The Problem: A European bulk pharmaceutical manufacturer specializes in producing sustained release pellets for subsequent encapsulation. The company makes a wide range of pharmaceutical products using techniques such as chemical synthesis and extraction/spray drying.

The company requires all functions to be carried out in compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP), which in turn provide the manufacturer, regulatory bodies and consumer with an assurance of quality products. It is also committed to the highest environmental standards and safety control, with employee and community safety incorporated into all aspects of its operations.

The company was manually loading 25kg bags and 50kg drums, a method which apart from taking up about two hours of production time to handle 400kg, could not guarantee product integrity. It needed to improve its product handling system. Flomat Bagfilla, Control and Metering’s European partner, conducted tests which indicated that their system would meet the required criteria.

The Solution: The system incorporates a Flo Super Clean FIBC discharger hopper with an electric vibrator to ensure complete product discharge from the FIBC. A patented liner tensioning system ensures that the liner does not discharge with the product. The patented liner-clamping device seals the liner to the downstream vessel preventing any product contamination from the atmosphere or conversely, contamination of the working environment by the product. This method of FIBC discharge is suitable for food, pharmaceutical and toxic applications.

The system supplied includes a number of features to meet the specific standards required for the production of pharmaceutical products - the complete unit is manufactured in stainless steel, with all welds ground smooth, crack and crevice free, with all internal contact surfaces finished to 180 grit. External finishes are bead blasted and items that come into direct contact with the product can be easily removed and dismantled between batches for cleaning, thus ensuring batch integrity.

To discharge the FIBC, it is secured to a rigging frame and hoist, and raised to position on to the discharge hopper. The outlet spout of the FIBC is then placed between the unit’s pneumatically operated clamps when they are closed. The liner discharge tie is released to allow product to discharge through a buffer hopper fitted with a Flomat Flo-Cone. This latter device is located above the outlet of the buffer hopper to allow a specific annular gap between the outside of the cone and the inside of the hopper. It is sized to ensure product flow when the pneumatic vibrator located inside the cone is operated, as well as when the vibrator is switched off. Product is discharged from the unit directly into a rigid IBC mounted on a weigh platform, enabling the product to be weighed before it continues to additional production procedures.