Pharmaceutical

Agitators

AVA turbulence offers time saving and product protection

To produce active pharmaceutical ingredients free of solvents – once the potential of process variation is exhausted – one has to resort to drying. It means accepting long, often very long drying times. The tie-up of the dryers reduces the entire production installation’s output capacity. In mixing the cycles are much shorter but also here process time reduction increases production capacity. Systems offering shorter process time should therefore be most desirable.

AVA cone mixers and dryers were developed for short process time and maximum product protection. The traditional shape of the mixing and drying vessel with a cone angle of about twenty degrees was maintained. It is an important element for the nearly complete discharge of conical mixers and dryers. But there had to be a different agitator. The revolving auger, with its gears in the product area, was too complicated, prone to failure and fraught with the risk of product contamination. The auger was replaced by a helix on a central shaft rotating close to the vessel wall. Bearing and shaft sealing are positioned outside the product area. Depending on product properties a single or double, mirror image helix is used. The self centring double helix is indicated for heavy, pasty products where the radial excursion of the single helix agitator may cause problems.

The AVA helix produces more turbulence and a higher product turnover in the mixing vessel than a revolving auger. This leads to shorter mixing times. In a dryer also the heat transfer improves and results in considerably shorter drying times. The agitator has no bearing at its lower end and facilitates the discharge of cohesive powders. The dryers can also be used for the evaporation of liquids – under ideal conditions until dryness.

The mixers and dryers are designed and manufactured according to cGMP standards. They are adapted to the individual site and process requirements with the result that each installation is unique. The simple design of the machines allows the construction of very small units down to a few litres. Considering the tendency for continually more active substances this is highly welcome.

Machines used:

Vertical mixers
Vertical dryers

Contact partner for applications:
info(@)ava-americas.com

Download:
Pharmaceutical agitator (PDF, 248 KB)