News items March 2007

In this seminar different strategies to handle bulk solids in containment systems are shown. Today the EU-Directive requires containment systems instead of relying only on secondary protective measures such as dusk masks and protective clothing. In this seminar the meaning and contents of the ICH Q7A on the API production are presented as well as its impact on real production conditions. The seminar is especially designed for people in the production and technology departments of the chemical, API, pharmaceutical and food industries.

KSE Protech BV and ObjectAutomation Corporation (OA) have joined forces in a move that combines OA’s industrial automation and distributed process control technology with KSE’s strengths in global automation software and hardware solution delivery. The resulting company, known as OA International BV, is now a 200+ employee global automation solutions provider capable of driving worldwide growth, technology innovation, and customer satisfaction. KSE Protech has been an OA business partner for eight years. The newly merged OA International will focus its efforts into four major industry verticals. In the Food and Feed industry, OA International offers solutions for production control, batch processing, recipe management, tracking & tracing, and specific operational solutions for intake, dosing, weighing, mixing, pressing, and outbound loading. Energy & Utilities customers use OA to control and monitor pipelines, wells, compressor stations, electric power grids,

At Hengelo the production of salt is steadily growing. Jansen & Heuning received the order for the renovation of a number of big belt conveyors, including the gantry`s. The production will only be available for the erection for no more than 6 days. These type of orders give Jansen & Heuning the chance to show their experience and professional way of detailed hourly planning.

Inline measurement of particle size, count and shape XPT- Online measurement of particle size, shape and count by automated image analysis. The thin probe is measuring directly in process. The integrated CCD camera continuously takes images which are analysed in real time and results displayed and saved. The camera has a resolution of 1024 x 768 Pixel and extremely short shutter time for sharp images of fast moving particles. Measurement range from 1 micrometer. Different systems - one software: The XPT software is used for all types of XPT units for automatic online image acquisition, particle size and shape analysis, trend display, storage of analysis methods, automatic saving of images depending on predefined criteria and process integration (external start/stop of measurements, analog and digital outputs). Special Applications: + Particles, droplets or bubbles in liquid + Measurement of particle size, shape, count/concentration and shape + High pressure / high temperature possible + Counting of fibres

New: Paddle mixer Gericke GBM for various mixing processes Gericke has added to its mixer range a new single shaft batch mixer! The GBM, “Gericke Batch Mixer”. This unique mixer combines many advantages like: High mixing homogeneity due to improved bulk material flow within the mixing chamber. Energy variation by a adjustment of the Froude number modifying the specific energy input. Easy and quick cleaning design due to the small number, oversized mixing paddles which are good accessible. Investment security and short pay back period offered by the versatile utility of the mixer. Simple but robust execution, hygienic surface finishes are available. The mixer can be used for liquid injection, coating and heating processes. It offers therefore a versatile use and great flexibility for different process applications! While Gericke’s proven mixer range is designed for fragile and sensitive powders and agglomerates, the GBM mixer offers its strength

Gericke Cone Mill GCN 150 Gericke will be launching their latest Model GCN 150 Cone Mill at the Powtech Exhibition. This machine has been designed to accommodate easy and rapid disassembly of the major components to minimise the time required for full machine clean down and validation. Cone Mills are frequently used in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industry for the size reduction of materials ranging from wet pastes to dry, friable powders giving a narrow particle size distribution. Application details Cone Mill applications belong to one of the following categories: • Size Reduction • Dry Granulation and Control Grinding • Wet Granulation • Dispersion • De-agglomeration • Reclaim and Special Applications Process Rates: 0 to 1000 kg/hr Size Reduce to: Less than 200 Micron De-agglomerate to: Less than 50 Micron Advantages • Accepts a wide range of infeed sizes • Can handle soft and heat sensitive materials • Minimise production

Rota Val ‘Fast-Clean’ Blowing Seals (BSFCT) are designed to bring new standards of safety, ease of use and reliability to applications with high cleanliness needs. The range offers users increased productivity through minimal down-time and greater reliability as a result of simple, safe disassembly procedures. The fully ATEX explosion proof design ensures safe use with hazardous materials. Bottom-mounted sliding rails permit accurate alignment of the rotor to housing when being removed or replaced. They also allow a rotor support saddle to be used which eliminates the need for manual lifting or special equipment under primary cleaning operations, enabling users to meet safe handling legislation. Rota Val ‘Fast-Clean’ Blowing Seals are particularly suited to any application requiring frequent cleaning of internal components, whether for cleanliness or hygienic purposes. The new BSFCT valves will be of particular interest to the Dairy, Food and Pharmaceutical

The continuous feeding and mixing systems improve the economy of production plants. During the past years, a trend is recognized towards continuous processes not only in the Chemical industry, but as well in the Food industry. The following mentioned advantages are achieved when using a continuous production system compared to batch system: • The production lines show a compact layout; • Both, the raw materials handling as well as the handling of the intermediate products get much more efficient; • a very high product quality is achieved; as e.g. the risk of segregation is remarkably reduced. Gericke offer with their combined feeding and mixing equipment the highest possible process security which is being achieved by the following: • creative support in planning of the production line • conducting of trials with the original equipment • defining the execution of the feeder equipment and of the product supply • summarizing the process requirements Geri

A new kind of micro mixer now makes it possible for continuous solid substance processes to be carried out in the pharmaceutical industry. This increases flexibility in comparison with the traditional batch process, while at the same time reducing the space required. The FDA, the American approval authority for pharmaceutical products, has recently specifically extended their regulations to the continuous mixing process as well. This change is aimed at improving the production process, allow more rapid development and lead to reduced production cost. To meet their requirements of this new mixing process, Gericke have extended their range of GCM continuous mixers for this very small throughput volumes. The GCM 250 is designed with a 1 l chamber volume only that delivers a throughput of 20 - 200 kg / h. The mixer has a cantilevered mixing rotor with a quick release connection. A purely metallic flashed shaft seal guarantees that non of the products can enter into

Intelligent Chemical Sensor Pen 3 is a small fast and flexible identification system for gases and vapors. Process Control: dosage of spices in food production supervision of industrial cleaning processes, fermentation processes, dosage of artificial odor in natural gas, production of polymer packaging material for food industry, frying or roast process control. Quality Control.rancidity of oils.freshness of food,off odorin packaging materials. solvents in polymers,medicine,aroma. Environmental & safety control: Odor in waste water purification plants or in compost plants.

Freeman Technology will exhibit the FT4 powder rheometer at Powtech 2007 (27-29 March 2007; Nurnberg, Germany) where the company’s focus will be on ‘characterising powders in process relevant ways’. At the associated Partec 2007 congress, managing director Reg Freeman will present a poster on the topic of ‘Volumetric dosing efficiency in relation to the bulk, flow and shear properties of powders’. Comprehensive testing of consolidated, conditioned and aerated or fluidised powders can indicate their suitability for specific processes. A state-of-the-art system, the FT4 is a universal powder tester that builds the most complete picture possible of powder behaviour. To do this it uses a patented, dynamic methodology, complemented by shear testing and the measurement of bulk properties. All tests are automated and fast, with a test program typically completed in around 5 minutes. The very latest software ensures rapid interpretation and summary of measured data,

The ten 22-foot long bogies on which the five movable sections of the 12,000 ton roof of the Miller Park stadium are carried had to be replaced. The original-equipment bogies proved inadequate. When a bogie guide roller shattered the roof had to be left partially open. The new bogies are 24 feet long and each weighs either 49 or 66 tons. The replacement of each bogie was a straightforward job. The roof had to be lifted, the old bogie removed, the new bogie positioned and the roof had to be lowered. Jacking brackets to lift against had to be designed separately. The stadium roof sections were jacked in ten separate lifts, one for each bogie replacement. Each time, the roof was lifted 4–6 inches, the old bogie driven out under its own power, a new bogie rolled in, and the roof lowered back into place on a spindle bearing. The weight lifted ranged up to 800 tons, so a capacity safety margin was provided by using four Enerpac 300-ton, 10,000 psi, 12-inch stroke cylinders

Easy handling, secure application The BCK BOHLE Containment System is based on Split Valve Technology. An active and passive valve section is docked together allowing for a contained transfer point. For example, a typical application is to feed a tablet press with a potent product under high containment. The active part of the valve is mounted on the infeed port of the tablet press, and the passive part is mounted on the outlet of a product container.A lifting hoist automatically docks the container to the press. The system is designed to be suitable for operation in areas where the OEL (Occupational Exposure Level) is below 1 ug/m3. The BCK containment valve is designed according to latest cGMP standards. Optional WIP-cleaning is provided. The BCK valve comes in various sizes from DN100 (4”) up to DN250 (10”). The BCK 100 is manually operated whereas the larger sizes are automatic. Automatic operation needs only pressurized air – a major advantage for installations in explosion proof areas.

Variable and efficient With the development of the BFC 50 TriPan Coater, the needs for clinical batch production were considered. With the interchangeable coating pans, high flexibility is achieved with batch sizes ranging between 5 and 75 liters fill volume. The proven BOHLE pan design with spiral mixing ribbons, in combination with the superior air flow, have been incorporated into the BFC 50 as well. Available options for this coater are explosion proof and containment execution.

Glue producer Paramelt rationalized her production using only one big mixer instead of 4. Jansen & Heuning designed, produced and installed the complete project, including bagging units for valve bags and FIBC`s. Usable existing machines were put back in operation in the new situation.

Company present at Bauma, Munich (Hall B2, stand 200) Working in conjunction with the wastewood chipper supplier, OBMTec SA (in Buitenpost) and its end client, Mooij Recycling SA (in Maassluis), Goudsmit Magnetic Systems in Waalre has just installed the first of its overhanging Neoflux® magnets on a series of Morbark wastewood chippers. This permanent overbelt magnet is particularly suitable for mounting onto mobile shredders and breaking equipment and removes ferrous particles from the material flow underneath it such as, to be specific, flows of wood shavings. The lightweight design (1,250 kg) contains a magnetic block that is made from neodymium-iron-boron magnets. This version provides twice the magnetic power of the conventional version and is suitable for varying belt widths up to 1,400 mm. Additional benefits are an increase in mobility of the shredder or breaking equipment resulting from reduced weight and the fact that the magnet is able to bridge an air gap of 350 mm. This magnet has a deeper penetration field,

Gravimetric vibratory mass flow feeder The Brabender DualTray Feeder is a mass flow metering feeder featuring vertical ingredient flow, which utilises natural bulk ingredient flow and gravity. It is supplied as a loss-in-weight feeder mounted in a free-standing mounting base with load cells. The operating principle is based on two or more cylindrical feed modules with semicircular feed trays across a part of the modules` cross sections. The modules are configured one above the other in opposite feed directions with the discharge edges of the trays overlapping. Applying vibration changes the angle of repose of the ingredient and induces flow. Following gravity the ingredient runs downwards across the vibrating trays like a cascade, while the flow rate is controlled by variable vibration. Switching vibration off immediately stops the ingredient from flowing because it reassumes its angle of repose. Hence, the feeder is also perfectly suitable for batching. As the Brabender DualTray Feeder has no rotating

Completely redesigned with well thought-out detail solutions Brabender has redesigned its "BagMaster" bulk bag discharge station for lined or unlined bulk bags up to 1.5 tons. The most outstanding feature is a novel discharge system. The bag is placed on a horizontal massage ring with a front gap, through which the bag or liner outlet is guided. As the outlet does not have to be lifted above the ring, headroom requirement is reduced. The massage ring is equipped with massage rods around its circumference. For discharge the ring and thus the bag bottom is pneumatically set into a see-sawing motion making the rods act on the lower bag sides and corners, which can normally hardly be emptied. In addition, the outlet is agitated. The result: mass flow in the bag, uniform discharge and complete emptying also of the bag corners even in case of poorly flowing ingredients. Also new is the QCD (Quick Connect Docking) system for the bag or liner outlet. For docking the system is lifted up, and the outlet is connected by a