Based in Cork, Ireland, CPi manufactures advanced bioprocess skids for the biopharmaceutical sector. Since 2017, CPi has integrated WMFTS pumps into its solutions for pH adjustment, depth filtration, virus filtration, virus inactivation, media and buffer preparation, final filling skids and customised single-use skids.
From smaller OEM 300 series flip-top pumps to larger process pumps — 530, 630 and 730 series, and Quantum 600 — CPi trusts Watson-Marlow pumps owing to their low shear and low pulsation capabilities.
Also important for CPi is the precision accuracy, fine adjustment of the pump speed and ease of use with single-use tubing assemblies.
Watson-Marlow 630 series process pump is shown here on CPi Biotech’s single-use bioprocessing skid (courtesy of CPi Biotech)
The 530, 630, 730 cased pumps and the Quantum provide flexibility for CPi’s customers to manage multiple processes and save time because of their high turndown ratio and multiple options for tube materials and sizes.
The low shear, low pulsation pumping of up to 33 L/min are important qualities of the pumps and a requirement for CPi. Low shear is needed so that the pump doesn't damage the protein … and low pulsation ensures that there’s no impact on the functionality and accuracy of the inline instrumentation on the skid.
Ease of use is also critical. The large display clearly shows the pump status and provides for intuitive navigation; each pump’s parameters can easily be set to allow for automated operation using the site control software.
With their compact size, Watson-Marlow OEM pumps are used where space saving is required; for ease of integration on skids, versions with multiple pump head configurations are also available.
Watson-Marlow’s experience and longevity in the industry provides CPi with a portfolio of products from a trusted source that extends to gaskets, tubing and clamps.
Sales and technical support are also very important as CPi customises its products through collaboration.
CPi’s skid solutions save its customers real-time plant, process and molecule reconfiguration time as well as enabling ongoing reinvestment in bioprocessing skids.
The single pass tangential flow filtration (SPTFF) system from CPi, which features Watson-Marlow panel mount 300 series pump heads, can be deployed in many downstream unit operations, including clarification, chromatography and final ultrafiltration steps.
The SPTFF saves on cleanroom space and the compact footprint of the 530, 630 and OEM panel mount pumps (300 series) means that the pumps fit comfortably on to the platforms in CPi’s systems. Furthermore, LoadSure tube elements offer high pressure and a longer tube life.
CPi’s modular, scalable and flexible systems are being used by its customers in the development and cGMP manufacturing of life-saving medicines and therapeutics.
Watson-Marlow 530 series cased pump on one of CPi Biotech’s single-use bioprocess skids, which are used by major biopharmaceutical companies (courtesy of CPi Biotech)
Not only do Watson-Marlow pumps deliver accuracy of up to ±0.5% to guarantee process stability and product quality, but closed fluid path pumping ensures complete isolation from any source of contamination during transfer, filling and filtration applications.
The Quantum 600 pump is specifically designed for linear flow under pressures of up to 3 bar as required for tangential flow filtration (TFF), virus filtration (VF) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) applications.
It enables higher downstream process yields throughout the pressure range with a maximum flow of 20 L/min.
Martin O’Reilly, Senior Life Sciences Engineer at Watson-Marlow Ireland, said: “Watson-Marlow's wide portfolio of products allows us to address many of CPi’s application challenges through the integration of both OEM panel mount pumps and cased pumps in their skid platforms.”
“In relation to the Quantum, its unique single-use cartridge with four parallel fluid paths acts to deliver extremely low pulsation of only 0.12 bar at full speed, which is a key requirement for the reliable operation of many filtration processes."
"It is also easy to operate with colour display and intuitive menu structures that provide visual status indication and minimal key presses. This allows the user to adjust the speed gradually and display relevant pump status information.”
