ISL Cone Valve Technology - Pharmaceutical Powder Handling, Process Control, and Powder, Tablet and Particulate Cone-Valve Technology

Ivan Semenenko Limited (ISL) is an ISO9001 registered firm for the provision of bulk material, powder handling, and process control solutions, and is synonymous with cone-valve technology, which is in extensive use worldwide in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Cone-valve technology provides clean, trouble free, total discharge of powder and particulate bulk solids from Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), hoppers, sacks and silos, enabling accurate dosing control to process or packing.

With the pharmaceutical sector demanding tighter control of dust emissions and heading the drive for minimising product damage, ISL has met the industry's concerns with the recent supply of equipment to two pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Utilising the ISL-patented 'rolling seal' actuation system, ISL has supplied total containment IBCs with zero dust emissions and 'gentle' tablet valves that prevent damage to the product. Both installations indicate the innovative approach that ISL takes to the typical manufacturing problems confronting the pharmaceutical industry.

ISL PHARMACEUTICAL CONE-VALVE TECHNOLOGY

The use of a cone-valve to generate and control the flow of powders and particulates was first established by Ivan Semenenko with the patenting of his concept in 1979. The original system – with minor design changes – is still in use worldwide, but becoming sidelined due to design complexity and a difficulty in meeting hygiene standards.

Since the setting up of ISL in 1998, a series of simpler cone-valve actuators has been developed, culminating in the patented 'rolling seal' actuator, which has a design simplicity and efficiency comparing most favourably with the operation of pre-ISL cone valves.

PHARMACEUTICAL POWDER HANDLING, PROCESS CONTROL, AND TABLET, POWDER AND PARTICULATE FLOW-CONTROL

The 'rolling seal' actuator, together with a transducer, provides high-accuracy, gravimetric powder handling, process control, and tablet, powder and particulate flow control, and also allows – if required – an accurate weighing capability of stored products into further process or final packing. The key attributes of the 'rolling seal' discharge station are:

• Fast response actuation, allowing fine control of product flow
• No flow restriction
• Hygienic design, manufactured from a handful of components
• Ease of maintenance and cleaning
• Two to three-minute remove and replace for seal and covers
• Two-year guarantee on the life of the rolling seal

TOTAL CONTAINMENT PHARMACEUTICAL IBCS

The pharmaceutical industry is challenging its suppliers to reduce Operator Exposure Levels (OELs). Previously acceptable OELs of 100μgrams/m³ and – more recently – 10μ³ are again being reduced, as the industry looks for nanogram levels.

The ISL sale of total containment IBCs to a global pharmaceutical group met the objectives of total containment, total sanitation and total control. This meant that total containment had to be maintained during IBC filling, transport to and return from a remote irradiation facility, connection to the process, discharge and dosing, and finally disconnection and removal for refilling. Numerous tests conclusively verified the 100% success of all objectives.

IMPROVE PROCESS CONTROL WITH PHARMACEUTICAL TABLET VALVES

The ISL tablet valve solves the perennial process control problems of product damage, leakage and control of batching associated with the transfer of tablets and granules from IBCs and day bins.

These process control problems are usually caused by the limitations of the valve styles traditionally used – butterfly, gate, iris and traditional cone valves – but the innovative design of the tablet valve, which is based on ISL's twin-cone technology, provides the perfect solution.

PHARMACEUTICAL BIG BAG DISCHARGE SYSTEMS

ISL has now taken cone-valve technology beyond the IBC with yet another unique development in bulk bag discharge and dosing systems: their 'Big Bag Bin.'

This enables the FIBCs (bulk bag) to be used directly in process with dust containment, batch and continuous weighing direct from the FIBC, and also has the unique ability to take a partly-empty bulk bag off process without untying or retying of the outlet, or fitting of additional components to the outlet sock, thus maintaining product containment.

PHARMACEUTICAL CONE-VALVE SYSTEM UPGRADES

ISL also supplies upgrades for other cone-valve systems.