Let us clarify: when 316 grade stainless steel is the best choice

Published: 2-Feb-2018

A leading gene and cell therapy company approached Teknomek looking for a specialist trolley to transport liquid clarification filters to the point of use for on-the-spot intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) processing

An additional requirement was that it would need to withstand regular sterilisation within a VHP chamber.

Sue Springett, Teknomek’s Commercial Manager, reflects: “The first challenge we faced was to design a bespoke trolley that could be adjusted to transport different sized liquid filters."

"It was developed with flexibility in mind from the outset, such as taking into account gowning requirements and incorporating thumb screws for easy adjudgment of the clarification set up."

“The VHP cabinet itself presented a further problem as the trolley had to fit within its tight confines without impeding the effectiveness of the vapour flow."

"The design team had to factor in the need to add shelves, bars and pipe clips that could be positioned to enable effective sterilisation throughout the cabinet.”

Because the use case demanded the trolley had to be hardy enough to withstand such a harsh environment, 316 grade stainless steel was chosen to provide the necessary durability.

A further benefit of using 316 grade was it ensured the trolley would also be easy to clean and maintain.

Springett concludes: “All-in-all this, was one of our most interesting projects to-date. We were ultimately able to produce a bespoke trolley that fulfilled all of the client’s needs."

"It was delivered on time and is now in regular use helping to support the global launch of groundbreaking gene therapy.”

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