Engineering an Operator-First Custom Solution for an International Biopharmaceutical Company

Read more on how Hosokawa Micron Limited designed a custom Drum Tip Dispensing Isolator for pharmaceutical manufacturing, adhering to strict local legislation and prioritising operator safety.

When an international biopharmaceutical manufacturer needed to implement safe, controlled methods for handling pharmaceutical products, they chose Hosokawa. In turn, Hosokawa designed a custom Drum Tip Dispensing Isolator engineered to provide protection against occupational health risks and maintain strict containment requirements. This collaborative approach turned a significant safety challenge into a future-proof solution that is capable of supporting ongoing manufacturing growth.

The customer forms part of one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, serving pharmaceutical markets across multiple regions. The customer’s facility forms part of a wider international operation with stringent requirements for product quality, operator safety, and environmental protection.

The facility was facing challenges, such as providing the best practical operating environment for the handling of potentially hazardous materials and for the tasks of dispensing material in a controlled manner. With this in mind, the client needed a safe and controlled method of environmental and operator protection.

A Made-to-Measure Solution — Why Non-Custom Wouldn’t Work

Our team began by reviewing the process requirements, facility layout, and operating procedures to identify how they could solve the client’s challenges.

The primary challenge was protecting operators while maintaining production efficiency. A standard, off-the-shelf solution wouldn’t cater to strict localised regulations, as well as leak testing for design exposure limits of 0.5μg/m3.

Put simply, without adequate containment and environmental control, operators and the environment could be exposed to contamination, increasing the risk of occupational health concerns, which in turn compromises business workflows and product integrity.

Operators’ ergonomic requirements also needed to be accounted for, so operators could use the equipment comfortably and safely.

A Collaborative Partnership

Why did the client choose Hosokawa? Because Hosokawa demonstrates a strong understanding of containment technology, pharmaceutical expertise, and operator protection.

The engineering process began with the Hosokawa team reviewing the process requirements, facility layout, and current operating procedures.

From there, the engineering team was brought into the technical consultations. After detailed engineering reviews and ergonomic assessments, the team was able to provide a clearly defined delivery program with an agreed timeframe, followed by FAT and SAT, which included performance testing, installation supervision, and commissioning.

The Custom Solution

The Drum tip Dispensing Isolator included twin chambers, a 2-glove product receiving chamber to which a dedicated drum lifter docked product drums and a 4-glove main dispensing chamber complete with weigh scale. Bag-in and Bag-out continuous liner ports were incorporated for taking materials into the isolator and for the bagging out of waste from the isolator. HEPA filtration on inlet and exhaust points on the isolator, incorporating push-push technology ensure containment is not broken during replacement filters being installed. Isolator has its own dedicated fan unit on the exhaust which is connected into the Clients LEV. The isolator is nitrogen purged to maintain an inert atmosphere for the product and to contribute to the operation of the isolator with regards the ATEX rated operation.

Together, these features deliver operator protection, product containment, and stable environmental conditions for pharmaceutical containment.

Discuss Your Process

Hosokawa has been delivering and engineering bespoke pharmaceutical containment solutions for over six decades. With support spanning initial consultations, engineering, factory acceptance testing, installation, and long-term aftercare. Every project is built around the specific operational reality of the customer’s site.

Ready to discuss how Hosokawa can support your next pharmaceutical containment project?