Machinery innovations on show at Interphex

This March, the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia hosted the Interphex US exhibition for the first time in three years, and was filled to the brim with machinery manufacturers and service providers displaying their products

Interphex US returned to Philadelphia this year, where for three days machinery manufacturers and service providers were displaying their latest products in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Next year, the show is moving back to New York, as part of the new International Pharmaceutical Industry Week. It will be co-located with two new shows: ePharmaExpo and the Pharmaceutical Contract Services & Outsourcing Exposition.

Impaxx gave a first showing to its latest label product, a tamper-evident version of its Reveal Estate extended text label. It incorporates hidden crescent-shaped face slits that are designed to tear cleanly when removal is attempted. The bi-directional design means that, no matter which direction removal is attempted in, the result is stripes of label left behind. Reveal Estate is a one-piece pressure-sensitive label that incorporates both permanent and removable adhesives, allowing for a convenient lift tab that can then be repositioned. It also has a memory feature that allows the label to spring back into place.

A new range of sanitary mixers was launched by Lightnin. The Sanstar range is designed to meet cGMP standards, for various pharmaceutical applications.

The Sade-P4 Twin tablet/capsule weight sorters from CI Electronics are designed for reclamation and clinical trials analysis, and are said to handle any tablet or capsule without extra change parts. With simple set-up and operation and fast cleandown between batches, the sorters have low maintenance requirements.

An expanded range of sanitary fittings is now available from Swagelok. Its TS products now goes up to 4in diameter, so the fittings can be used in larger fluid systems where cleanliness is essential and entrapment areas must be minimised. The fittings maintain a boreline seal, limiting gasket extrusion and virtually eliminating fluid hold-up at connection points. It has also introduced fluorocarbon gaskets for use with the fittings, which offer resistance to oils and solvents and temperature ratings of ;23 to +176°C.

A rackable plastic pallet from Cookson Plastic Molding was on show. The RackoCell is a one-piece 48¥40inch pallet, and is now in the early stages of manufacture and validation. It uses a flow-through design that washes and drains quickly without trapping moisture or contaminants. Moulded in one piece from PP, it is fully recyclable and designed for extended re-use.

American Bank Note Holographics (ABNH) and Digimark are to develop and market a new security feature that combines a hologram with a machine-readable digital watermark. The holographic digital watermark has enhanced covert features detectable by commonly-available reader devices. They are intended to deter counterfeiting, and the layered technology approach is claimed to make simulation attempts extremely difficult.

Mustang Modules from Pall Corporation are claimed to represent a new concept in chromatography. The modules are prepacked with 80 layers of membranes and a bed height of around 1cm. Currently available in sulphonic acid and quaternary ammonium chemistries, they are designed for high dynamic capacity at very fast flow rates.

A new low-cost magnetostrictive level transmitter from MTS Sensors has wetted materials of 316L stainless steel, and a NEMA 4X enclosure from electropolished 316L stainless. It is a two wire 4;20mA transmitter with HART, with linearity of 0.02% full scale and repeatability of 0.005%.

WL Gore has launched Lyoguard freeze dry trays. They use Gore-Tex membrane construction developed specifically for lyophilisation. The microporous membrane structure allows the trays to contain and protect product, while featuring a high vapour transfer rate to minimise the lyophilisation cycle time. The single-use disposable trays are claimed to be an easy replacement to traditional open metal trays.

Sani-Tech SIL-250 from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is a low-absorption, platinum-cured silicone tubing engineered for peristaltic pump applications. It is designed for 250hr of continuous usage, up to five times longer than conventional silicone tubing, it is available in sizes from 0.25;1inch, with a maximum recommended operating temperature of 200°C.

The latest generation of intelligent NIR gauges, the MM710, on show on the NDC Infrared Engineering stand. Designed for the measurement and control of critical parameters such as moisture in pharmaceuticals and other bulk materials, the company claims it can be installed almost anywhere in the process line, regardless of ambient temperature conditions, lighting levels or variations in humidity. It can be used to measure up to four different components at a time. Routine maintenance is not required.

Burkert's Type 8633 Mini Top Control head unit for smaller pneumatically-actuated process valves integrates valve control, pilot controls and position feedback in one unit. It integrates pilot valves and self-adjusting limit switches into a single, compact unit, reducing wiring. It fastens directly to the process valve with electrical and pneumatic connections, creating an integrated system consisting of feedback, control and valve function. Both single and double-acting actuations are possible.

FluoroPure sheetlined products from Entegris are designed to enhance cleanability, improve materials integrity and increase yields by eliminating pitting and erosion. FluoroPure tanks are lined with PTFE or PFA material, eliminating problems like rouging, metallic poisoning and cross contamination.

The new line of Osmo Pro reverse osmosis systems from Osmonics has been engineered for use in general industrial applications. The company claims they are ideal for use as stand-alone components as well as integrated systems. The five standard models in the range provide capacities from 70;490 gal/min.

FlexLink's XA stainless conveyor system has been designed for industries such as pharmaceuticals where thorough cleaning is essential. Its raised chain construction has no crevices in which dirt can accumulate. It is easy to wipe down, and the 83mm chain lifts for inspection and cleaning on all straight sections. The modular design offers fast delivery of standard components, and is quick to assemble, disassemble and reconfigure.

BS&B has extended its GCR-S line of reverse buckling bursting disks. Engineered for overpressure protection in aseptic applications, the disks are now available in 3 and 4 inch nominal clamp sizes, with burst pressures starting at 1-psig.

The latest sanitary rupture disk from Oseco, the Pro-S, is designed for liquid or vapour environments, withstands full vacuum and fits within standard ferrule connections. The disk is made from 316L stainless steel, with a choice of red silicone or EPDM gaskets, and is available in a range of different temperature ratings.

A radial seated tank bottom diaphragm was new from ITT Industries. It minimises internal vessel sump, improves drainability, and has a PTFE radial diaphragm to provide closure. The valve body is made from wrought 316L stainless steel, and is autoclavable.