With the increased demand of Pharmaceutical products in today’s market, there is increase in complexity of demand from the pharmaceutical manufacturers. One such area is the sterilisation process. Pharmaceutical companies use various types of sterilisers for varied applications. Steam sterilisers are used for sterilisation of liquids, porous loads, process components etc. Dry heat sterilisers are used for high-temperature sterilisation of glass bottles, vials, ampoules, etc., while terminal sterilisers (Super-heated water spray steriliser and Ventilator steriliser) are used for product in a final container like small and large volume parenteral, ophthalmic products, pre-filled syringes, etc.

To respond spontaneously to varied market demand, Pharmaceutical companies have adopted the multipurpose facility concept instead of a dedicated facility. In line with this versatile concept, there are demands from the pharmaceutical manufacturer to have a Multipurpose steriliser which performs various process in a single equipment. i.e. The machine can perform steam sterilisation, terminal sterilisation like super-heated water spray and steam-air mixture in one equipment. So, the facility is ready to cater to any market demand.

Challenge with this steriliser is its intricate design. While accommodating multiple components for distinct purposes, it also increases the operational complexity of the equipment. One such challenging area is the terminal sterilisation of the suspension in rotating carriage. The difficult task here is in loading the rotating carriage into the steriliser chamber and engaging it with the drive mechanism. As a procedure the rotating carriage is first attached with the drive mechanism installed within the chamber, followed by loading of products into the carriage and finally locking it. This loading of product into the carriage and locking of the carriage requires personnel to enter the chamber to carry out the activities. These operating-procedure makes the end-user job difficult and cumbersome.

Pharmalab philosophy of working closely with customers helped us understand the level of difficulty faced by the end-user. To resolve this problem, Pharmalab design team came up with an improved, ergonomic design. The new model now offers loading and locking of a carriage outside the steriliser chamber, thus eliminating the requirement of personnel entry into the steriliser, making the end-user job more convenient and safer. This new design offers uncluttered construction in addition to improved operational efficiency.