Yesterday evening at the Forum Fribourg, Frewitt Manufacturer of Machines Ltd. of Granges- GRANGES-PACCOT Every two years, the Economic Affairs Directorate honours the most innovative Fribourg companies with a special innovation prize. The prize is endowed with 10,000 Swiss francs and has been awarded throughout the past 25 years. A total of 33 Fribourg companies competed for the 2016/17 Innovation Prize. An expert jury headed up by the Director of Economic Affairs, Beat Vonlanthen, then selected the three finalists for the company prize: Frewitt Manufacturer of Machines Ltd. of Granges-Paccot, Phonak Communications AG of Gurwolf, and Samvaz AG of Châtel-St-Denis. Yesterday evening, the winners were announced in front of around 400 guests at the Forum Fribourg. Edgar Jeitziner, president of the General Directorate of the Fribourg Cantonal Bank, presented first-place honours to Antoine Virdis, CEO of Frewitt Manufacturer of Machines Ltd. Frewitt developed the “FreDrive-Lab” crushing system, which can be employed in research labs in the pharmaceutical,…

One mill, stress-free milling processes, painless changeovers FreDrive-Lab, a brand new, patented breakthrough for laboratories, has started a new era in milling: New levels of simplification, flexibility and multifunctionality. In the past one needed a conic or oscillating, sieve, hammer and pin mill in order to treat powder by breaking, milling, homogenizing, sieving and disagglomerating. Today, one device does it all. One device with drive Working with active ingredients, cosmetic products or food: the FreDrive-Lab is the ideal lab and scale-up device to develop and prepare products for production. It is the right choice for the smallest batches of 50 grams up to processing product volumes up to 30 kg/hour. An intuitive and easy-to-use HMI program with extended functions to set the milling process and mill process validation (recipes) is easy to use. The integrated dosing system in the HammerWitt Lab milling head offers an additional feature providing precise, constant materialfeed. The FreDrive-Lab can size reduce product…

Everyone knows that OscilloWitt can be used as a rotating or oscillating sieve mill for ge NEW FLEXIBILITY: The OscilloWitt was built to meet the standards of the pharmaceutical industry, offering the operator an unparalled flexibility, enabled by its user-oriented, mobile, height adjustable design. The user has the option of docking the mill, which is mounted on a mobile lifter, anywhere in the production area. He can bring the device to the desired height with a touch of a button, easily integrating into an existing or new system in an open or closed application. As a milling system, the OscilloWitt: The monoblock design of the grinding chamber without cracks and dead space is ensures easy cleaning while, also preventing product build-up in the milling process. The oscillations with slightly graduated rotation ensures that the rotor is used on all sides evenly, extending operating life. The monocast design, when used properly. ensures containment requirements to a level of OEB5 (« 1µg/m3). In addition, the OscilloWitt can safely, reliably, mills products…

The FreDrive-Production makes possible what many operators can only dream of: Adjusting pr FreDrive-Production, the new universal platform for special applications is more than a machine that can be used in the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries for the size reduction or sifting of solids: The FreDrive-Production is a unique, revolutionary milling platform concept. Within minutes up to five different grinding heads can be attached, either for primary crushing, de-agglomeration, granulation, fine grinding or control screening on the universal platform, which combines the control and drive units. Changeover to a new grinding process takes a few minutes; simply loosen the Tri-Clamp, change the milling head, and reattach the Tri-Clamp. Frewitt, the world leader in the field of grinding, homogenization and de-agglomeration of powders, has created the ability with FreDrive-Production to mill sticky, hard, or crystalline powder with widely varying product characteristics gently and problem-free, providing requirement satisfying, flowing powder to your…

One Platform - 5 milling heads FREWITT, world leader in powder size reduction technologies, presents FreDrive, an innovative technology combining multiple, milling processes in a single, milling platform dedicated to the pharmaceutical, chemical and food products industries. MODULARITY – A distinctly avant-garde, modular concept: FreDrive allows you to alternate, depending on your production requirements, between 5 milling heads for size-specific crushing, fine grinding, de-agglomeration, or controlled sifting. FLEXIBILITY – Incomparable versatility: FreDrive allows you to adapt your milling platform easily and quickly, to suit your current or future production requirements, regardless of your manufacturing environment or production site. PERFORMANCE – Enhanced by a factor of 5: FreDrive proves its capabilities with the same degree of flexibility across the entire range of your processing needs, from small batch to large-scale production. SAVINGS – Enhanced return on investment…

The OscilloWitt - a mobile specialist Everyone knows that OscilloWitt can be used as a rotating or oscillating sieve mill for gentle grinding of heat-sensitive products. Few know that the OscilloWitt was developed for mobile, thinking, multi-filling process professionals. NEW FLEXIBILITY: The OscilloWitt was built to meet the standards of the pharmaceutical industry, offering the operator an unparalled flexibility, enabled by its user-oriented, mobile, height adjustable design. The user has the option of docking the mill, which is mounted on a mobile lifter, anywhere in the production area. He can bring the device to the desired height with a touch of a button, easily integrating into an existing or new system in an open or closed application. As a milling system, the OscilloWitt: The monoblock design of the grinding chamber without cracks and dead space is ensures easy cleaning while, also preventing product build-up in the milling process. The oscillations with slightly graduated rotation ensures…

Controlled metering of solid materials Although rotary feeders have become firmly established in process engineering for feeding and metering powders and granulars, this doesn’t mean that the possibilities of this technology have been exhausted. For Frewitt, the rationale behind the development of a new rotary feeder lay not only in the continuous feeding of products, but also in the capability of fulfilling several other criteria. Hence increased service life, GMP compliance, process reliability, and versatility in use became the stated objectives. Blades under scrutiny Product trials demonstrated that the straight design of the blades was not leading to the desired outcomes. A series of test results were ultimately instrumental in the decision to bend the six blades mounted on the rotor axle slightly, in the lengthwise direction of the axle (see the drawing). The advantage: greater resistance and torque could be achieved by doing so. A special grinding process was used to achieve the Ra 0.4…

1....2....3....FreDrive People talk about modular systems in the automobile industry often and correctly as a model for efficiency and quality, and it is often cited in software development as the preferred basis for today"s automation. Frewitt"s development department has worked intensively on a modular system since this first approach, which not only brings together the conical reduction of powders and granulates, but also the control screening and fine grinding in one machine. Three milling processes - one system, the FreDrive In plain English, the concept was to put together a conical sieve mill with a rotor at medium RPM with a cylindrical sieve mill with a turning stator with lower RPM and the hammer mill with high RPM"s in one modular system. The interface was the drive arm, which connects the entire drive and control system with the milling system electronically and mechanically. The control and operator interface design was completely reworked in order to…

Product recovery, à la carte The latest addition to the ProFi product line is a stand-alone filter system especially developed for product recovery in milling processes. The newly developed and patent-pending ”ProFi – Clean” filter is easily installed by a clamp connector as a module on the milling chambers or Inlets/outlets housings of all Frewitt mills (OscilloWitt, HammerWitt, ConiWitt, and TurboWitt). Sieve mills in existing systems can be retrofit in a few simple steps. Numerous advantages set this filter system apart from others. Low-pressure filling Exhaust air at atmospheric pressure escapes from the milling chamber via the filter, which traps any product. To prevent product build-up on the filter, the exhaust air filter is cleaned by a time-controlled pressure surge (shown by the blue arrows in the drawing). The advantage of this method is that continuous, uninterrupted product filling is possible. The product is fed back into the process by means of the exceptionally…

The latest addition to the ProFi product line is the stand-alone filter system ProFi-Clean The newly developed and patent-pending "ProFi – Clean" filter is easily installed by a clamp connector as a module on the milling chambers or Inlets/outlets housings of all Frewitt mills (OscilloWitt, HammerWitt, ConiWitt, and TurboWitt). Sieve mills in existing systems can be retrofit in a few simple steps. Numerous advantages set this filter system apart from others. Low-pressure filling Exhaust air at atmospheric pressure escapes from the milling chamber via the filter, which traps any product. To prevent product build-up on the filter, the exhaust air filter is cleaned by a time-controlled pressure surge (shown by the blue arrows in the drawing). The advantage of this method is that continuous, uninterrupted product filling is possible. The product is fed back into the process by means of the exceptionally efficient pressure surge cleaning. Dust-free atmosphere Particles > 5μm can be filtered out, thus fulfilling the requirements for…

Innovations on a sound foundation As mentioned above, the new oscillating mill operates on the same principle as the previous model. A few new process parameters have been added to the basic functions in order to make the operation of the sieve mill even easier: acceleration of the oscillatory motion by a variable angle, simplified setting of the rotor/sieve distance, step-by-step readjustment of the oscillation amplitude relative to routine wear on the rotor, conversion from rotary to oscillatory motion by the turning of a switch. It is possible to work in the oscillatory as well as the rotary mode on the same machine. This applies to both the OscilloWitt-3 and the OscilloWitt-6, which not only makes the system more flexible, but also lowers investment costs. Thanks to the new step-by-step readjustment of the oscillation amplitude, the unit requires less frequent maintenance, which in turn lowers maintenance costs. The simple acceleration of the oscillatory motion by a variable angle and the simplified…

The multifunctional milling system made by Frewitt is simple, economical, and not only that: it work What used to take three machines can now be accomplished on one system: the dry and wet milling of hard, soft, crystalline, and fibrous products as well as the deagglomeration, sizing, homogenization, control sieving, and pulverization thereof are now feasible with a single drive assembly. The Design Because the multifunctional milling system was intended to be especially suited for product development and small to medium-scale production, during the design phase emphasis was placed on modularity and easy handling. The result: three different milling heads, depending on the milling process, can be easily and quickly coupled to one drive. The Processes The concept of the multifunctional system consists of a conical sieve mill that can be converted to a hammer mill or sizing device with a rotary sieve drum by changing the milling head. The conical sieve mill is suited for deagglomerating and homogenizing dry and wet products, the hammer mill is suited for grinding…

Sieve mills in CIP design with no dead spaces In fine milling, product accumulates in and on corners, edges, recesses, and shaft bushings. The only way to dislodge these residues is by using large amounts of cleansers. These factors were taken into account in the design of the ConiWitt conical sieve mill. The ConiWitt is also now available in CIP design. Where solid residues are effectively bonded and removed due to optimized surfaces. The most important goal in the designing of the ConiWitt was a shape free of dead spaces. In order to achieve this goal, Frewitt opted for the monoblock design. The milling head consists of a monoblock with high quality surfaces (most of which are perpendicular) and a rounded drive and driveshaft. All metal contact surfaces of the CIP model are sealed off from the milling chamber with O-rings. The transitions between the rotor and the shaft, the conical sieve and the bevel gear, and the conical sieve insert and the housing are hermetically sealed. The seals do not interfere with…

Oscillating sieve mills in heavy duty construction Ricola’s instant herbal teas are very popular with consumers. In order for the teas to be able to unfold their full soothing effect consistently, they are produced with the help of a special method that ensures a consistently high fraction of active ingredients and flavors. Part of this method involves milling processes with the MF series of oscillating sieve mills from Frewitt. The oscillating sieve mills of the MF series were originally developed for the gentle milling of heat sensitive products in the pharmaceutical industry. Later these mills acquired a permanent place in the food production industry as well. Depending on the respective application, the user can select between 27 and 400 rotor oscillations per minute. This operating principle gives rise to numerous advantages: The milling process generates only a minimal amount of heat. The result of this gentle process is products with a very uniform grain size distribution and minimal fine particle fraction.…

Gentle deagglomeration of bulk goods Frewitt has developed a deagglomeration system that is designed to improve the quality of the final product when processing solids. The TurboWitt uses a rotary sieve drum, in which agglomerates are broken up by gentle acceleration and shearing forces. The result: Improvement of the flow properties in the processing powders, more precise metering, faster product conveying, and greater production output. All of these advantages lead to substantial improvements in downstream processes as well. To prevent the formation of bridges, two fixedly mounted stator arms convey the product through the sieve openings. According to the manufacturer, users of a ConiWitt can quickly and easily convert the system into a TurboWitt. Diversity in laboratory use The HammerWitt-Lab is ideal for processing hard, crystalline, or fibrous products in the laboratory or in the production of small batches. As it enters the milling chamber, the milling product hits the hammer side of the…

Finding that optimum disagglomeration in the processing of solids substantially. With the new reengineered machine, Frewitt has responded to an old market need, namely for a simple method of homogenizing agglomerate and compacted bulk goods by deagglomeration. Agglomerates, which form in damp or compacted storage environments centrifugal, can thus be broken up. Breaking up Agglomerates The enabling, technical characteristic of the TurboWitt, as Frewitt"s new creation is called, is the rotary sieve drum, in which agglomerates are broken up by gentle acceleration and shearing forces. The result: improved Fluidity of the powders being processed, greater metering precision, faster product conveyance, hence increasing production output. The aforementioned advantages entrance subsequent processes, and increase profitability. Saving costs while Maintaining Quality Unlike standard procedures employing a rotary milling tool, foreign matter is excluded from the milling process in the TurboWitt, and easily removed during the control sieving step.…

When powders of granular products are put in bags, undesirable agglomerates may form, even after a limited time. Attempts have been made to counteract this problem with a two step solution: a lump breaker and à sieve mill. However, there is another, vastly more effective method, When materials in which agglomerates have formed (such as salts, carriers, pigments9 are used in powder processing, it is recommended to subject them to a gentle sizing process that acts on their natural lines of fracture until the agglomerates are return to their original from and size. With the DelumpWitt, frewitt has developed a device in which the product is not subjected to outside forces that violently smash or destroys it. Instead, the grains are either carefully separated at the band lines, they adhere together or else the agglomerates simply fall apart at their natural lines of fracture, The DelumpWitt, a novel device developed by frewitt turns the disadvantages of the old procedure…

Hammermill with hygienic design The hammermill MFH-6 from Frewitt allows crushing and milling of hard, crystalline or fibrous products in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. The hygienic design of the housing prevents product accumulations and permits a fast and simple access for cleaning the processing area, The absolutely tight design of the dosing equipment with paddle wheel ensures a dust -free processing of the products. Depending on the product the rotor can be reversed easily on the hammer side (impact side) or on the knife side (cutting side). The rotor drive is ensured by a single bearing so that the product is heated to a minimum during the sizing process, and the large front door ensures a quick disassembly of the sieve and the rotor and permits simple access for cleaning the processing area. The hammermill further fulfils the guideline of ATEX 94/9/EC.