration, parameterization and diagnosis of process automation devices which were made by a variety of manufacturers.

Users benefit from standardised parameterisation and operation regardless of the type, functionality and complexity of the devices involved.

The user does not need to know which communication protocols are being used, because the devices and protocol details are hidden behind a standardised FDT interface.

* In-Line pressure instrumentation in aseptic applications.

Sterile Process technology plays an important role in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage industries.

Production, filling and packaging have to take place in a sterile environment to prevent contamination by micro-organisms.

Innovative engineering solutions are needed to ensure that instrumentation meets requirements such as EHEDG and 3-A.

* From Condition Monitoring to system diagnostics.

Productivity, system availability and process reliability are some of the criteria which users of automation systems put right at the top of the wish list.

Automation products with built-in diagnostic functions provide an effective way of driving down the high cost of repair, maintenance and unplanned downtime.

* Pharmaceutical / sterile engineering: Highly purified water used in the production of high-purity salts.

Salt is a very important active ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry, and it must be produced in strict compliance with GMP guidelines.

Companies that produce for the worldwide market also have to use GMP-compliant systems for the production, storage and distribution of highly purified water.

* Aseptic valves in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Valves which are used in aseptic production systems have to comply with specific regulations (FDA, GMP and 3A sanitary).

Valves should be designed for easy cleaning.

As far as possible, all internal parts should be free of gaps and dead space, and the valves should be self-draining.

Aseptic membrane values are the most important shut-off and control components in the primary circuits which are used in the biopharmaceutical industry.

* Software/IT, Engineering/CAD: Process simulation management.

It is easy to create a simple data management system for small to medium-size projects using Excel.

Excel-based datasheets and data entry forms with built-in calculation functions are currently very popular.

However, the scope of these spreadsheets is usually limited to a single piece of equipment, and they are generally not suitable for entire systems.

They cannot be used for new process development.

That is the domain of process simulation, and creating a link to the data management system has been on the wish list for quite a while.

The team which developed ChemCAD has taken up the challenge.

* Thermal Engineering: Increasing the service life of heat exchangers.

Vinnolit is Germany's largest PVC manufacturer.

Problems with plate heat exchangers were causing headaches for engineers at the company's Gendorf plant.

A build-up of deposits drove up repair and maintenance costs.

This article presents a system which significantly increases service life.

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