The powder handling system is an innovative way of handling powder at various manufacturing stages in the pharmaceutical industry. It transfers powder during product manufacturing between different stages and equipment. It enables safe powder processing under regulatory regulations with a high degree of containment. It allows processing powder with minimal or no human involvement until it takes the form of finished form and packed.

The powder handling system comprises a series of equipment, each with dedicated tasks and operations. Each piece of equipment or the stage is inter-connected with each other at different manufacturing stages. In contrast to conventional powder systems, it eliminates the need for manual handling, safety, transfer, and processing systems.

What is a Powder Handling System?

A powder handling system refers to the arrangement and design of various equipment in which powder flows from start to finish in a contained manner. The powder passes through each manufacturing stage with the help of accessories specially designed for this purpose. In this system, the powder cannot advance to its next phase until it has acquired the required product quality parameters necessary for that stage.

Each component or equipment in between every stage is made up of pharma-compliant material. It fulfills basic requirements such as contamination & corrosion prevention, quality fulfillment, and product-specific requirements. Protective systems such as filtration and automated systems also prevent contamination and deviation from acceptable product parameters. If there is any deviation in product parameters and the manufacturing process, it alerts personnel, and the process cannot advance to the next stage.

Since it handles powder in a contained and continuous manner, it differs from the conventional powder system in a way that, in traditional powder systems.

·        There are high chances of personal exposure to the product because the operator or personnel have to manually charge or discharge the product from and into the equipment. This is because there are no accessories, instruments, and equipment to aid in charging or discharging. This increases the chance of contamination and personnel powder inhalation.

·        Every major and minor process is carried out manually, especially powder transfer between equipment and stages.

·        Process monitoring is also done manually in the laboratory, which takes time. Because, in the powder handling system, monitoring is carried out online, without stopping the equipment for sampling and then waiting for the results to be delivered.

The time of processing powder in each stage is more significant due to the time it takes to load, process, and transfer it to the next step until the final finished form.

Equipment for powder handling system

Let's discuss some common equipment or components of powder handling system

Intermediate bulk container - IBC

Intermediate bulk containers are large metallic containers used to transfer, store, and blend Pharmaceutical products, especially the powder form. Their unique design allows them to handle powder at every stage of manufacturing and on every piece of equipment in an efficient, timely, and quality manner.

The main advantage is that there is no need to open the container, and the entire container can be moved across the desired location.

Some features of IBC are under

·        IBC can be easily moved from one department to another without removing and transferring powder contents. Commonly, they are provided with wheels for this purpose that enable them to move quickly.

·        The IBC can also be attached to various process equipment, such as a blender and tablet compression machine, and can directly take the powder from the IBC. For this application, the IBCs have a mechanism that enables them to be lifted and fit into the desired equipment. However, for this application to be utilized, the respective machine must be supplied with arrangements to hold IBC and transfer powder.

·        The material inside IBC can be easily transferred without manually interacting with the powder through various accessories, such as valves.

IBCs are also provided with a valve that can be used to discharge the powder from it. The piping network can be connected to the valve, and the valve's operation can be controlled for an efficient powder transfer. The pipe connected to the valve runs to the desired location or equipment, and the powder can be easily transferred.

For powder filling into the IBC, commonly, a manhole is provided that can be used for this purpose. The powder can be filled through a vacuum transfer system into the IBC from the raw material department (filled during dispensing) or directly in the production department. The system selection depends upon the powder transfer system's space availability, process requirements, and available options.

The powder discharge can be both manual and automatic. In automatic mode, a valve controlled by the main controller or PLC is used to open or close it. In the manual method, the operator manually opens and closes the valve.

IBC come in varying sizes and shapes that fit customer requirements and needs.

Vacuum transfer system

A vacuum transfer system transfers powder from one piece of equipment to another or from one location to another to process it for further stages.

In this system, the powder or dry material is sucked by the action of a vacuum through an appropriate opening. The product is pumped out of the system's outlet and lands at the desired position.

The vacuum pump uses negative pressure to transfer material between the source and destination. A network of pipes attached to the system is used to land the powder at the target location to complete the process.

The main part of vacuum transfer is the blower that maintains the negative pressure, resulting in material transfer. The blower, driven by a motor, can be operated at varying speeds, which changes the vacuum strength and is directly proportional to the blower speed. The pressure difference caused by the vacuum is the main phenomenon of material transfer.

The advantage of vacuum transfer is that if leaks in the attached pipe or piping network, the vacuum will cause the powder stream to move inlet rather than outwards. This causes less or no loss of powder if there are leaks in pipes.

Parts of a vacuum transfer system

Various parts of the vacuum transfer system result in efficient transfer. Some common parts include the following

Vacuum pump

It is the main driver behind the vacuum transfer system. Driven by the motor, it causes negative pressure across the inlet and outlet. The pump speed can be increased or decreased through the motor, hence causing the impact of the transfer system according to the process requirement.

Cyclone separator

Cyclone separator is used to separate air from the powder being transferred. It uses cyclone technology instead of a filter to separate powder from here.

As it rotates, it creates a vortex in the separator, causing the powder to hit the side walls of the cyclone while air passes straight through it.

Piping network

It is a network of pipes connected through bends and fittings across the facility. As the name implies, it acts as a medium to transfer powder from one piece of equipment or point to another.

Control system

As the name suggests, it is an electrical control system to control the working of a vacuum transfer system. It consists of various electrical and electronic components that monitor and control the entire system.

Dosing and weighing units

Dosing and weighing units are also part of the powder handling system. It is used to dispense accurate quantities of raw materials for drug manufacturing. The materials are weighed automatically, and when the required quantity of weight is dispensed, the dispensing stops, and the container containing raw material can be offloaded for the manufacturing process.

The weighing unit consists of a load cell that continuously measures the weight. The load cell signal becomes input to the control panel for automated material handling.

The system also records the weight of the dispensed material so that the production department can track the manufacturing process. Additionally, recording also helps to manage the raw material availability efficiently and to keep a record of material consumption.

Best practices of powder handling system

Let's discuss some common practices that help in an efficient powder and system in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Check your filter

Like other equipment and machines, filters are integral to the powder handling system. They are used to prevent contamination in the equipment from dust in the environment and powder from other products being manufactured. They are also used to filter out external particles from the powder.

Over time, the powder affects the filter material and its working. As a result, the filter can be choked, and its capabilities can be decreased.

For efficient system performance, always check filter conditions. Checking filters regularly or creating a preventive maintenance plan will help solve significant filter problems.

Seals and gasket

Seals and gaskets are essential for every piece of equipment. They are used in joints and covers to seal and prevent powder escape through them. Seals and gaskets also help prevent powder from escaping into the environment.

If seals and gaskets are unsatisfactory, the entire powder will escape into the environment. Monitoring seals and gaskets is an effective way of keeping equipment safe.    

About the Author

Muhammad Asim Niazi has a vast experience of about 11 years in a Pharmaceutical company. During his tenure he worked in their different departments and had been part of many initiatives within the company. He now uses his experience and skill to write interested content for audiences at PharmaSources.com.