Solid handling equipment maker, Ajax Equipment, has supplied Sterling Pharma Solutions with its ATEX-rated agitated screw feeder.
Mounted on a mobile frame, it's designed to feed and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) into downsteam equipment.
Ajax catered the feeder to Sterling's needs after conducting powder flow testing, allowing the company to characterise the material's handling characteristics.
By adjusting the feeder, Ajax provided Sterling Pharma with a solution that could provide a reliable and controlled feed to downstream equipment.
Powder is held in the agitated feeder's hopper section — which features a mirror finish — with the agitator promoting flow to the feed screw below without compacting the powder.
“AJAX designed a robust feeder to suit the requirements and communicated well throughout design, fabrication, testing and delivery,” said Gerard O’Mahony, Mechanical Engineer, Sterling Pharma Solutions.
As pharmaceutical solid handling can be highly challenging, Ajax notes that working with an experienced equipment partner is highly necessary for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
"Ajax has decades of experience delivering high specification machines," notes Lews Shaw, Technical Sales Engineer at Ajax Equipment.
"In this case, the agitated feeder’s design and internal mirror finish ensure good powder slip conditions as well as making cleaning easier for the clean-in-place system."
"The robust construction and generous sizing of the auger ensures the machine can handle the powder; while the mobile frame allows the entire feeder to be removed from the line should the requirement arise,” he concluded.