Palpharma News
01.04.08
Semi Automated Drum Handling and Dispensing Unit
PALPharma Handling Solutions have developed a semi-automated drum handling and dispensing system for quick and efficient discharging of drums. This was designed for a prestigious multi-national company for its factory in Shanghai China who required a system capable of discharging 30 x 50Kg drums of hygroscopic material by gravity feed into a vessel containing water for injection (WFI) at 85 degrees centigrade within 60 minutes.
The system comprises of 1 x PALPharmaVac, 2 x PALPharmaRoller Conveyors, 2 x PALPharmaTips and 1 x Receiving Hopper with CIP (clean-in-place) system.
Consideration has been given to cGMP design, reliability and ergonomic and user friendliness.
The PALPharmaVac is used to lift the full drums from pallet onto the cGMP roller conveyors in an ergonomic and operator user friendly manner. The drums are then moved round the conveyor and loaded into the squeeze cone design PALPharmaTips and inverted through 180 degrees. A butterfly valve opens and vibration starts automatically to assist the discharge. Whilst one drum is being discharged the second PALPharmaTip is being loaded with a drum ready for the next cycle.
Once all the drums are discharged the final task is to flush the receiving hopper through with WFI (water for injection) and recover any powder stuck to the hopper and connecting pipe and complete the charge into the vessel.
At the factory acceptance test the task was accomplished within 30 minutes.
For further details contact Roy Fincham
Tel: +44 (0)1246 452054
Email: PALPharma@palamatic.com
