It may take up to three years to turn bacteria, viruses or cell cultures into a vaccine. Since vaccines are injected directly into your body, safety and purity have the best priority in production. The demands on the plant equipment are correspondingly high, for example, in the tabs on pressure. The PG43SA group of diaphragm pressure gauges from WIKA are tailored to the.
Designed completely in hygienic design: the diaphragm pressure gauges of the PG43SA series
Three instrument models to select from
The hygienic instruments with flush, welded diaphragm elements are ideal for pressure monitoring in every regions of vaccine production. This applies, not merely to the ?upstream? and ?downstream? stations, but also to the support processes.
You can find three 3A and EHEDG-certified models to select from:
PG43SA-S
PG43SA-D with integrated diaphragm element monitoring
PG43SA-C particularly compact with back mount process connection
Which variant a user chooses, and at which point in the process, depends upon their safety requirements and the installation conditions ? although the model PG43SA-S already meets a large section of the requirements for pressure monitoring.
Critical situation instantly
The further the vaccine production progresses, the more valuable the merchandise becomes. Through the ?downstream? filtration processes, the future active component is increasingly purified. Here, pressure monitoring provides the decisive information concerning whether the filters are still working correctly or are clogging up and should be replaced. The model PG43SA-S with red limit value marking, for example, enables a critical situation to be detected, unmistakably, instantly.
In filtration plant, pressure monitoring can be used, among other things, to check on the filter status and to draw attention to any clogging of the filter in good time.
Problem-free installation
That the compact nature of the instruments can be important in this task is illustrated by a filtration system at a vaccine manufacturer in China: in this case, a peristaltic pump conveys the active component to the capsule filter with a hose. The challenge of the very cramped available space meant a little measuring instrument was required, and the model PG43SA-C met this.
The instrument was able to be easily mounted on the hose before and following the filter because of its process connection being built-into the case ? a patented design. This measuring solution shows the operator whether the pump and filter are working normally. The PC43SA-C offers a good plan view for this. It is therefore also suitable for pressure monitoring in vertical pipelines.
The models in the PG43SA series, like all diaphragm pressure gauges, because of their mechanical principle, always reliably indicate the procedure pressure. They measure with high overload safety and independently of electrical energy. This meets the safety requirements, especially when transporting the intermediate products and the finished vaccine. These are transported in mobile tanks from the bioreactor via chromatograph and filtration systems through to filling into ampoules.
Vaccine transport in mobile tanks is considered an especially sensitive process step. The hygienic diaphragm pressure gauges of the PG43SA series provide all the necessary pressure information at any time, independent of electrical energy.
Multiple tasks in one application
When monitoring the pressure at the tanks, the PG43SA instruments fulfil several tasks: During transport, it is important to check whether the pressure remains constant. This is also a leak test: a falling pressure could be because of leaking valve or a damaged seal. After emptying the tank at the transfer point, one consider the display can determine whether there’s still pressure in the tank or whether it really is opened without danger. The same pertains to pressure monitoring during tank cleaning and the pressure test before refilling.
In tank applications, as well as the measurement quality described, another advantage of diaphragm pressure gauges comes to the fore: the instruments utilize a ?dry? measuring cell. This eliminates the risk of product contamination by way of a system fill fluid, as may be the case with conventional diaphragm seal systems. In this way, they prevent potential damage which could amount to millions.
Further risk minimisation
In these and similar sensitive processes, the model PG43SA-D helps to further minimise risks to the vaccine. The instrument comes with an integrated diaphragm element monitor with red/white indicator. In the unlikely event that the very robust measuring element should break due to extreme process conditions or rough mechanical influences, the patented monitoring function immediately reports the damage with a ?red? indicator. Another barrier in the instrument maintains the separation of process and environment.
Suitable for CIP/SIP and autoclavable
Process reliability in vaccine production includes residue-free cleaning of the equipment after each batch. Because of their hygienic design, the PG43SA diaphragm pressure gauges are suitable for CIP/SIP cleaning processes and so are all autoclavable.
Note
You can find a synopsis and technical details of the PG43SA series hygienic diaphragm pressure gauges on the WIKA website or in our flyer: ?Safe and reliable: Pressure displays in hygienic design?. You would like to buy hygienic diaphragm pressure gauges? In our WIKA online-shop you will find a few of our standard designs. In Crooked have any questions, your contact will gladly assist you to.
Also read our articles
Pressure gauges for pharmaceutical processes: Flush-mounted dry measurement
Hygienic pressure gauge: IP68 with cleaning from the exterior
The following video also informs you about the PG43SA instruments: