In an industry where safety is of the utmost importance ILC Dover’s single-use systems offer some of the most advanced containment solutions avaliable.
We’ve all had the experience of watching our groceries spill out on to the pavement as a result of a split bag, but there is little risk of pharmaceutical powders meeting the same fate. ILC Dover’s single-use solutions are made from its patented ArmorFlex film, which offers tensile strength in the range of 6,500 psi and tear strength of approximately 470 ppi.
As well as providing nanogram-level containment, these solutions also offer solvent resistance against a range of chemicals commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. They provide enough elongation to offer a suitable solution to containment during a range of processes and machines, and have more than enough seal strength to ensure that the product isn’t going to escape mid-process.
Having worked with NASA to design spacesuits that hold together in the most difficult of environments, pharmaceutical manufacturers can rest assured that ILC Dover’s solutions provide high level containment, despite what their simplistic plastic appearance may suggest.
But for manufacturers that have already invested in rigid containment systems, what can single-use systems offer that a more traditional system can’t?
Benefits of single-use containment in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Shutdowns and recalls resulting from plant contamination can be costly for manufacturers to rectify. However, single-use solutions offer a second layer of protection by ensuring that the product never comes into contact with workers or external surfaces, which are some of the most common causes of contamination in the industry.
Solutions like ILC Dover’s continuous liners ensure that powders can be safely moved between processes or from vessel to drum without being exposed to dirty surfaces or airborne contaminants. In order to provide this level of safety using traditional hard wall solutions, equipment must be cleaned carefully and thoroughly after each use to safeguard against cross contamination. By switching to single-use, not only will manufacturers gain better protection, but they will also save valuable man-hours by removing the need to clean.
In fact, despite the additional recurring costs of single-use solutions, these solutions can actually save pharma companies money by greatly reducing the time spent manufacturing. For example, tests conducted by ILC Dover showed that the EZ BioPac solution could save biopharma manufacturers 38 hours across the sampling, warehousing, dispensing and hydration processes.
While simple in appearance, single-use containment solutions are much more than an expensive plastic bag. Designed to reduce operating time, maximise worker productivity, get products to market quickly and safely, and ultimately boost revenue, ILC Dover’s solutions are an important tool in a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s fight to protect their products.
