Applications of Air Compressors in Pharmaceutical.
Sources of Compression Power in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Compressed air serves as an indispensable secondary energy source in the pharmaceutical industry, characterized by compressibility, clarity, non-condensability, non-hazardous nature, and ease of transport.
In modern pharmaceutical production, it plays a vital role as a significant power source. Given the pharmaceutical industry’s stringent requirements for compressed air quality, which must be free from oil contamination, oil-free screw compressors represent a genuinely oil-free, high-quality compression solution.
In recent years, these oil-free screw compressors have found widespread application within the pharmaceutical, medical and biotechnology sectors.
What Is the Role of Oil-Free Compressors in the Pharmaceutical Industry?
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Which class of compressed air can be used in pharmaceutical industry?
GMP achieves the expected quality by implementing scientific and comprehensive management and strict monitoring throughout the entire process of drug production to prevent drug contamination, drug mixing and wrong drug during the production process.
Therefore, in drug production, GMP has very high requirements for the air cleanliness of the production clean area, such as the number of suspended particles, the number of planktonic bacteria, the number of sedimentation bacteria and the number of surface microorganisms.
In order to achieve the high air cleanliness requirements of GMP, pharmaceutical companies must strictly control the oil content, dust content and pressure dew point of compressed air.
One of the stringent requirements for compressed air quality in the pharmaceutical industry is that the compressed air must be free from oil contamination, Oil-free screw compressors represent a genuinely oil-free, high-quality compressed air solution. So the basic principle of air compressor is to use oil free certificated air compressor.
Compressed air containing liquid water droplets can cause corrosion to pipe valves and equipment. Water droplets and rust stains can also contaminate drugs and affect drug quality. Use an air dryer to remove moisture from compressed air. Refrigerated air dryers can reduce the dew point of air to about 38°F, equivalent to ISO 8573-1:2010 [B] Class 4.
This may be fine for less sensitive applications, but to achieve ISO 8573-1:2010 [B] Class 1, 2, or 3, you will need a desiccant air dryer. Desiccant dryers can reduce the dew point to -40°F to -100°F, or ISO 8573-1:2010 [B] Classes 2 and 1.
There are a lot of dust particles and microbial particles in the air. For the pharmaceutical industry, particles, especially dust particles, will directly affect the quality of drugs and endanger people’s lives. Microorganisms (biological particles) are more harmful to the human body.
Microorganisms mostly refer to bacteria and fungi. After contaminating drugs, they will not only cause the drugs themselves to burn and deteriorate, but once misused, they will directly affect human health, whether entering the human body from the intestines or non-intestines, and the consequences will be more serious.
Therefore, the compressed air used in pharmaceutical factories must also remove biological particles or microorganisms in the air. This is one of the main differences between pharmaceutical factories and other factories that only control particles (such as electronics, machinery factories, etc.).
Use filtration to remove oil and dry particles. High-efficiency coalescing inline filters can remove particles as small as 0.01 micron (ISO 8573-1:2010 [A] Class 1) and a maximum oil residue of 0.008 PPM (ISO 8573-1:2010 [C] Class 1). Activated carbon inline filters can also remove hydrocarbon mist, vapor and odors, with a maximum oil residue of 0.002 PPM, even meeting Class 0 requirements.
After filtering and purifying, compressed air needs to be sterilized and disinfected to remove biological particles from the air. A common sterilization method is to use a UV sterilizer, where ultraviolet light can destroy the DNA molecules of microorganisms, thereby achieving a sterilization effect.
At the same time, filter sterilization can also be used to filter out bacteria and microorganisms in compressed air through means such as heat and high pressure. Different sterilization methods have their own characteristics and applicable occasions.
Sterilized compressed air needs to be properly stored and transported to ensure its purity and quality. Here, stainless steel pipes are usually used for transportation, and the pipes need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly to ensure the purity of the compressed air.
For the quality grade requirements of compressed air for instruments and automatic control in pharmaceutical industry, the generally recommended indicators are: maximum particle size 1μm particle content 1mg/m3, water content (pressure dew point) up to -20℃, and maximum oil content 1mg/m3.
Tip: Even if you use an oil-free air compressor, you should use filtration in clean-room applications to ensure that contaminants in the intake air do not enter the compressed air supply.
Applications of air compressors in pharmaceutical industry
Fermentation
Fermentation is an important process in pharmaceutical production. Compressed air can be used to drive a rotary agitator to control the fermentation temperature and stirring speed. Produces probiotics without contaminating the product, because even a small amount of oil can kill the bacteria, which can degrade the product and contaminate it.
In addition, compressed air can also be used to take samples from the fermentation tank to detect chemical reactions in the reactor.
Aeration
To improve the quality of the product, oxygen is supplied by aeration in the oxidation process to produce products such as lactose. Even trace amounts of oil in the compressed air can cause product obsolescence.
Packaging and Bottling
Pharmaceuticals can be packaged in a variety of ways, including blister packs, vials, lightweight plastic containers and cartons. Depending on the product, compressed air can be used to clean and remove moisture from these packages. Compressed air from oil-free compressors is often used for tablet conveying, blister packaging and bottling.
Capsule tablets
From mixing, hardening and granulation to drying, pressing, coating and packaging, each step will use compressed air, compressed air in the manufacturing process almost every step of the drug contact, if the compressed air contains oil moisture or other impurities will make the drug contaminated.
So even if the use of oil-free air compressor is also need to configure the after-treatment equipment.
Automated Production Processes
To reduce the chance of contamination, automated production processes use cylinders, control valves and pneumatic components.
Once the exhaust air from these components contains oil, the entire production space will be contaminated, which is likely to contaminate the product.
Drying
Drying of drugs to remove any type of solvent or water from the product. The process is usually done with a vacuum pump, which helps in evaporating liquids from solids.
The Role of Air Compressors in the Pharmaceutical Industry
The pharmaceutical sector holds a crucial responsibility for safeguarding public health and adheres strictly to national GMP certification during its production processes. Typically, oil-free air compressors are employed in this industry, serving essential functions across various equipment such as liquid filling machines, granulators, emulsifiers, fillers, and packaging machines. Let’s delve into the relationship between air compressors and the pharmaceutical industry.
Primarily, air compressors are integral to liquid filling machines, granulators, emulsifiers, fillers, packaging machines, solid dose printers, extraction tanks in the extraction process, as well as in applications such as leak testing, powder conveying, drying, blow cleaning, pneumatic instrument components, and automatic control gases in laboratory testing.
Compressed air is used to maintain overpressure in mixtures and pressure vessels to ensure product integrity/sterility. The delicate balance is preserved by opting for oil-free Class 0 air to prevent any risks associated with oil contamination and potential harm to health.
Instrument air, utilized throughout the manufacturing process, powers tools and equipment. Since the compressed air comes into contact with the product, it must be pure and oil-free.
In the pharmaceutical industry, oil-free air compressors are typically chosen, with the option to enhance air quality by adding precision filters at the rear end of the compressor. Only water-lubricated oil-free screw compressors achieve the level of complete oil absence, using water as a substitute.
Oil-free water-lubricated compressors offer lubrication, cooling, sealing, noise reduction, and provide top-quality, completely oil-free, and zero-contaminant compressed air.
To learn more about oil-free water-lubricated air compressors, turn to Kotech, the experts in the field of compressed air. We provide 24/7 online assistance and VIP services for your comprehensive needs.
Comparative Analysis of Pharmaceutical Air Compressor Technologies:
Oil Free Reciprocating Compressors:
Completely dry and oil-free: 100% oil-free and water-free pure air, without any contamination to the compressed air.
Energy Efficiency: Explore strategies for improving energy efficiency, such as variable speed drives.
Cost effective: Designed for continuous use – 24/7, demanding & severe conditions as standard, modular solutions to exactly fit the requirements, in comparison to other compressors, reciprocating or piston systems often require less energy, making them more energy efficient.
Incredibly durability: Making them a reliable, long-lasting solution with low maintenance costs, and the reciprocating air compressors can be located close to your point-of-use, which reduces additional piping costs and subsequent pressure drops.
Oil Free Dry Screw Air Compressor：
Rotary screw air compressors are a popular choice in the pharmaceutical industry because of their reliability, efficiency, and versatility. Some of the benefits of using oil-free rotary screw air compressors in pharmaceutical industry include:
Completely dry and oil-free: 100% oil-free and water-free pure air, without any contamination to the compressed air.
High efficiency: Rotary screw air compressors have a high efficiency rating, which means they can convert more energy into compressed air. Effectively reduce operating costs and meet the high-quality compressed gas demand.
Constant pressure: Rotary screw air compressors are able to maintain a constant pressure, which is very important in applications that require a steady flow of HPO (high pressure oxygen).
Low maintenance: Compared with other types of compressors, rotary screw air compressors have fewer moving parts, which can reduce maintenance costs and downtime.
Durability: These air compressors are designed to run continuously, which makes them ideal for use in industrial environments such as pharmaceutical industry.
Oil Free Scroll Air Compressors:
Completely dry and oil-free: 100% oil-free and water-free pure air, will not cause any pollution to the high-quality compressed gas.
High efficiency: The scroll air compressor adopts advanced scroll technology to achieve high-efficiency. Its working efficiency is much higher than that of traditional air compressors, which can greatly save energy.
Ultra-low noise: The scroll air compressor has extremely low noise during operation, and almost no sound can be heard. This is a big advantage for places that need to work in a quiet environment.
Simple maintenance: Since the scroll air compressor does not need to add lubricating oil, its maintenance work is very simple, and only regular cleaning and inspection are required.
Environmental protection: The scroll air compressor does not need to add lubricating oil, will not produce oil pollution, and will not pollute the environment. At the same time, due to its high efficiency, it also reduces carbon emissions, which is in line with the current environmental protection concept.
Impact of Air Quality on Pharmaceutical Manufacturing:
The importance of air quality in the pharmaceutical industry:
- Product Quality: Discuss how air quality affects drug stability, efficacy, and shelf life.
- Regulatory Compliance: Highlight the correlation between air quality and GMP adherence.
Air Quality Requirements for Specific Activities:
- Packaging: Examine the role of compressed air in preventing contamination during packaging.
- Sterile Compounding: Analyze air quality standards to ensure patient safety.
Role of Air Compressors in Delivering Quality Air:
- Particulate Matter: Explore filtration technologies to remove particles from compressed air.
- Microorganisms: Discuss sterilization methods and their impact on air quality.
- Oil Content and Moisture: Examine techniques for controlling oil and moisture levels.
In the pharmaceutical industry, selecting the appropriate air compressor technology and maintaining high air quality are essential for product quality, regulatory compliance, and overall operational efficiency. To learn about more ways that Kotech air compressors can transform your operations, check out our sales and services page right now.
By understanding the advantages, disadvantages, and suitability of different compressor types, as well as the impact of air quality on various activities, pharmaceutical companies can make informed decisions and implement best practices to ensure successful and compliant manufacturing operations.
In view of the characteristics of the pharmaceutical industry, such as long machine operation time, no shutdown, large compressed air consumption, combined with the demand for stable, clean and oil-free air source, Kotech’s permanent magnet single-stage low-speed low-pressure series, permanent magnet two-stage low-pressure series, and intelligent permanent magnet variable frequency air compressor are all ideal choices.
In the after treatment equipment, precision filters and cold dryers are configured for purification. The dew point value of the treated compressed air can reach -70 degrees, the filtration accuracy is 0.01μm, and the index of impurity particles, oil-free, and water-free all meet international standards, meeting the continuous compressed air demand of the pharmaceutical industry.
You can find either optimal air compressors, air dryers, or the spare parts in our company, we can also provide you all the air compressor services from selecting to installing the air compressor station, also including long-term after-sale services. Contact us now to learn more!
