Optimal Monitoring of Biopharmaceutical Processes
Published on : Sunday 01-08-2021
VEGA Sensors for complete measurement technology for pharmaceutical applications.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing, be it mass production or custom drug production, employs a diverse range of equipment. Irrespective of the aim of the manufacturing process, all the equipment has to abide by one strict rule: Hygiene. The processes demand not only flexibility but traceability. Among other equipment, level and pressure sensors form an important part of pharma-manufacturing processes that are responsible for maintaining the right proportions of the reaction material or the additives. The demand for flexibility is also extended to these level and pressure sensors, which need to be integrated into the production processes seamlessly and deliver accurate and reliable measurements for the operators to monitor the processes optimally. The measuring sensors also need to follow the hygienic requirement, which is paramount to such a production process. VEGA’s level and pressure sensors have proved to be useful in such cases having multiple advantages such as the durability, hygienic design, accuracy and reliability of the measured value, easy installation and adoption to the production process and easy cleanability.
VEGA’s 80 GHz technology
VEGA pioneered the 80 GHz technology with the introduction of VEGAPULS 69 (one sensor for all solids application) and then VEGAPULS 64 (single sensors for all types of bulk liquid applications). The noncontact nature of these sensors helps in maintaining hygiene in the overall production process. Another added advantage offered by VEGA sensors includes the modular concept with plics®. The modular concept allows easy adoption of already existing process connections, which means easy integration and cost-saving. The unique ability of VEGA’s 80 GHz radar sensors to deliver accurate and reliable measurements under varied process conditions lies with two aspects, viz., focusing and the higher dynamic range.
Focused beam angle
The beam angle of 80 GHz radar sensors is merely 3° with 3” process connection which helps in better focusing compared to the traditional 26 GHz sensors where the beam angle is about 10°. This especially helps in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes as the production system involves many small containers or containers with installations within. In such containers, if the traditional 6 GHz or 26 GHz radars sensors are employed, then the accuracy of the measurement may get compromised due to the false echo from internal installations like baffles. However, with the focused beam angle of VEGAPULS radar sensors, the operator can always count on the accuracy and the reliability of the measured values.
High signal to noise ratio The 80 GHz based sensors operate on a dynamic range of 120 db, which is higher than the sensors with 26 GHz technology, which operate on the dynamic range of 96 db. This gives 80 GHz sensors a high signal to noise ratio, i.e., they’re better when it comes to detecting real echo (signal) from the false one and hence give an accurate result. A high signal to noise ratio helps especially when the process forms condensation or foam, which is also a very typical sight in pharmaceutical production.
In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, zero dead zones confer VEGA radar sensors an ability to measure right up to the top and also they do not affect changing media and process conditions.
Pressure and Point Level Measurement Accuracy
Like VEGAPULS radars that deliver accurate level measurements, VEGA also offers pressure (VEGABAR) and point-level (VEGAPOINT) measuring sensors that also produce accurate and reproducible measurements. These sensors are perfect for simple to complex tasks in the production process. For example, VEGABAR 83 pressure finds its place in bioreactors and interconnected pipelines. VEGABAR 83, with its metallic diaphragm, offers a special advantage in applications with high pressures. Similarly, new devices in the VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT series offer simple automation for standard auxiliary applications.
Hygienic design and Cleanability
VEGA sensors meet all the standards of hygienic design requirements as per EHEDG and 3-A Sanitary norms. Additionally, VEGA offers a hygiene compliant adapter system that gives the necessary flexibility. With all-metal housing and surface-roughness at 0.38 µm, VEGA sensors are ideal for use in high hygienic demand operations.
Hygienic working conditions demand sensors be cleaned periodically and thoroughly. The standard practice is to use CIP/SIP, in which chemical agents are also used. Pharmaceutical media that demand a lot from the materials of the measuring instruments are, for example, substances with high oil content, toxicity or very high potency substances. The aggressive cleaning agents used in CIP and the high steam temperatures used in SIP also demand correspondingly high chemical resistance as well as temperature and pressure resistance. The new VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT instrument series are resistant to both. The pressure sensors and level switches can tolerate high temperatures without loss of function and even cope with the combination of high temperature and long exposure times.
Simple automation with new VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT
Sensors are often placed in very tight places or places that are not easily accessible. The process monitoring based on the sensor signal becomes a tedious job for the operators in such conditions. The newcomers in the VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT series have a 360° illuminated ring that addresses this issue very effectively. The operator gets a choice of selecting a colour from 256 different colours for various process statuses, with which the process can be effectively monitored and controlled. This allows operator speed, safety and distinguishability for critical processes and malfunctioning can be effectively addressed.
Plant operators heavily rely on the process data, which they fetch time-to-time to make critical decisions. The new sensors offer an IO-Link advantage offering a universal advantage when it comes to data availability. These systems can be put into operation faster with the standard protocol, reducing plant downtime. Higher data availability also translates into higher product quality, optimal utilisation of machines and speed and flexibility – savings! Thanks to the ability to access VEGA sensors wirelessly via a mobile device, users will be able to ‘bypass’ hard-to-reach places even more often in the future. In combination with the VEGA Tools app, which has already won an App Award, sensor data enquiry over shorter distances in these areas also becomes convenient.
Hygienic design, system availability, modularisation and networking are the decisive factors for greater efficiency in pharmaceutical processes and for asserting oneself in the face of growing competition. With its decades of experience, VEGA offers ground-breaking level and pressure measurement technology for the automation and monitoring of future-oriented production systems that operate under extreme conditions and strict requirements on system safety and flexibility.
