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Pharmaceutical Industry
In the pharmaceutical industry, numerous liquids with widely different properties are required. Liquid intermediate products must be made available and held ready for further processes. To ensure smooth, continuous production, reliable level measurement and point level detection are essential.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In the production of medical consumables, autoclaves are commonly used for sterilization. Every autoclave has 4 chambers where medical products are sterilized. They work with dry, saturated steam at 2.7 bar pressure and 130 °C. To regulate the water level in the condensate sump, a reliable level measurement is required. The overpressure is also measured to ensure an optimal and safe autoclaving process.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Pharmaceutical products such as drugs and vaccines are held in batch filling holding tanks ready to be filled into injection vials under absolutely sterile conditions. After each batch, the holding tank has to be totally sterilized using an autoclaving procedure. During this process, the sensor is exposed to a pressure of 2.5 bar and a temperature of 130 °C for at least half an hour. The rapidly changing levels of the aqueous liquids are continuously monitored. The rapidly changing levels of the aqueous liquids require continuous and precise monitoring.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Many different ointments and creams are produced in batching tanks. The process conditions in batch production are typically characterized by high temperatures and vacuum. After each batch run, the tank needs to be cleaned quickly and effectively with chemically aggressive cleaning agents ready for the next batch. Contamination of the products during the mixing or reaction process is prevented by the use of a protective gas atmosphere. To ensure a safe, reliable process, both the level and the gas head pressure must be continuously monitored.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Some pharmaceutical companies use bioreactor vessels to cultivate particular cells or microorganisms required for certain treatments. The very high level of hygiene required means the vessels and all associated parts must be easy to thoroughly clean, because even the slightest contamination with other organisms can lead to an aborted production run. These reactors are mainly "batch-fed", where they are completely filled at the start and not emptied again until the process is completed. The pressure and level in the reactor have to be monitored continuously during process in order to obtain a high-quality yield.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In the pharmaceutical industry, cleaning of process equipment takes place within the framework of a validated "Clean in Place (CIP)" process to ensure aseptic conditions are maintained in production equipment, tanks and pipelines. Sodium hydroxide or concentrated acids are frequently used as cleaning agents, which are held in storage tanks within the CIP system. They are diluted in a premix vessel prior to use. Level measurement enables safe storage and optimal usage of these cleaning agents. Point level detection serves as overfill and dry run protection.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The empty raw capsules and the active ingredient pellets are stored above the filling machine. Reliable level measurement is required here to ensure a continuous supply to the process. The capsules are only lightly stuck together and can be easily sucked apart by a vacuum, so that the upper part separates from the lower part. The pellets are then filled into the lower part of the capsule. After filling, the capsules are transported to the collecting vessels via a hose system. A level detection system serves as overfill protection in these containers.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The so-called aqua purificata evaporated in the steam separator is condensed to high purity water (WFI) in the condenser. Inside the condenser there is a cooling system that cools the steam to make it condense. The feed of cooling liquid is monitored in the pipeline. Point level detection ensures that sufficient condensate is present to prevent steam from entering the WFI reservoir directly via the feed pipe.
Pharmaceutical Industry
When very small product batches are produced in the pharmaceutical industry, disposable plastic containers are often used. These are essentially polymer bags in which a fermentation process takes place or which contain a certain medium or buffer. Continuous level measurement is required to ensure high process efficiency.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Solvents are used in the pharmaceutical industry for extracting active ingredients. They are then recovered via evaporation in a high-vacuum distillation vessel. After the solvent has been removed from the pharmaceutical product by evaporation, it is further processed. Reliable level measurement is required in the distillation vessel for process control.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In the pharmaceutical industry, tablets are coated with colouring agents or active ingredients in a drum coater. This coating in the form of a liquid suspension, contains colouring or solids and is stored in a storage tank next to the drum. Itis sprayed into the drum via nozzles for even distribution on the surface of the tablets. Reliable level measurement in the storage tank is required to ensure that there is always enough of the liquid suspension for tablet coating. Overflow and dry run protection is provided by a reliable level switch.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Often, in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, substances need to be separated from one another or perhaps some cell components precipitated. One method of doing this is using special filtration systems. When the filter is working properly, the quality and yield of the products are at their optimum. So continuous differential pressure monitoring of the filters ensures the filters are running at their most efficient at all times.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Granular raw materials are delivered and stored in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC) also known as ‘Bulk Bags’ or ‘BigBags’. The raw materials are fed to the various process stages via conveyor belts or pneumatic lines. To ensure reliable supply to production, the levels in these FIBC’s need to be continuously monitored.
Pharmaceutical Industry
One method for producing and drying granulates is the fluidized bed process. A uniform stream of air is fed up through a distributor plate at the bottom of the fluidized bed reactor. A liquid granule suspension is sprayed in from above, in the air stream it turns into solid granulate and collects on the top of distributor plate and the exhaust air flows through a filter for cleaning. To ensure a high-quality process, both the granulate quantity on the distributor plate and the condition of the filter must be permanently monitored. The measurement technology must also fulfil the most stringent hygienic requirements in order to guarantee a consistently high granulate quality.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In pharmaceutical production, Hexane is a commonly used solvent and reaction medium, as well as an agent for oil and grease extraction. This colourless liquid has a slight petrol odour and is highly volatile light hydrocarbon, readily forming highly flammable vapour-air mixtures. When the tank is emptied, no residues may remain inside. Reliable level measurement and overfill protection is an absolute necessity for safe storage and handling.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In preparation for proper disposal, liquid wastes that arise in the production of pharmaceuticals are temporarily stored in buffer tanks. These potentially hazardous mixtures consist of diverse media with very different properties including dielectric conductivity (dielectric constant) and density. For optimal storage, reliable and accurate level measurement is required. Point level detection ensures overfill and dry run protection.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Mixing vessels are applied for preparation, storage and transfer of a wide range of pharmaceutical products. These vessels are used for the manufacture of antibiotics, blood plasma products, and injection and infusion solutions. Following preparation, substances are transferred to a filling station. To ensure a reliable process, the liquid level in the mixing vessel must be reliably and continuously monitored.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The various solvents and intermediate carrier materials have to be first prepared before they proceed onto further production steps. This is usually carried out in bioreactors and fermentation tanks. These vessels are enclosed with a steam heating jacket to regulate the temperature inside the mixing process. The level measuring system is needed to control filling and discharge as well as monitor during the process. Level detection prevents the tank from overfilling or running empty.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The measuring conditions inside a reaction vessel in a multi-product, multi-line production facility are characterized by changing media as well as widely fluctuating temperatures and pressures. Depending on the properties of the raw materials, either alloy, stainless steel or enamel lined vessels are used. Different components like stirrers, dryers and centrifuges also vary in each process. To ensure reliable operation and high productivity, both level and pressure have to be continuously measured and monitored.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The key component in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products is the reactor. Different raw materials are mixed with solvents and made to react by applying heat and pressure. During this process, the pressure, temperature and consistency of the medium are changing constantly. A stirrer ensures homogeneous mixing of the product, and can also cause an agitated surface and heavy foaming. To ensure a reliable process, the liquid level in the reaction vessel must be reliably and continuously monitored.
Pharmaceutical Industry
High process pressures and a highly compressed vapour phase are the normal operating conditions inside boilers. The size of the steam generator is what determines the quantity of saturated steam that can be fed into a heat exchanger. Reliable control of the water level and limitation of high and low water levels are therefore extremely important.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In the production of ultrapure water (WFI), the process begins with aqua purificata being fed into the steam separator. The aqua purificata evaporates there and is fed into the condenser. Evaporation is effected by a heat exchanger supplied with saturated steam. To ensure that the heat exchanger is always covered with aqua purificata, reliable level detection is required. The pressure inside the steam separator must be kept constant in order to achieve maximum efficiency.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Many different liquids with widely varying properties are required in pharmaceutical production. Products, at all stages have to be stored and held ready for subsequent processing. These are used as catalysts for the decomposition of compounds and stored in a wide variety of concentrations, some of these products are acids. For smooth production and optimal storage, reliable level measurement and point level detection are absolutely necessary.
Pharmaceutical Industry
In many of the production processes in the pharmaceutical industry, small quantities of various chemicals are needed in order to improve the characteristics of certain products. The media are often provided directly to the production areas in small, transport containers. Accurate level measurement ensures a continuous supply of materials for production.
Pharmaceutical Industry
High-purity water (WFI) is required for pharmaceutical products that are injected directly into the bloodstream or administered as eye or nose drops. This water is produced through filtration and distillation, then stored temporarily in tanks. Absolute sterility and cleanability are essential criteria for all process components that have direct contact with the medium. This also applies to the instruments for level and pressure measurement in the tank.
Pharmaceutical Industry
A thickening vessel fitted with a scraper is used to increase the concentration of extracted solutions by means of evaporation under vacuum. Extremely precise level measurement is required in this process because the concentration is determined by the filling height. The evaporation system operates according to meeting specified levels. As soon as they reach the correct value, the evaporation process is stopped and the concentrated solution is discharged out of the tank.
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