Peeler meets GAMP4 rules
An advanced GMP Peeler Centrifuge, incorporating some of the latest innovations in centrifuge technology, has been installed to filter-wash a range of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at Rhodia Pharma Solutions' facility at Dudley, in the UK. The equipment was designed, developed and manufactured by Huddersfield-based Thomas Broadbent, to conform to the latest GAMP 4 requirements.
The Broadbent GMP Peeler Centrifuge is a validatable machine, designed as a contamination-free process. Its innovative design enables the manufacturer to achieve and maintain continuous manufacturing efficiency, increased production and consistent high quality products with minimum maintenance, says Broadbent.
The Peeler's automatic air knife mechanism, which facilitates cake discharge and effective 'heel' removal, provides complete batch-to-batch containment of the product and dramatically reduces the operating cycle by removing separated solids at high speed.
The extremely short cycle times can be adjusted to produce a dedicated range of washing programmes and can be applied to process applications where the feed slurry has either a low or fluctuating concentration of solids.
The machine's GMP design has no 'dead' areas, inside or out, and incorporates a fully opening front casing which facilitates safe operator inspection of the machine's interior surfaces. A clean-in-place system ensures that there is no contamination between batches and maintains total cleanliness during product changeover. To eliminate any risk of contamination to the front-end process area, the machine is built to a 'through-the-wall' design - allowing rear access to the services side of the centrifuge, which can be easily and speedily maintained without entering the process area.