Holland Custom Valve Modification Saves Customer Time and Money

September 9, 2011

Recently a large Food Manufacturer contacted the Holland sales representative to replace some obsolete and improperly performing actuated ball

A Sample of a Holland Custom Valve Modification

valves which were being used for throttling/ shut off service in a dispensing production line process. The product was a Sugar Icing used in cookie production

The existing valves were over 20 years old, were jacketed and had special end connections.  Additionally the valves were in a very tight space and finding a valve with the same dimensions for a drop in replacement was not an option available.  The customer had a short window of time to replace the valves as the production line is running 6 days a week and 2 shifts per day.

The customer was concerned with both turnaround time and cleanliness in the production area.  Having a contractor do the modifications on site to modify and install the new valves could be a problem.

The Holland representative suggested pre-purchasing valves and modifying at Holland with the correct end connections and face to face dimensions to accommodate the existing piping and the customer maintenance dept could do the valve install on the regularly scheduled down day during the week.  The customer liked the Holland solution and placed the order for the valves and modifications.   Holland ordered the valves.  The Holland rep measured all the piping face dimensions on the old valves.

Holland’s sanitary stainless steel fabrication shop did all the fabrication to modify the valves ahead of time and they  were dropped in during a short shutdown.  The customer was retrofitted with new valves, up and running without any impact on the production schedule and at a significant cost savings over field piping.

Let Holland take a look at your difficult fabrication challenges.

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Aflex Teflon Hoses at Holland

August 30, 2011

Aflex Pharmaline Hose

Holland Applied Technologies now stock the full line of Aflex Pharmaline hoses.  This includes both the standard GP hose and the Anti-Static hose.  Both Aflex hoses are FDA approved and have been Class VI tested.  The Anti-Static hose would be used in chemical transfer and also when steam is present.

When steam flows through a hose, especially PTFE hose, a static charge can build up.  Once this charge has gained enough  there will be a discharge.  This electric discharge can be strong enough to blow a microscopic hole in the PTFE liner.  Once this happens, steam can leak through the PTFE liner and create a bubble under the silicone OD liner.  To combat this issue, Anti Static PTFE liners can be used.

The full line of Aflex hoses, both the standard GP and AS liner hoses, are fabricated at Holland.  Holland stocks 0.5” to 2” hose and end connections and these can be crimped to the length that you need.  A multitude of end connections are available from Tri-Clamp to JIC swivel to meet you process needs.  In most instances, these hose assemblies can be built within a one to two days.

For more information regarding Aflex hoses contact us via our website by clicking on this link.  To join our mailing list click on this link.

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Making the Right Choice for Biopharmaceutical Tubing

August 19, 2011

Over the last 6-7 years, the emerging question on the mind of everyone moving fluid through flexible tubing in the biopharm industry is: which tubing material is correct for my application?  Unfortunately, it’s a loaded question.  There are a large number of factors to consider when deciding between silicone tubing, TPE tubing, Teflon tubing, etc.  Please read through the checklist below and see if you can easily answer these questions.

1)      What media will I be moving through my tubing?

2)      What size (ID/OD) is the biopharm tubing we’re currently using?

3)      Will there be any pressure spikes associated with backflow from a peristaltic pump, coming out of a pressurized tank, recirculation loop, etc.?

4)      If there is peristaltic or other pump involved, how long does the cycle last?

5)       What is the range of temperatures the media/biopharm tubing will see?

6)      What other properties of your silicone/TPE tubing are you looking to see achieved (absorption, long pump life, sealing/welding, aseptic connections, etc.)?

As you can see, there’s a lot of answer to the original question.  There simply isn’t a tubing made to accomplish every single thing your line needs.  That’s why so many formulations of silicone and TPE tubings exist.  Everyone wants to achieve something a little different.

At Holland, our goal is to ensure you select the right biopharmaceutical tubing – the first time.  We have a rich history of tailoring solutions to customers in high purity applications and tubing is no exception.  Whether it’s SaniTech silicones, C-Flex TPE’s or PharmaFluor Teflon – Holland has something to match your needs.

Please call us today at 800-800-8464 and get your questions answered.

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Sanitary Seat Valves

July 26, 2011

Waukesha Valve Manifold

Sanitary Seat Valves have been used in the Food and Pharmaceutical Markets for many years.  More recently however, this type of valve has undergone changes and upgrades to allow for even more types of applications amongst both Food and Pharma applications.  Below are just a few of the various Seat Valve options available through Holland Applied Technologies.

Body type – Today, with the help of 5 axis CNC machines, Sanitary seat valves can be made from bar stock and have many different body configurations.  Shut-off, Divert, Mix-Proof,  Aseptic, Y-body,  Zero- Deadleg, Tangential, and Throttling type Sanitary Seat Valves are now available.  Shut-off and Divert are the most common however now there are now Non-Slamming Divert valves that can be purchased as well.  Aseptic type valves include either a stem “flush” or the newer style Bellows type Aseptic configuration requiring no steam to the valve.  Y-body seat valves provide for large, straight through full port flow for viscous products or ones with particulates. Mix-Proof valves allow our customers to process on one line while Clean In Place procedures are happening on another line connected to it, all without the possibility of CIP fluid ever reaching the product being produced.   Tangential and Zero-deadleg type valves provide solutions for applications where complete drainage is often difficult with a Seat valve.  Buyer beware – Some valve manufacturer’s have much larger “Dead-legs” or hard to clean areas than others….Holland Applied Technologies personnel can illustrate the differences.

Actuators and Control Tops – With the many types of body styles, increased line sizes and increased line pressures in the industry, Actuators have also transformed through the years.  Standard air to open/spring to close type actuators dominate most applications however there are now Air to Air, Heavy Duty Spring, Two Position Type, Throttling and various spring/actuator sizes on the market today.  Each has its place with different applications such as the Two Position where product flows at a high rate of speed up to a certain point where it then partially closes and “dribbles” flow until a certain product level is achieved.  Control tops now include not only micro or proximity type switches but everything from As-i Fieldbus, DeviceNet, and Set/Forget type to name a few.

Stem and Seat – Today’s stem/seat combinations are much improved.  Old style complete rubber coated plug seats have now been replaced by either special oring type or Teflon/Peek type seats in the Sanitary Seat Valve market.  Gone are the days where rubber chunks could break off from the stem seat only to end up in the product downstream.

If you have an application for a Sanitary Seat Valve in your future, please give us a call, we can help.

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Clean- In- Place (CIP) Questions for PD Pumps

November 19, 2010

Waukesha Universal 2 Sanitary Pump

As a Waukesha Positive Displacement Pump supplier, we get many questions with regards to Clean In Place (CIP) applications.  Waukesha’s older Universal One pump was designed for ease of disassembly to achieve cleaning, while the newer Universal Two pump was designed for Clean In Place technology.   

The newer design of the Universal 2 model allows customers to achieve proper cleaning in their system without the delays of disassembly and re-assembly of their PD pumps.  Less labor time, fewer errors in re-assembly and less damaged pump parts are all advantages of using the CIP cable Universal 2 pump design. 

Holland Applied Technologies can help engineer a properly designed system around the PD pump that you choose.  Some of the factors that customers need to keep in mind with PD pump applications are: 

  1. Pump relief
  2. Cleaning of process lines after the pump  
  3. Cleaning of the pump itself.  

Flows and velocities in the pump and in process lines downstream of the PD pump need to be considered to achieve proper cleaning.  We can help determine flow rates needed and bypass configurations to allow for both relief and CIP backpressure into the pump.  Below is one possible bypass configuration that can be used with No “Dead Leg” where product may be contained. 

Please contact us at Holland Applied Technologies for more information about Waukesha PD pumps and piping configurations around them.   Ph 800-800-8464

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Moving Processes Aseptically without Using a Hood

June 3, 2010

Saint Gobain Sealer

Have you spent time under a flow hood making difficult connections?

With the recent advent of sterile connectors in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the gains in efficiency, elimination of cleaning and reduction in utilities needed in many applications.  Several players (ex: Saint Gobain and Colder) have tapped into the sterile connector market as Single-Use technology continues to gain momentum.  Quite simply, a sterile connection allows for the dry connection of two separate pathways, while maintaining the independent sterile integrity of both sides.  Typical applications might include: the connection to a disposable bag from a bulk tank, mixing of two different types of media together or even simply entering a clean area from a non-clean environment.  Sterile connections are being used in a variety of applications, spanning the full gamut of upstream and downstream processes.  More often than not, the cost of a sterile connector is dwarfed by the increase in productivity associated with the product.  In the past, many operators on the manufacturing floor were forced to halt production and move to a laminar flow hood to continue processing product.  Biomanufacturing companies typically associate sterile connector with the use of silicone tubing. 

So what’s the alternative?

Sterile tube welds are also possible to achieve the same result.  Using one of several sealers in the marketplace (most notably – the C’eal Flex Sealer), the same type of connection can be made by fusing two tubes together.  Essentially, the welder creates its own flow hood under plastic casing using a built-in HEPA filter.  Instead of using the sterile connector coupling – the process becomes replicated by welding two tube ends together.  From there, pinch clamps are released and product begins to flow again.  All of this is accomplished, again, without the need to stop processes, move to a different area of the room/plant and make a connection.  This type of connection is commonly associated with TPE tubing.  As opposed to a silicone tube, TPE resin (such as C-Flex) allows for molding, sealing and welding.

As you can see, there is now more than one way around the utilization of a flow hood in bioprocessing.  Making sterile connections on the fly allows for a number of efficiency improvements – as evidenced by the rapidly growing trend in the biopharmaceutical/biotech industry.

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Sanitary Mixers and Dispersion Equipment

May 8, 2010

Holland Applied Technologies provides many different types of mixers for both food and pharmaceutical use.  We

Steridose Magnetic Mixers

 have listed some of the more common mixers available on the market.  As always however, if you have a special application where a special type of mixer is needed please contact a Holland representative for more information.

Direct Drive Top Mount Mixers  

Most well known for high speed dispersion and mixing. 

  • Can be mounted on the side of a tank using a C-clamp or on top with either flange or sanitary clamp fitting
  • Can be used on both atmospheric and closed pressure vessels
  • Shaft is driven directly by the motor and spins at the same RPM as the motor chosen
  • Typical RPMs – 1750RPM – 3500RPM
  • Available in Electric or Air driven models
  • Most common in smaller tanks of 250 gallons or less

Gear Drive Mixers

  • Most well known for stirring and keeping products in suspension
  • Gears are located between the motor and the shaft causing the shaft to spin slower than a direct drive model. 
  • Typical RPMs  20-500RPM
  • Available in Electric or Air driven models
  • Wider impeller than Direct Drive models
  • Require more HP than Direct Drive in most cases

 Magnetically Driven Mixers

 Most common in Aseptic applications where the tank is closed to atmosphere

  • Mag Drive mixers have no liquid seal to maintain…the impeller is driven by a magnetic force between impeller on the inside of the tank and drive on the outside
  • Bottom mounted always…..allowing for less head space above the tank
  • Bottom mounted Mag Drive mixers allow for products to be mixed down to a very minimal amount of liquid in the tank.  Top drive mixers cannot always mix down to the very bottom of the tank.
  • Mag Drive mixers are limited in the viscosity of the product being mixed.  Less viscous products are more common

 Shear pump 

  • “Pump” located off the discharge of the tank that shears the product while traveling through
  • Consists of a rotor and stator combination
  • The rotor is turned by the drive and the stator is a stationary “cage that product is passed through
  • Different combinations of rotors and stators produce more or less shear to the product
  • Typical applications include – blending, emulsifying, texturizing, reconstitute, and dispersing

 

DTL Blender 

  • Blender for dispersing powders into liquid
  • Consists of a powder hopper or powder inlet leading into a liquid blending chamber
  • Continually blends powder into liquid without imparting large amounts of air
  • Powder is sucked through a diffuser tube thus preventing less dust

 

Colloid Mill 

  • Consists of a conical rotor and stator combination
  • Clearance between rotor and stator can be adjusted during process to achieve desired product conformity
  • Used in emulsifying and texturizing
  • Clearance between rotor/stator can be .001, .010 or .240”

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Having trouble with the pump life of your silicone tubing?

April 23, 2010

Masterflex Peristaltic Pump

While all silicone tubing looks very similar from a few feet away, there are inherent differences separating the field.  A quick glance at market standard silicones indicates pump life ranging from 25 hours to over 150 hours under normal peristaltic pumping conditions.  Clearly, there is a range and fit to certain silicone tubes on a per application basis.  Beyond that, other hot topics include: extractables (organic and inorganic), validation documentation, lot traceability, manufacturing conditions and much more.

So which is right for you?

Holland Applied Technologies has been handling the Biopharmaceutical industry’s pump needs for over 50 years.  Having technical expertise you can trust in will provide you with the confidence to run product smoothly and efficiently.  Whether it’s a tube breaking down prematurely in your pump, extractables peaking in your HPLC or tubing particulate getting caught in your product filter – Holland has the right solution for you.  Since Holland carries no less than eight different, pumpable silicone products – you will always have the ability to decide what is exactly right for your application. 

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Holland Applied Technologies participates in the ASME BPE Standards Subcommittees.

March 9, 2010

Holland Applied Technologies participates in the ASME BPE Standards Subcommittees.  Many people involved in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical industries may be familiar with the ASME BPE (Bioprocessing Equipment) Standard.   It is an industry Standard that contains 9 sections all aimed towards equipment and systems used in the Bioprocessing and Pharmaceutical industries.   Troy Hobick from the Holland Applied Technologies Indianapolis office has been involved with the ASME BPE subcommittees for 7 years.  He is Vice Chair of the Certification subcommittee and has been a part of the Design Subcommittee for 5 years.    “We made a commitment at Holland to become involved and  attend the meetings on a regular basis.  It important for us to stay current with the BPE Standard and interact with the many industry experts at the meetings.  Being one of the few pharmaceutical component distributors among the members, it allows us to stay current on industry trends such that we can inform and better help our customers” Hobick said.

The ASME BPE Standard contains the following sections :

 1. General Requirements

 2. Design for Sterility and Cleanability

 3. Dimensions and Tolerances  

 4. Material Joining   

5. Surface Finish 

6. Seals 

7. Polymer Based Materials 

8. Metallic Materials of Construction

 9. Certification

New topics in the ASME BPE-2009 include Hygienic Clamp and Cap dimensions, Bioreactors/Fermenters Design, Sterilizer/Autoclave Design, Elastomer performance and material property changes, Welding operator qualifications and Rouge and Stainless Steel  just to name a few. 

If you are interested in learning more about the ASME BPE Standard and/or where to find more information please give us a call.  We can help direct you to the correct section, subcommittee or correct personnel at the ASME.   Visit http://catalog.asme.org  and order number A14309 for the ASME BPE-2009 copy or call 1.800.THE.ASME

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Holland Sanitary Orifices: A Cleaner Alternative to Orifice Plates

February 18, 2010

A large pharmaceutical customer maintain the integrity of their water loop by replacing standard orifice gaskets with Holland Sanitary Orifices. The standard orifice gaskets provided by gasket manufacturers are typically molded over a flat stainless steel disc with the orifice size drilled as needed.

The problem stems from separation of the elastomer from the stainless steel orifice disc.  This customer was finding rapid deterioration of the bond.  During cleaning and SIP cycles the gasket material can separate from the stainless disc creating entrapment leading to microbial growth.  The two dissimilar materials; the elastomer and the stainless steel disc expand and contract at different rates during temperature changes causing deformation and separation.This area of separation is virtually impossible to clean. 

The Holland Sanitary Orifice is a cleaner solution to this problem.  They are machined from solid stainless steel and are fully drainable in the Vertical position.  They are also available in eccentric designs for horizontal installation.

Holland Sanitary Orifices

FEATURES:

  • 316LSS
  • FULLY DRAINABLE
  • ½” THROUGH 4”
  • AVIAILABLE WITH OR WITHOUT BORE PRE DRILLED.
  • 25 RA STANDARD SURFACE FINISH,
  • FINISHES AVAILABLE TO 10 RA
  • FULLY TRACEABLE, MTR’S

Don’t compromise the sanitary integrity of your Process. Ask your Holland representative for a Sanitary Orifice to meet you piping specifications.

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