Home News and Events Pneumatic conveying of pharma powders

Pneumatic conveying of pharma powders

November 19, 2019

Vibratory check screener for pneumatic conveying system provides hands off conveying, screening and discharge of active pharmaceutical ingredients

SLS

Compliance with health and safety standards and ATEX directives is imperative in the pharmaceutical industry. When manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API’s), producers ensure their operators are at a safe distance from harmful dust and fumes, and minimize the need for manual handling of hazardous products. This also protects the product from contamination.

Automatic conveying, screening and discharging of pharmaceutical fine powders

The screening of pharmaceutical powders and liquids is key to ensuring consistent final product quality. Whether check-screening active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, or screening tablets and pellets to quality-check before packaging, guaranteeing quality is as important in this industry as it is any other.

Depending on the space within the processing facility, it is not always possible to load machines from above, using the large bulk bags or drums commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. The product instead must be loaded manually or, the safer option, conveyed to the screening machine. One pharmaceutical manufacturer, seeking a solution for conveying and screening powders in one operation, contacted Russell Finex for a solution.

Previously, the manufacturer had been loading product manually to a sieving machine. This posed a risk to operators being exposed to hazardous dust and fumes, was more labor intensive, and could also increase the chance of contamination entering the product. In this instance, the Russell Compact Self-Loading Sieve™ was suggested as a solution.

This pneumatic screener for pharmaceutical powders provides a complete stand-alone system, conveying, screening and discharging product in one operation. Pharmaceutical powders, granules and tablets can be conveyed up to 5 meters, and its compact design allows the system to be conveniently installed in existing production lines. Its stand-alone design incorporates the vacuum conveying technology and discharge unit in one compact and mobile system.

Pharma dusts and fumes health hazard prevention and control

The Russell Compact Self-Loading Sieve™ is supplied with a control console and a vacuum pump, which are mounted on a separate stand away from the screening unit, keeping operators a safe distance from the process area. The screener is completely enclosed, eliminating dust and fumes, as well as minimizing the risk of product contamination.

An additional feature that appealed to the pharmaceutical manufacturer was how easy the unit is to strip down and clean. The Russell Compact Self-Loading Sieve™ is available in easy-to-clean all-stainless steel, a popular specification in the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, the unit can be disassembled and assembled without the need for tools, and an automated filter cleaning system keeps the vacuum conveyor operating consistently without the need for manual cleaning.

Russell Finex is a global leader in the design and manufacture of bespoke, high-quality sieving and filtration equipment for the pharmaceutical industry. With a customer base including Pfizer, GSK, Wyeth and Sanofi-Aventis, the company has secured a reputation for providing premium solutions for hygienic and high-containment pharmaceutical powder processing. To discover more about the range of sanitary equipment available, contact Russell Finex today.

Contact us

Our team of experts are ready to help find you solutions tailored to your specific needs.