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On pharmaceutical, food and related production lines, consumables and change parts are the main cost items. While consumables can be selected based on how they are used, change parts are a design developed by the manufacturer of the process line.

Change parts

The main purpose of change parts in the process is to move (transport) the product or packaging along the line, form pockets and hold products in place.

Depending on their purpose, change parts include:

• augers;
• moulds;
• guides;
• dosing pumps;
• star wheels.

Each change part is designed specifically for the customer.

AT Engineering designs, manufactures and installs the necessary changeover parts at your plant and supplies change parts made in Ukraine and Italy.

In the following articles we describe the design and purpose of change parts.

What could be simpler than a snail-shaped shaft invented by Archimedes in the 3rd century BC? Thanks to its simplicity, reliability and adjustable feed, this “snail” — the auger, or screw — is used intensively in many fields, from all-terrain vehicle wheels and meat grinders to ultra-sterile conveyor lines in pharmaceutical plants.

Augers used in pharmaceutical production differ significantly in design from other screw conveyor change parts. Their high strength, chemical inertness and resistance to abrasives and wear come from being made of stainless steel or engineering polymers. Dead zones during product transport are avoided thanks to the highest possible precision in manufacturing every part of the screw conveyor, and maximum tightness is the top priority during assembly. In pharmaceuticals, augers are widely used on product dosing lines, washing lines, marking lines and inspection conveyor lines.

Guaranteeing auger quality requires modern high-tech equipment. Augers and auger pairs are made in one-piece or assembled versions and, depending on function and application, come in many types (for example, inclined, horizontal and vertical).

Key parameters that characterise an auger’s performance:

• length (L) and diameter (D), and the length-to-diameter ratio (L/D);
• flight depth at the start and end of the auger (h1, h2);
• length of sections with different flight depths (L1, L2, L3);
• flight land width (e);
• pitch (t);
• helix angle (f).

AT Engineering manufactures change parts — augers and auger pairs — from the customer’s drawings (sketches) or from a supplied sample. Each auger is designed around the customer’s requirements, the material being processed and the operating conditions, with all necessary calculations carried out to ensure reliability, durability and wear resistance.

Pharmaceuticals

In its advertising, Bosch Packaging Technology showed how much depends on packaging: changing the course of history — a gift to the emperor in the form of the Trojan Horse; changes in personal life — a ring in a velvet box; the birth of new life — an egg “packaged” in its shell; survival in harsh natural conditions — a joey in its mother’s reliable pouch; and, of course, the growth of your business — high-quality, well-designed product packaging.

Bosch Packaging Technology, a leading global supplier of packaging manufacturing and modernisation equipment, presented the latest generation of its ALF series at Pharmatag 2016 in Germany. The new machine delivers higher output — up to 600 ampoules per minute! Its optimised design guarantees high process safety (for example, the rail with glass containers lifts easily to avoid unnecessary friction).

In previous articles, AT Engineering specialists described how change parts such as augers and dosing pumps work. Today we look at star wheels (turnstile stars).

In food and pharmaceutical production, rotary machines are widely used for filling liquid and viscous products into individual containers and bulk products into bags and tubes, for marking and labelling containers, and for tableting bulk products.

Empty bottles are fed into the process rotor at the filling station, and filled bottles are discharged from it, by slotted transfer rotors. The working elements of these rotors that actually transfer the bottles are discs with shaped pockets around the circumference that follow the cross-section of the bottle. That is why in practice slotted transfer rotors are often called star wheels.

Modern production lines can combine several process rotors, for example rinsing, filling and capping. Depending on how many process rotors are combined, such units are called monoblocks or triblocks.

For example, one monoblock layout (for filling and capping) consists of 2 process rotors and 3 transfer rotors (guide stars), while a triblock layout (for rinsing, filling and capping) consists of 3 process rotors and 5 transfer rotors (star wheels). Many other variants are possible.

Star wheels are made from exceptionally durable materials:

• first of all, AISI 314 and AISI 316 steels, which need no introduction;
• caprolon (polyamide) — an excellent substitute for non-ferrous metals and their alloys; resistant to hydrocarbons, oils, alcohols, ketones, ethers, alkalis, formic and acetic acids; it does not decompose or release harmful substances during machining, which is very important in pharmaceutical production;
• ERTACETAL C — suitable for long-term use at temperatures up to +100 °C; thanks to its high hardness it has good sliding and wear properties; resistant to hydrolysis and chemicals; absorbs little water; machines very well and is dimensionally stable;
• PTFE (fluoroplastic) — an excellent material with a low coefficient of friction, outstanding chemical inertness and water-repellent properties; operating range from −269 °C to +260 °C; physiologically and biologically harmless; melting point about +327 °C; can be turned, drilled, milled and ground.

AT Engineering specialists will select the right material for infeed and outfeed star wheels based on your specific operating conditions and wear-resistance requirements.

They say you can watch two things forever — fire and water — and, as the joke goes, other people working. I would add a third: an ampoule filling and sealing line at work. It is a mesmerising sight when this “miracle machine” fills 12 ampoules at once (about 18,000 ampoules per hour). Three well-known methods are used to fill ampoules: vacuum, syringe and steam condensation.

The syringe method is widely used abroad and is carried out by machines with a special dosing unit (piston or diaphragm). Thanks to a number of advantages it is the preferred method:

• filling and sealing can be performed in a single machine;
• accurate dosing of the solution (±2%) and a short interval between filling and sealing (5–10 s), which extends the product’s shelf life;
• the ampoule capillary is not wetted by the solution and stays clean, improving sealing conditions — especially important for thick and viscous solutions.

How the process works: several hollow needles descend into the ampoules on the conveyor. First, inert gas is fed into the ampoule to displace the air, then the solution is dispensed by a piston doser, followed by another jet of inert gas, after which the ampoule immediately moves to the sealing station.

AT Engineering repairs production lines for the pharmaceutical industry and supports machines and installations at every stage of their life cycle — from planning and commissioning to routine repair and modernisation.

When it comes to an ampoule filling and sealing line from the German company Bausch+Ströbel, built, as our grandfathers used to say, “to last forever”, restoring it is a matter of time — and, of course, the result of the knowledge and skills of AT Engineering’s specialists.

We received the line in non-working condition.

The photos clearly show the entire modernisation process.

The condition we found:

• the configuration did not match a working machine;
• the main electric drive did not match the required machine output;
• synchronisation of the main assemblies and mechanisms was lost;
• the ampoule conveyor was missing;
• the ampoule discharge receiver was missing;
• the ampoule sealing mechanism was not working;
• the gas and oxygen supply system did not meet technical requirements;
• the drive gears of the ampoule acceleration rollers were damaged;
• the bearings for transporting ampoules around the carousel were corroded;

• the gas pressure regulation system was faulty;
• the production counter mechanism was faulty;
• dosing needles and dosing pumps were missing;
• the equipment protection and interlock systems were faulty;
• all parts and mechanisms of the line were affected by corrosion and wear;
• the lower protective doors of the mechanical section were damaged.

Everything started with assessing the wear of the mechanical parts and the condition of the electrical and electronic components. The next step was planning the work.

AT Engineering specialists carried out a complete overhaul of this Bausch+Ströbel ampoule filling and sealing line:

• main and auxiliary drive gear motors meeting Bausch+Ströbel requirements were selected;
• all rolling and plain bearings were replaced;
• all gas and oxygen piping on the line was replaced with piping that meets technical safety requirements;
• the automatic ignition and flame maintenance system for ampoule sealing was changed;
• an ampoule infeed conveyor was designed and manufactured;
• the paint coating of the entire line was restored (chemical- and heat-resistant);
• the lower guarding of the line was restored;
• synchronisation of the main assemblies and mechanisms was restored;
• an ampoule receiver meeting the customer’s requirements was manufactured;
• the gas regulation and supply system for ampoule sealing was improved;
• ampoule sealing was set up precisely and correctly according to specifications;
• a burner gas extraction system was installed;

• change parts for the line were designed and manufactured (augers for 2 ml formats, discharge guides, ampoule infeed star wheels, etc.);

• commissioning was carried out (professional installation and commissioning guarantee trouble-free operation);
• staff were trained directly at the customer’s production site.

The equipment can now run at up to 18,000 ampoules per hour without any loss of product quality.

It is hard to believe this is the same old line. Old pharmaceutical equipment can have a new life if it gets into the hands of specialists. AT Engineering repairs and modernises production lines for the pharmaceutical industry. A key focus of our engineering service is 24/7 technical support for our customers.

AT Engineering also supplies dosing pumps for this Bausch+Ströbel filling and sealing line and offers spare parts kits.

EDWARDS is one of the largest companies in its field. When F. D. Edwards founded it back in 1919 with just £20, he could perhaps only dream of an annual turnover of around $1 billion.

Today Edwards has 98 years of experience supplying innovative vacuum systems and is a leader in vacuum equipment.

But any equipment, even equipment as exceptionally reliable as Edwards, needs maintenance.

AT Engineering supplies components and consumables for Edwards vacuum pumps, including:

• complete repair kits;
• maintenance kits;
• filters;
• consumables — lubricants and oils.

Direct deliveries from Europe.

Looking closely at a membrane designed specifically for a diaphragm valve, it is immediately clear that its main task is protection and isolation: isolating different working media, protecting the process from external influences and protecting the environment from the process.

Well-known companies such as Burkert, GEMU and SED have refined membrane design over many years.

Membranes are made from:

• highly flexible ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM) — suitable for hygienic processes;
• fluororubber (FKM) — used in water treatment systems;
• polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) — ideal for hygienic processes involving chemicals;
• second-generation polytetrafluoroethylene (Advanced PTFE) — ideal for large temperature differences.

The right membrane material can only be chosen by analysing each specific application. The chemical properties and temperature of the working media cause different reactions, so material compatibility should be checked by an authorised specialist. Only then can long, safe and cost-effective use be guaranteed.

AT Engineering supplies membranes for diaphragm valves from Burkert, GEMU, SED and others.

Founded in 1984, SED develops, manufactures and distributes advanced valve and flowmeter technology. The aseptic diaphragm valve and all related components are SED’s core business. With more than 20 years of experience and continuous research and development, the company guarantees the highest quality and reliability of its products in every process.

SED’s universal and comprehensive range gives customers many advantages; its modular design helps reduce inventory.

We offer the full range of SED diaphragms. Diaphragms of the same size in all materials engage the valve actuator in the same way and are interchangeable in the valve without changing the diaphragm compressor or spindle.

Sizes: DN8 to DN15
Temperature: −40 °C to 150 °C

Fastening: button
Material: EPDM membrane

Sizes: DN65–DN80; DN15–DN25; DN32–DN40; DN50; DN65–DN80
Temperature: −40 °C to 150 °C

Fastening: threaded studs
Material: EPDM membrane

Sizes: DN100
Temperature: −40 °C to 150 °C

Fastening: threaded studs
Material: EPDM membrane

Sizes: DN8–DN15
Temperature: −20 °C to 150 °C

Fastening: button
Material: PTFE backed with EPDM membrane (bonded)

Sizes: DN8–DN20; DN15–DN25; DN32–DN40; DN50
Temperature: −20 °C to 150 °C

Fastening: threaded studs
Material: PTFE backed with EPDM membrane (bonded)

Sizes: DN15–DN25; DN32–DN40; DN50; DN65–DN80
Temperature: −20 °C to 160 °C

Fastening: threaded studs
Material: PTFE backed with EPDM membrane (two-piece)

One of the decisive factors when choosing a service company is its real ability to provide high-quality maintenance throughout the long service life of the equipment.

The role of service is to help you use your equipment as efficiently as possible.

Service is the set of work performed by a service company to ensure the customer’s legal protection and economic benefit.

Warranty-period service means carrying out, on time, all the work on which uninterrupted operation of the equipment depends.

Post-warranty service is provided for a fee under a contract. During this period the service company carries out preventive maintenance and overhauls, supplies spare parts and advises on effective use of the equipment. At the customer’s request, the equipment can be modernised and additional staff training provided. The goal of post-warranty service is to reduce equipment downtime, extend intervals between repairs and ensure safe operation.

Our service relationship with each customer is based on contracts that set out the obligations and responsibilities of both parties.

Service means peace of mind and a stable production process.