Italvacuum - Process Innovation in Vacuum Drying and Vacuum Pumps for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Production

Established in 1939, Italvacuum is one of the main manufacturers of vacuum dryers and vacuum pumps for chemical, fine chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Italvacuum's manufacturing capabilities include a wide range of original and patented products that comply with the main European regulations (CE, ATEX and PED) and with the ever more severe FDA rules and cGMP norms.

Horizontal paddle vacuum dryers

Planex System® is a brand new patented technology studied and developed in order to overcome the peculiar limits of the traditional paddle vacuum dryers equipped with concentric agitator. Planex System is based on an innovative philosophy of working, which is especially suitable for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

Planex System consists of a fixed cylindrical chamber with an eccentric agitator inside with two independent movements, able to rotate on its own axis and tangentially to the cylindrical chamber as well. The double combined rotation allows an optimal mixing of the product, continuously renewing the surface of the mass exposed to evaporation, covering all the volume of the vessel. In this way solvents release is facilitated and drying times are significantly reduced compared with conventional systems.

The peculiar configuration of the agitator, with a diameter much smaller than the one of the drying chamber, and the double rotation not only allow the continuous revolution of the product but also limit the mechanical stress, preventing local overheating due to friction. This enables even more delicate and thermo-sensitive products to be treated, as it preserves their purity.

Mechanical stress on the product is about three times less than the one obtained with traditional dryers. Consequently the overheating of the product, deriving from mechanical action, is considerably lower¹. Furthermore, the reduced gap between the agitator profile and the wall of the drying chamber avoids deposition of the product and makes the unloading operation extremely easy and effective, being also foreseen a specific program automatically managed.

Rotary double cone vacuum dryers / powderers

CRIOX System, an internationally successful patent, is a multi-product dryer. The central body is made of a double cone, characterized by soft lines. During the system rotation, this structure helps the continuous revolution of the mass and allows a homogenous mixing.

Within the drying chamber there are two lump-breakers that break the wet pre-existing blocks in the mass and powder the product. For bulk products, this means an end product that is ready for bagging, while for the other products, a checked particle size distribution is achieved (limited use of the mill).

The mechanical action of the chamber and the lump-breakers allow the surface of the product exposed to evaporation to be increased and therefore the vacuum drying is carried out in a very short time and with a temperature much lower than in any other dryer. Specific solutions have been developed for automatic loading and unloading and also in order to wash and inspect the plant before changing the type of batch.

Rotary cylindrical vacuum dryers

Rotary cylindrical vacuum dryers (like Italvacuum’s TUMBLE dryer) are designed for drying, mixing and condensing operations in the manufacture of granulated plastic materials.

Cabinet tray vacuum dryers

MULTISPRAY dryers consist of a cabinet and a series of shelves heated through the circulation of fluid. The drying chamber is also heated in order to avoid condensation. Internal shelves may be extractable or fixed, both allowing delicate and valuable products to be processed. For the first type a hydraulic trolley in inox is adequate to receive the shelves’ frame, ensuring a fast removal (no tracks inside the cabinet). The inner walls and the shelves are perfectly polished. MULTISPRAY dryers also have special closures and particle-free trays for the complete recovery of powders.

Italvacuum cabinet dryers may be provided with the new patented CIP MULTISPRAY® fast washing system that allows washing and cleaning operations of the drying chamber and of the inner shelves to be carried out in a few minutes, eliminating any risk of contamination for the operator.

Vacuum piston pumps

Thanks to their design, together with innovative technical solutions (such as the new LubriZero® system, which reduced the oil consumption nearly to zero, allowing the use of synthetic FDA-approved oils), SAURUS939 vacuum piston pumps ensure incomparable performance for the main pharmaceutical and chemical processes, such as drying, distillation, reaction and crystallization:

• Nominal flow rate from 80 m³/hr to 3,800m³/hr
• Vacuum from 7mbar to 0.03mbar
• Extreme operating simplicity 24hr/day
• Absolute reliability over time even under severe operative conditions
• Very limited operative costs, simple and cheap maintenance

A recent analysis issued by the ‘Politecnico di Torino’² also dispels any eventual doubt about the purity of the final product, demonstrating that there is no oil contamination.

Notes

1. Analysys of ‘Politecnico di Torino’ University – Material Science and Chemical Engineering Department
2. Material Science and Chemical Engineering Department