Innovative automated washing system improves further the already very attractive process economics of the Courtoy Modul tablet press by increasing operating time.

Innovative automated washing system improves further the already very attractive process economics of the Courtoy Modul tablet press by increasing operating time. When running a tablet press, keeping it in service is the key to profitability. Now the already very attractive process economics of the Courtoy Modul tablet press have been improved even further by increasing operating time through an innovative automated washing system, Wash Off Line (WOL).

The Modul contains all powder within an Exchangeable Compression Module (ECM) designed for extreme fast product changeover (often in as little as 30 minutes) with very high containment.

The WOL increases production time by cleaning the ECM after it is removed from the tablet press.

The MODUL press remains in operation producing another product while the cleaning cycle runs.

The self-contained ECM holding all product contact parts is removed from the press onto a trolley by means of an incorporated arm.

This trolley is rolled to a wash skid, where three high-performance spray nozzles are attached while still maintaining complete containment.

The PLC program on the wash skid runs a user-defined program using cold and warm water in combination with detergents and other cleaning agents, and rinsing with purified water.

The Wash Off Line technique is much more economical than a Wash In Place (WIP) system because WIP requires shutdown of the tablet press during the entire cleaning, drying, and cooling cycle.

With WOL you can continue generating profit by running a second product while the first product module is being cleaned.

Other advantages of WOL include the capability of one wash skid servicing multiple presses and the ability to clean powder feed and peripheral equipment.

The Wash Off Line Exchangeable Compression Modul will be presented at the Interphex 2005 in Booth #1537 and is available for testing at Niro.

With the expansion of programmable and computerised systems in the pharmaceutical industry the need for additional validation services is on the increase.

The Technical Services Department of Yokogawa UK has introduced a comprehensive range of validation services to meet the growing demand for validation within the pharmaceutical and other process industries. With the expansion of programmable and computerised systems in the pharmaceutical industry, coupled with the growing requirements for all process-related equipment that has electronic password functionality to be 21CFR PART11 compliant, the need for additional validation services is on the increase. Yokogawa is meeting this requirement by offering validation services implemented by qualified engineers to assist in the smooth running of projects.

Yokogawa's DAQSTATION and DAQSIGNIN data-acquisition and recording products already have full validation documentation, and the relevant procedures can be implemented by qualified Yokogawa engineers or in conjunction with the customer, depending on the site policy.

DAQSTATION devices are supplied with independently written sets of documents covering installation and operational qualification.

The company's qualified engineers can also provide a full range of onsite assistance - including installation, commissioning, set-up, final validation and SOP generation - to enable customers' units to be 'up and running' in as short a time as possible.

The DAQSTATION units are technically compliant to the requirements of 21CFR PART11 with electronic signatures and audit trail features.

The DAQSIGNIN software that is used to view the data acquired on the DAQSTATION units also has an independently written installation and operational qualification (IQ/OQ) procedure.

The IQ/OQ process can be carried out by Yokogawa's qualified engineering team or as assistance during the validation procedure.

The production of validation documentation can involve huge amounts of time and thus incur high unforeseen costs that can rapidly deplete project funding.

Yokogawa Technical Services can provide the production of validation documentation at an agreed fixed cost, helping to keep projects on budget.

Yokogawa has been dealing with a number of pharmaceutical batch-process, control-systems, safety-systems and continuous process customers since the introduction of the company's first distributed control system in 1975.

Yokogawa significantly expanded its market share in the pharmaceutical industries from 1980 onwards, and, following the introduction of the CENTUM CS3000 Series of control systems, now has an installed base in the pharmaceutical sector of around 300 systems in bulk materials plants and more than 230 systems in medicine forming plants around the world.

This combination of technical expertise and abundant customer experience means that Yokogawa is uniquely suited - and willing - to offer full support for flexible process operations according to GAMP and cGMP directives.

The company can also make a significant contribution to the reduction of total cost of ownership (TCO), as well as providing solutions with scaleable, integrated and open systems architectures.

* About Yokogawa Electric Corporation - Yokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 82 affiliate companies, and over 650 sales and engineering offices spans 28 countries.

Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,000 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement.

Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa.

* About Yokogawa Europe - the European headquarters were founded in Amersfoort, the Netherlands in 1982.

Throughout Europe Yokogawa has its own sales, service and engineering operations.

This dedicated network has been extended to Central and East Europe and Southern Africa to further enhance the coverage and support associated with serving the process control and automation market place.

We develop and produce flowmeters at Rota Yokogawa in Germany, liquid analysers and industrial safety systems in the Netherlands.

In addition to this dedicated network of Yokogawa subsidiaries a select organisation of Test and Measurement (T and M) subsidiaries and distributors is established in certain areas to support the specific customer needs of this continuously developing and specific market of T and M instrumentation.

* About Yokogawa UK - Yokogawa UK, part of the global Yokogawa Corporation, is a supplier of enterprise technology solutions to the process, manufacturing and utility sectors.

The company is a technology and market leader in instrumentation and control, and holds many key patents and national and international approvals.

Yokogawa UK's headquarters are in Runcorn, Cheshire, with additional system sales support operations in Milton Keynes.

Claimed to be the world's most precise filler, a dispensing unit features an innovative drive control rotary piston pump that reliably achieves fill accuracies of +/-0.05% or better.

Basco Technologies introduces the Dispensing Unit Type 533, the world's most precise filler. Featuring an innovative drive control rotary piston pump, the stainless steel Type 533 reliably achieves fill accuracies of +/-0.05% or better. The versatile Type 533 can be used as a benchtop filler or integrated into automatic filling systems.

As a benchtop filler, the semi-automatic Dispensing Unit Type 533 handles up to 30 CPM and is ideal for clinical trials and laboratory testing.

Compared to other benchtop fillers, the Type 533 offers reproducible performance that is ten times more accurate.

The Type 533 can be integrated into fully automatic production filling systems, either at the time the filler is manufactured by the OEM or later as a retrofit in the field, to produce higher outputs.

This versatility enables companies with products in clinical trials to plan ahead for full production using the same filling technology.

Basco's Dispensing Unit Type 533 handles liquid and semi-viscous products, accurately filling volumes from 10 microliters to 100 ml.

Unlike conventional fillers that require the purchase of multiple pumps, the Type 533 can achieve a wide range of fill volumes with one pump due to the exceptional accuracy of the drive system.

An operator can achieve a fill volume change in seconds by downloading pre-programmed product recipes.

Product changes can be made in minutes, no tools required, with the use of dedicated pumps.

Designed for ease of operation, the Type 533 offers several operation modes and a user-friendly interface.

The Dispensing Unit Type 533 features a stainless steel housing that is washdown-safe.

Single-piece, weld-free, stainless steel pumps ensure optimal hygienic performance.

* About BascoTechnologies - Basco Technologies is a comprehensive engineering, production, training and distribution facility developed to meet the unique needs of pharmaceutical packaging in North America.

Experienced in processing ampoules, vials, disposable syringes, bottles and a variety of other specialized containers for both liquid and powder products, Basco offers responsive service and knowledgeable support that assures compatibility with US requirements.

With accuracy and repeatability being key features, a new system is intuitive and able to store up to ten separate programs to monitor the amount and duration of vacuum.

OK International's Techcon Systems brand, a leading provider of fluid processing solutions, introduce a new mid range series of Digital Dispenser/Controllers, designed to put a 'tick in the box' for many of today's dispensing requirements. The new Digital Dispenser/Controller series comprises the DX-300, with an operating pressure of 0-100 lb/in2 for more general dispensing applications. And the DX-315 offers an operating pressure of 0.15 lb/in2 for specific, low viscosity fluid applications.

The capabilities of both systems are otherwise identical.

The Digital Controller/Dispensing system is packaged for immediate use and comes with sample tips, barrels and syringe adapters.

With accuracy and repeatability being high on the list of key features in the selection of today's dispensing products; the new system is intuitive and able to store up to ten separate programs to monitor the amount and duration of vacuum.

This provides the sequences of beads and dot sizes required for speed of operation and precise repeatability every time.

In applications where low viscosity materials are being dispensed, there can be a tendency for the fluid to drip.

It is important for the dispense system to be able to control this, in order to keep the needles and workbench clean and to avoid the waste of sometimes costly materials.

Techcon Systems new series therefore includes an adjustable vacuum feature, for the control of fluid drips between dispense cycles.

When high viscosity fluids are being dispensed, the weight of the material can sometimes move the fluid down the cartridge, again resulting in material leakage.

A post dispense vacuum has been built into the new series which reverses the systems internal auger, drawing excess material back into the cartridge, known as 'suck back'.

The design also incorporates a vacuum gauge to monitor this suck back, which can then be stored in the systems memory.

Both the DX-300 and DX-315 Digital Controller/Dispensing series offer a robust system with a cost effective price tag.

The intelligent casing has a small footprint of just 9.25in x 8.5in x 2.5in and has been molded to enable the units to be stacked one on top of the other and to fit easily onto any workbench.

Both systems offer a selectable voltage range of 100/240VAC 50/60Hz and a time range of 0.008 to 99.99 seconds.

These latest Techcon Systems products have evolved from over 40 years of research and development in quality fluid dispensing products.

Software provides controlling, guiding and tracking of manufacture in operations with stringent quantity and security requirements and ensures real-time control of quality.

Elan Software Systems has designed the MES computer solution for regulated industries, particularly the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of the XFP software solution is the controlling, guiding and tracking of manufacture in operations with stringent quantity and security requirements. It ensures real-time control of the quality and safety of the good application and progress of manufacturing processes.

XFP provides computerised management of all the resources and commands related to manufacture while combining robustness and reliability and saving time.

The XFP MES, a standard parameterable program, is a modular system consisting of three main components that a company can purchase together or separately.

Each major component guides and ensures the security of a major manufacturing stage: flow and logistics management, computerised weighing or the computerized execution of operating procedures, referred to as the electronic batch record.

This electronic record generates 'paperless' production.

XFP offers many distinct advantages, including: real time control of manufacture with the highest possible quality; detection and elimination of process errors, deviations and anomalies; shorter manufacturing time; faster batch release; enhanced compliance with regulations; and full traceability and history of each batch.

Used today by seven of the 10 world pharmaceutical majors, XFP operates in seven languages at more than 100 production sites in 16 countries.

Its users include Abbott, Baxter Healthcare, Cardinal Health, Gencell, Glaxosmithkline, Johnson and Johnson, Massachusetts Biologicial Laboratories, Merck, Novartis, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Schering, Takeda and UCB Pharma among others.

* About Elan Software Systems - Elan Software Systems is an international company based in the USA (Princeton, New Jersey) and Europe (Toulouse, France).

Elan has also set up a network of integrator partners in Mexico, Ireland, Italy and Australia.

Annual sales were some $S6 million in 2004.

It employs 50 people, a quarter of whom are from the pharmaceutical, chemical or bio-data processing industries.

With a client portfolio (number of equipped site) consisting solely of highly regulated industries, Elan has become in 19 years a leading expert in world MES for health-related industries.

With average growth of 13% per year, Elan Software Systems is a stable, sustainable company that invests in R and D to remain a pioneer in its technological progress and recognised innovations such as its electronic batch record system.

Honeywell has successfully completed its portion of the mechanical completion phase at one of the world's largest bio-pharmaceutical production plants in Ireland.

Honeywell has successfully completed its portion of the mechanical completion phase at one of the world's largest bio-pharmaceutical production plants in Grange Castle, Ireland. Honeywell installed its Plantscape, Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) and Excel 5000 systems at the site to help control the environment and all associated primary utility services across the entire campus. The company has also signed a service agreement to provide day-to-day customer service and technical support for its building management and process control solutions installed on site.

Grange Castle is operated by Wyeth, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, and will manufacture healthcare treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and a vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease in young children.

The facility is scheduled to come on line later this year.

A Honeywell spokesperson said: 'Wyeth has constructed this world class, state-of-the-art facility to serve the rising demands for its biopharmaceutical products'.

'Honeywell is proud to be a part of this important project.' Honeywell provided the Plantscape, EBI and Excel 5000 products, which are the leading-edge products from its Process Solutions and Building Solutions business units.

* About Honeywell - Honeywell International is a $26 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; specialty chemicals; fibers; and electronic and advanced materials.

Based in Morris Township, N J, USA, Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges.

It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index.

Honeywell Process Solutions is part of Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions group, a global leader in providing product and service solutions that improve efficiency and profitability, support regulatory compliance, and maintain safe, comfortable environments in homes, buildings and industry.

Rotary tablet press, recognised for superior performance and very attractive process economics, is now available as a double-sided, double-layer type for high-capacity production.

The Courtoy Modul Rotary Tablet Press, recognised for superior performance and very attractive process economics, is now available as a double-sided, double-layer Modul D with high-capacity production capabilities. Like the single-sided Modul S, the Modul D contains all powder within an innovative (patent pending) Exchangeable Compression Module (ECM) designed for extremely fast product changeover. The advantages of the Modul D include high-capacity output (nearly three times that of the Modul S) to meet increased production requirements.

In addition, the unit offers the capability to produce double-layer tablets and product changeover of the complete compression suite can be doe in less than an hour.

The Modul D features reduced production cost per tablet due to fast changeover, reduced downtime, and increased productivity.

The removed ECM can be washed offline while production is resumed with a second ECM.

Operator protection is enhanced by very high containment levels (to 1 microgramme/m3) while optimised production control is accomplished thru the choices of control systems available.

The Modul tablet press is equipped with a fully graphical interface that can either be run in the standard Courtoy Displacement Control mode, or in Force Control or Dual Control.

The Dual Control combines force control and displacement control in independent control loops for control of both tablet weight and hardness.