ALUS® Automatic Loading and Unloading Systems increase efficiency and
minimize contamination risks
ALUS® Automatic Loading and Unloading Systems minimize the risk of
contamination through human intervention in the loading and unloading of the
freeze dryer. The amount of product processed by the use of automated loading
and unloading processes is increased as the time taken for loading/unloading is
much shorter compared to manual loading. Operational costs are reduced as
state-of-the-art monitoring systems reduce the number of operators needed to
administer the freeze drying process.
Most experienced manufacturer of Automatic Loading and Unlodading
Systems for Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryers
Since the 1980s, GEA
Lyophil has designed, manufactured and improved the ALUS® system and was one of
the
first manufacturers to develop this technology using
permanently installed systems (conveyor-pusher systems), as well as flexible
transfer cart systems.
GEA Lyophil have the longest experience in the industry,
so customers can be assured that each and every system will work reliably
for many years to come.
ALUS® as retrofit option
The ALUS® Automatic Loading
and Unloading Systems are also available as retrofit option in many existing
applications, allowing a new lease of life for the plant for many more years of
reliable and safe operation.
Isolator Technology and RABs
One step further in contamination prevention leads the use of ALUS
in connection with Isolator technology or RABs, whichever is most appropriate
in each case.
ALUS® - efficient, safe and reliable performance with the following
key features:
- High throughput, with loading speed of up to 400 vials per minute and
unloading speed of up to 700 vials per minute
- High flexibility for different vial formats
- High levels of safety of operation and stability for all vial formats, even
small ones with a diameter/height ratio of <3
- Quality sanitary design, with rounded corners for easier cleaning
- Excellent integration of ALUS® and the freeze dryer
- Patented design allows for a smooth transition of vials from ALUS® to
Freeze Dryer
- Improved safety as no moving parts above open vials
- Frameless operation
- Design complies to zone concept: no machine drives in vial processing area
- Constant Laminar Air Flow (LAF) when using a transfer cart: the LAF unit
moves towards the freeze dryer and covers the vials during the loading process.
Contamination elimination
In pharmaceutical
manufacturing it is vitally important to keep contamination out of the product
and to protect the workforce from potentially harmful substances – as this is
best achieved by removing, as far as possible, the operator from the processing
area, the ALUS® Automatic Loading and Unloading System minimizes those risks
while increases efficiency at the same time. The system is sufficiently
flexible to accept vials of most types at a load rate of up to 400 per minute.
Vial sizes from 2 ml up to 100 ml can be processed.
ALUS® Automatic
Loading and Unloading System integrates perfectly to provide a smooth
transition into and out from the freeze dryer with the minimum of operator
monitoring. Vials remain covered by laminar air flow during the loading process
and there are no moving parts above the open vials during loading – helping to
reduce the risk of contamination even further. A priority of the design was to
satisfactory achieving a sanitary design for easy cleaning.
ALUS® advantages:
- 100% utilization of the charging area and of the plant capacity
- Lyophilizers (freeze dryers) can be validated and meet GMP guidelines and
Class 100 sterility requirements
- High availability through high quality construction of the fully
automatic product handling system
- Greatly reduced risk of product contamination by reducing the clean room
personnel down to one operator
- Cost reduction by using isolator and containment technology (reduction of
costly clean room area).
- Sterilization of the system with VHP (Vaporized Hydrogen
Peroxide).
GEA Lyophil war der erste Hersteller von Gefriertrocknungsanlagen, der in
den achtziger Jahren des vorigen Jahrhunderts die Anforderungen der
Pharmaindustrie erkannt hat und das erste automatische Be- und Entladesystem
(ALUS®) für einen Gefriertrockner gebaut hat. GEA Lyophil hat sowohl fest
eingebaute Systeme (Conveyor-Pusher) als auch Transferwagen entwickelt, um die
Forderung nach Mitarbeiter- und Produktschutz zu erfüllen. 1997 wuchsen die
Anforderungen: GEA Lyophil entwickelte, baute und nahm das erste
Produktionssystem bestehend aus einem Gefriertrockner, einem ALUS ® und
Isolatoren in Betrieb.
Mit über 50 validierten ALUS® in Zusammenhang
mit Gefriertrocknern hat GEA Lyophil die größte Erfahrung bei der Integration
solcher Systeme. Kunden können deshalb sicher sein, dass jedes System
verläßlich und störungsfrei arbeitet ... weiter lesen