As manufacturers strive to meet rapidly changing customer demand, production agility and nimble response is vital. Small footprint, plug and play high containment isolators are needed.
A solution by Hosokawa Micron is the Flexible Compact Isolator (FCI), a new adaptable isolator. The FCI can be linked as several units, or can be used for multiple processes.
With containment levels of 1µg/m³, it can cope with a range of potentially hazardous products, protecting both the products and the personal working on them.
“Nimble manufacturing is one of the main factors driving purchases of Hosokawa Micron’s Flexible Compact Isolators,” said Carl Emsley, Sales Manager at Hosokawa Micron.
The FCI has all round visibility and a range of rigid, semi rigid or disposable canopy options, fitting onto a stainless steel base. Personnel can utilise a number of the different styles to increase manufacturing flexibility. The increased speed is not easy to achieve with large or static isolators.
“The ability to quickly respond to changes in demand is increasingly seen as the key to success in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, biotechnology and research markets,” said Emsley.
“As companies strive to stay ahead of the pack and get a lead on their competitors, our mobile barrier containment compact isolators are proving that they are definitely up to the task. They make it easy to have flexible containment exactly where and when it is needed.”
The plug and play mobility of FCIs means they can be wheeled from place to place. The aim is to make them easy to relocate, durable and economic. FCIs could be useful for test applications and start-up companies, or for those who only infrequently handle hazardous powders.
It can be tailored to suit customer requirements, including air handling systems, CIP systems, filtration and rapid transfer ports, nitrogen inertion, flexible glove port configuration and hazardous area systems.
Hosokawa Micron is offering a range of processing and packing equipment specifically engineered for use in the FCI.