Vacuum tube lifters in the production of pharmaceuticals

The increasing occurrence of diabetes makes it necessary to produce increasing amounts of insulin. For this reason, Aventis Pharma Deutschland GmbH has built a new production facility for insulin in the industrial estate Höchst. No compromises could be accepted with respect to compliance with the high requirements which exist for the production of pharmaceuticals and with the demand for rational operations. This was particularly true for the material flow and the handling of the raw materials on their way from the goods receipt to the packing of the finished product. For reasons of hygiene, all of this must be carried out in air-conditioned rooms, some of which are located in explosion-hazard areas. One of the most important areas is the mixing rooms, which are located on two floors of the building. The mixing room on the ground floor is used for mixing the solvents, while the mixing room on the first floor is for solid substances. The solvents are mainly liquids, while the solid substances are mostly bulk goods delivered in sacks.

How can sacks be handled rationally?

The new plant made it possible to "do things right" in the planning of the material flow for the entire plant and thus also for the mixing rooms. While the liquid raw materials can be transported easily to their mixing room with the aid of pumps, the solid raw materials arrive in sacks stacked on pallets and have to be moved with industrial trucks to the processing area. Once there, the sacks have to be placed on the funnel-shaped filling stations. This means that the paper or plastic sacks, weighing 25 or 50 kg, have to be grasped, lifted, move to the table of the filling station, cut open and emptied into the funnel. After this, the empty sacks have to be removed and disposed of. In order to ensure that this is done rationally and carefully, Aventis Pharma decided to invest in a new handling system designed specially for the purpose. The partner selected for this was J. Schmalz GmbH in 72293 Glatten (in the Black Forest), who have made a name for themselves as vacuum-technology specialists, particularly in the handling of loads with the aid of vacuum. Schmalz not only supplies a comprehensive range of vacuum components and assemblies for the construction of vacuum-based solutions of all types, but also offers complete, ready-to-use vacuum handling systems, including the necessary cranes, and a full spectrum of services. These systems are purpose-built to meet the wishes and materials-flow requirements. For the Aventis application, this meant designing a complete handling system consisting of six vacuum tube lifters of the Type JUMBOSPRINT 65, together with a single-beam crane system, all made of stainless steel and with the necessary explosion-.protection elements.

The vacuum tube lifter JUMBOSPRINT is ideal for the planned tasks because it grips and raises/lowers the loads without the need for other devices. It is also very easy to operate and relieves the operators from the physical stress of lifting the sacks manually. Equipped with universal sack grippers and suspended from compact single-beam cranes of the Type ETK, the six vacuum tube lifters can be used flexibly within the area of each of the six separate filling stations. The single-beam cranes permit free movement in two axes and the vacuum tube lifters permit individual selection of the height at which the sacks are gripped and released. In addition, the vacuum tube lifters JUMBOSPRINT have a centrally located operator handle which permits the operator to handle the sacks quickly, precisely and without effort, regardless of whether the sacks weigh 25 or 50 kg. In order to comply with the very high requirements of the pharmaceuticals industry, both the single-beam crane systems ETK and the vacuum tube lifters JUMBOSPRINT are made from stainless steel. In order to permit easy cleaning, the surfaces of all stainless-steel parts are glass-bead blasted to provide a surface finish to which dirt cannot adhere.

Whether paper or plastic sacks,
25 or 50 kg in weight …

In all, there are six filling stations which are used as necessary, depending on the raw materials and the amounts needed. For one production batch, an operator receives between 20 and 50 sacks, weighing 25 or 50 kg each. These are delivered on pallets with the aid of a low-lift platform truck. He then uses the vacuum tube lifter JUMBOSPRINT to lift a sack and move it with the single-beam crane from the pallet to the table of the filling station. After positioning the sack there, he cuts it open and empties its contents into the funnel of the filling station. After placing the empty sack on one side, he then fetches the next full sack from the pallet, and so on. For this work, the operator does not need to bend down or to turn or twist his body in any manner. Raising and lowering the tube lifter is achieved with the aid of a special valve which seals the tube for lifting and allows air to enter for lowering the load.

Sack handling with vacuum tube lifters has proved very suitable for the operations at Aventis, particularly because it was accepted quickly, after a short training period, by the operating personnel. The new insulin factory is highly automated and the vacuum tube lifters and the entire handling system from J. Schmalz GmbH contributes considerably to a high level of safety and efficiency and easier working conditions for the operating personnel, while meeting the hygienic requirements for the production of pharmaceuticals and ensuring economic production.