The demands made on equipment used in the pharmaceutical industry are continually rising, especially with regard to the protection of the working environment and the product itself from harmful contaminants. Highly specialized solutions are required here.
BuckŪ is the world's leading manufacturer of high containment docking systems for materials handling. The brand, which has been operating since 1991 has specialised in addressing the high containment requirement of the industry. The invention of the BuckŪ docking system in 1993 is a milestone in the development. The split-valve system has become recognised around the world.
Development of Split-Valve technology
Up until the early 1990s, it was usual practice to bring raw materials and intermediate products in an open state into a plant. Isolator technology was only brought into play for the protection of employees, or for the total protection of the operator in exceptional circumstances, such as when processing especially problematic substances. At this time, it was also common for various in-plant transfers to take place openly; for example, the movement of wet product from the reactor to the centrifuge and then on to the dryer, the partial milling of the product to the seeding of the crystallisation process, or the emptying of the dryer with downstream filling into containers, all took place openly. Employees were protected by ventilation measures or by personal, protective clothing. The pollution of the environment – with the risk of cross-contamination when changing over to the next product – could only be conditionally prevented by these measures. This situation changed fundamentally with the development and introduction of the first split-valve (butterfly valve) systems by various working groups (including the pharmaceutical industry and suppliers) in Europe and the US. An example of such a split-valve system is shown in figure 1.
Description of Split-Valve technology for contained materials handling for rigid transport containers
BuckŪ Split-Valve technology (figure 1.)
A split-valve system is made up of an active and a passive split-valve; these seal two different container systems independently of one another in a dust-proof manner. The active valve is usually to be found on the production unit; ‘active’ means that this split-valve is actuated either manually or automatically. The passive part, without actuation, is usually mounted onto mobile containers by various fixing methods.
Docking System
The docking procedure brings the active and passive valves together, whereby they lock on to each other. The outer surfaces of the valves – which could potentially be contaminated by the environment – lie hermetically sealed together and are also sealed on the product side. The discharging and filling procedures are brought about by the rotations of both valve halves. In this way, there is no connection between the outer and inner surfaces of the valves at any point during the transfer process, and so the transfer process is virtually contamination-free.
The BuckŪ C, HC & UHC, TC and new MC Split-Valve systems provide ideal solutions for a broad spectrum of tasks, from customized solutions that comply with varying limits on dust emission.
These technologies provide high personal and product protection during all stages of the charge and discharge process of high potent APIs as they form a dust and contamination free interface.
NEW Innovation
Tomorrow’s technology today
- The BuckŪ MC Valve makes the contained handling of active pharmaceutical ingredients much easier and less expensive than has been possible in the past.
Features: Only passive valves - No vacuum needed - No need for tools - Easy to clean
Innovation - not just for its own sake but for improved products, greater safety and enhanced productivity to deliver a better future.