Hosokawa Micron Ltd is one of the world’s leading innovators of sophisticated high containment technology and equipment for a wide spectrum of industries – including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and nuclear – where the safe management of potent and toxic materials, including harmful dust particles, is critical. Offering decades of experience, our trusted containment team is adept at collaborating with customers to create bespoke manual or automated containment equipment and single or multi-chamber process system solutions that perfectly complement many of the products in our wider portfolio, including tailor-made processing equipment for milling, micronizing, drying, dispensing and product pack-off.
Hosokawa Micron’s wide-ranging containment expertise means we also design, manufacture, install and commission bespoke isolators and gloveboxes that seamlessly integrate with third party processing equipment. Our nuclear industry expertise producing high performance Class I nuclear gloveboxes has been heavily influenced by our extensive knowledge of designing cGMP isolators for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, providing tangible solutions to critically important considerations such as operator safety, product protection, ergonomic operation and ease of cleaning and maintenance while maximising energy-efficiency, reliability and equipment longevity.
Hosokawa Micron’s isolators and gloveboxes are uniquely designed for each customer depending on their very specific requirements and can vary widely in size, complexity, specification and functionality. Our team of containment experts is here to offer advice and guidance about the best containment solution for your needs and to create high-performance glovebox and isolator systems that are safe, robust and will provide decades of reliable service.
In addition to the standard features you would expect to find as part of a static isolator or glovebox, we can also integrate additional functionality and features to meet and exceed the latest industry standards.
Optional Features
A comprehensive set of high containment performance tests and validations are performed on every Isolator or Glovebox prior to the FAT at Hosokawa Micron Ltd, delivery and commissioning.
Hosokawa Micron Mobile Isolators
Our range of isolators includes the mobile, user-friendly Flexible Compact Isolator, an adaptable, cost-effective ‘plug-and-play’ solution with a small footprint that is ideal for situations where space is at a premium and investment in a complex, static isolator is not required. Perfect for use in laboratories for powder testing and R&D activities involving potent materials, this isolator can be used as part of a single freestanding or benchtop workstation or may be integrated into a more complex solution to enable multiple handling and processing activities to take place. This isolator offers a containment level of <1µg/m³ and benefits from excellent internal visibility and customisable glove port positioning. We can also offer a ‘single use’ plastic bag canopy version. For further information, please click here.
For the containment and handling of the ultra-fine particles associated with nanotechnology, our Nanoparticle Containment Isolator is the perfect, mid-range, equipment solution. Mobile, compact and simple to operate, this cost-effective product offers containment levels below <1µg/m³ and is an excellent self-contained option for mitigating the hazard of handling potentially toxic nano powder. Features include a 360° acrylic canopy for maximum operator visibility, all-around access with glove ports located wherever required, ULPA safe change filtration and a continuous liner port. For further information, please click here.
Isolators and gloveboxes are essential to protect one or more operators and the environment from toxic and potentially harmful dusts, vapours and liquids while offering maximum levels of product integrity and are utilised by sectors as diverse as food and cosmetics, to chemicals and defence. In the nuclear industry, Hosokawa Micron’s gloveboxes are used for fuel preparation, waste processing and radioactive materials processing, while the pharmaceutical industry depends on our innovative isolators for primary and secondary manufacturing of APIs and intermediates for everything from chemical powders to respiratory drugs, antibiotics and painkillers.
To complement Hosokawa Micron’s range of static isolators and gloveboxes, we also offer a cost-effective range of mobile, laboratory-scale models, including a compact version specially designed for handling nano particles and a popular multi-purpose option that is ideal for scientific research, analysis, trials, biotechnology, drying, micronizing, product transfer and the sampling of highly potent materials such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
Hosokawa Micron’s individually designed isolators and gloveboxes essentially function to safely handle and/or contain potentially harmful powders, particles and liquids and provide a physical barrier. Extremely high levels of leak tightness of the containment system are critical to ensure the protection of one or more operators and environment, as well as maintain the integrity of the material being processed or handled. Each isolator or glovebox can be designed to be part of a simple or very complex processing system.
Every containment project that requires an isolator or glovebox is unique and complex and is based on each customer’s particular requirements. The initial phase of the design will involve discussions with our team of engineers and process experts to establish the detailed operational requirements for the containment system.
The most important part of the project is to understand the client’s processes and preferred methods for handling and transferring materials and products into and out of the system. This is integral to the way in which the equipment or process system is designed and operates and is what makes each piece of Hosokawa Micron Ltd containment equipment unique.
The containment system is always designed around the process and handling operations being carried out – whether integrating Hosokawa Micron Ltd process equipment or systems and equipment from a third party. Particular attention is paid to ensure the system is creatively designed for the best possible ergonomics. The design process typically includes ergonomic operation verification using a combination of 3D CAD modelling, full-scale wooden mock-ups and virtual/augmented reality technology.
Operator Protection
Isolators designed for operator protection typically have a negative internal pressure regime which maintains a pre-set pressure differential with respect to the external environment. In addition to the leak tight design, this further ensures that dust or vapours do not escape from the chamber. As part of the bespoke designs achievable with Hosokawa Micron isolators or gloveboxes, multiple sets of glove ports can be integrated into the design to allow several operators to work on material within the isolator at the same time and can be configured according to your exact requirements.
Product Protection – Sterile Isolators
Systems designed for product protection, such as Sterile Isolators from Hosokawa Micron Ltd, would normally incorporate a positive internal pressure regime to ensure that air from the external environment is not drawn into the isolator where it could contaminate the product.
Explosive Material Handling
Where potentially explosive materials are being handled, isolators and gloveboxes can incorporate an inert gas purge system to reduce the levels of oxygen present in the processing area.
Another key consideration is to ensure that the material transfer methods used maintain the same levels of operator or product protection as the primary containment system. Options such as continuous liner transfer systems, rapid transfer ports, airlocks, drum docking systems and vacuum transfer systems may be incorporated depending on the process requirements.
Special Project Materials Handling
Hosokawa Micron has the expertise and first-hand experience to handle very specialised containment commissions for unique R&D projects and are proud to have a portfolio of blue-chip customers – from industries including space, defence, advanced materials and forensic science – who commission us based on our in-depth specialist knowledge we can harness from the wide spectrum of industries we routinely work with. To find out how we could help to progress your unique project, simply get in touch.
Tailor-made isolators and gloveboxes from Hosokawa Micron Ltd provide extremely high levels of protection for operators and the environment whilst protecting the integrity of the material being processed. They can be used to safely contain one process or be part of an extensive multi-process system that incorporates multi-chambers for containing and handling different processes.
Hosokawa Micron’s extensive experience within a diverse range of processing industries includes turnkey containment and processing systems for Hosokawa-brand drying, mixing, air classification, size reduction, agglomeration and compaction equipment, as well as creating containment systems to house third party equipment.
To meet specific customer requirements, complex containment and process systems can be designed, engineered, manufactured, installed and commissioned in-house by our team of highly experienced and knowledgeable product designers and and engineers.
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