SmartMeasurement has many successful flow measurement applications in the Pharmaceutical industry. Our ALSONIC-DSP family of non-intrusive ultrasonic flowmeters has been used in hygienic flow systems, where the transducers never come in contact with the process flow. The SmartMeasurement ALMAGWP electromagnetic flow meter with PFA liner and Tri-Clamp® process connections is available with accuracies of up to ±0.2% and are used for critical, high accuracy measurements. Our ATMF series thermal mass flow meters can measure air flow in the critical pill coating systems have been successfully used in this application. Our ALCM family of Coriolis mass flowmeters make critical measurement in fuel nozzle systems. SmartMeasurement provides a one-stop shop for all flow metering requirements in difficult pharmaceutical flow measurement applications.
Hygienic Flow Measurement
Pharmaceutical water consists of water used for cleaning such as sterile purified water (PW) or water for injection (WFI) including sterile water for irrigation and inhalation. The best solution to measure these waters is a non-intrusive clamp flowmeter such as the highly accurate ALSONIC-DSP. Installing and maintaining traditional flow meters means shutting down the process and cutting the pipe can mean microbiological growth can occur. This is where the non-intrusive nature of ALSONIC-DSP Ultrasonic flowmeters which are installed outside the pipe becomes the flow meter of choice.
The SmartMeasurement ALSONIC-DSP Ultrasonic flowmeter transducers are manufactured with a stainless-steel head, have a high IP rating, and are perfectly designed for clean room installation. They can be installed on pipes of any common material including various plastics, stainless steel, and flexible tubes. For non-permanent installation, where spot checking of flow is necessary, the SmartMeasurement ALSONIC-DSPPL portable clamp-on flowmeters are ideal for spot measurements.
Flow measurement is also needed in the production of liquid medicines which include liquids, solutions, syrups and mixtures as well as in the manufacturing of tablets such as in wet granulation have been chosen as production process. Health care industry regulations require that all flow measurement and other process devices must be fully “CIPable”, or suitable for “Clean in Place”. This means that the flowmeter must be fully cleaned when it is flushed with a suitable cleaning product or steam. Installing the SmartMeasurement ALSONIC-DSP Ultrasonic flowmeter means the flow transducers never touches the process and operators will never have to worry about contamination of the process.
While non-intrusive measurement saves a lot of installation cost as well as maintains the hygienic application requirements, however, often time higher accuracies of 0.5% or better may mean that the SmartMeasurement ALMAGWP electromagnetic flow meters with PFA and 3A connections with accuracies of +/-0.2% of full scale may be a better option. The cost-benefit ratios which include the installation of electromagnetic flow meters are determined by the operating engineers. SmartMeasurement ALMAGWP electromagnetic flow meters with ceramic liners with similar accuracies may also be considered in highly corrosive and hygienic applications.
Advantages
- The non-intrusive nature of the SmartMeasurement ALSONIC-DSPUltrasonic flowmeter family which can measure up to 30% solids or bubbles makes it the ideal choice for Hygienic flow measurements.
- For higher accuracy of up to 0.2% accuracy then permanent installed ALMAGWP electromagnetic flow meters with PFA and 3A connections can be the better option for hygienic applications.
- For portable spot-check measurements the SmartMeasurement ALSONIC-DSPPL portable clamp-on flowmeters are ideal.
Pill Coating
Pill coating involves consuming pills are more pleasant and easily digestible. Pill coating also protects the chemicals in the tablet. Some medications need to be digested slowly, pill coating assists in this time release function. Thus, various pills have different requirements regarding their coating. Pharmaceutical manufacturers require an accurate metering system to measure air for their pill coating process and a system that can be easily incorporated into their operation. Accuracy is very important in this process. The system requires a set amount of air which is sent to a sprayer for optimum control. Air is used to control the amount of liquid coating applied to the pills. The reaction time of the flowmeter is also an issue.
The best solution to accurately measure air is the SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters. The ATMF flow system allows the customer to accurately measure air and its MODBUS communication system can easily be incorporated into their PLC or DSC system. This process is much like the use of a spray gun, with the flowmeter measuring the amount of air to control the amount of liquid necessary to coat the pills.
Advantages:
- The SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters are successfully used to measure air in the pill coating process to accurately control the amount of liquid necessary to maintain coating integrity. With no moving parts, wide turn-downs and virtually no pressure loss, the ATMF is an ideal choice.
Fuel Nozzle Measurement in Coatings Applications
In coating services and thermal spray powders, specific amounts of fuel are combined with flammable industrial gases in the combustion chamber of a nozzle that in turn create a supersonic spraying velocity. High accuracy of fuel flow measurement is critical in controlling the exact blend of fuel and gases to produce the required velocity of these combustible materials. This high velocity is used to spray the coatings which penetrate the surface. The coating, when applied to the surface, exhibits extremely high density and corrosion resistance to wear thus extending the life of the product. Our highly accurate small-size SmartMeasurement ALCMDT Coriolis mass flowmeters are perfect flowmeters for these applications. Learn more information about our Coriolis flow meters.
Advantages:
- The SmartMeasurement ALCMDT small sized Coriolis flow meters are successfully used to measure the liquid spray nozzle fuels to maintain coating integrity.
Monitoring Hydrogen Bleed-Off
Hydrogen flow measurement to a hydrogenation reactor is crucial in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. A reduction of hydrogen consumption is a critical indication of the completion of the batching process. The SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters , with its 1000:1 turndown, is ideal for measuring flow during both the high demand batching process and the low demand at the completion of the batch. A second critical factor in this process is reducing hydrogen leaks to safe limits. An integrated system of SmartMeasurement ATMF inline thermal mass flow meters are required to continuously measure the hydrogen flow. The ATMF inline flowmeters provide accurate measurement of uptakes of hydrogen in the reaction process. The ATMF’s highly accurate totalizer serve as a much needed safety interlock by initiating a shutdown sequence to manage hydrogen bleed-off.
Advantages:
- The SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters, with its 1000:1 turndown, is ideal for measuring flow during both the high-demand batching process and the low demand at the completion of the batch.
Nitrogen Tank Blanketing/Monitoring
Low pressure “blanket” of inert gas, usually nitrogen, is injected into the vapor space of a pharmaceutical storage tank of toxic liquids. The primary reasons are to avoid emission of toxic fumes and prevent fire or explosion. The SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters installed upstream of the tank regulator monitors nitrogen flow rates.
Advantages:
- The SmartMeasurement ATMF series thermal mass flow meters are often used for nitrogen blanket applications where it is an ideal mass flow meter due to its features of having no pressure drop and no moving parts.