The Pharma Peeler Centrifuge is a horizontal, high-efficiency machine designed to isolate and wash APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) in a safe, enclosed environment. With its automatic, reliable, and efficient horizontal configuration, the peeler centrifuge enhances production speed and capacity, making it one of the most modern and commonly used types of centrifuge equipment in the pharmaceutical industry.
APIs are typically created in a reactor or crystallizer. To isolate the API, a horizontal peeler centrifuge with scraper functionality is used, separating the solids from other slurry components through filtration. This filtering peeler centrifuge efficiently collects the solids in the basket while discharging the liquids, incorporating a washing step to increase purity. Mechanically reducing the liquid content reduces the downstream thermal processing requirements such as drying time, thus protecting the quality of the API.
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Production Cycle and Design Advantages
Overview
The next few slides will walk through the entire Production Cycle, showing loading, cake washing, centrifugation, discharge, the heel cake removal, the washing machine effect, and the final cleaning with spray balls. This slide shows all 7 at one time before we zoon in to each. After that, there will also be slides showing the machine overview and some design advantages.
Loading
The solid-liquid suspension (slurry) is fed through the feed pipe into the horizontal peeler centrifuge. The slurry moves towards the filter cloth under the action of centrifugal force, and onto a perforated basket. The solid portion remains on the filter cloth, forming a cake, while the liquid passes through the cake, the filter cloth, and the basket perforations. The growth of the cake thickness is controlled by a mechanical or laser cake detector, which can automatically stop the feeding phase when the desired cake thickness is reached.
Cake Washing
Cake washing removes any impurities present in the cake. The washing liquid is distributed onto the product in the horizontal basket, through nozzles located along the washing pipe. The liquid passes through the product, then passes from the filter cloth and the holes of the basket, removing impurities present in the cake.
Centrifugation
Once the washing phase is complete, the peeler centrifuge accelerates to the maximum speed and maintains that speed for a given amount of time to achieve the desired level of residual humidity in the product. At the end of the centrifugation, the centrifuge decelerates to the discharge speed.
Discharge
Upon reaching the discharge speed, the scraper knife activates. The knife cuts the cake and directs the product into the discharge chute and collection systems (drums, bins, dryers, mixers). The horizontal peeler centrifuge’s design ensures an efficient and consistent discharge process.
Heel Cake Removal
At the end of the product discharge phase, a heel cake of about 4-5 mm remains on the filtering cloth. This heel cake can be removed, to improve the filterability of the product, through the high-pressure nitrogen blow from the rear part of the basket.
Washing Machine Effect
The centrifuge must be cleaned between product batches to prevent cross-contamination. The fully automated cleaning process consists of two stages:
- Washing Machine Effect: The basket fills with washing liquid and rotates both clockwise and counterclockwise while the scraper knife moves in and out, ensuring all process areas, including the discharge chute, are thoroughly cleaned.
- Cleaning with Spray Balls: The washing liquid is sprayed onto all internal surfaces to eliminate any remaining residues.
Cleaning with Spray Balls
The washing liquid is sprayed through spray balls on all the surfaces of the process area to completely remove any residue of product still present.
Machine Overview
- Knife scraper for product discharge
- Automatic clamping ring
- Knife and product discharge chute
Design Advantages
- Scraper knife with protected discharge chute
- Horizontal peeler centrifuge design for high efficiency
- Laser cake detector (option) for precise batch monitoring
- Adjustable feed
- Wash pipe
- CIP spray balls
- Sight glass with cleaning
- Light glass with cleaning nozzle
- Active Product Ingredients (APIs)
- Antibiotics
- Pharmaceutical Intermediate Products
- High Potent Active Product Ingredients (HPAPI)
- Vitamins
- Amino, fatty acids
- Steroids
- Ideal for pharmaceutical, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and potent compound processes
- Maximum purity of discharged products through efficient horizontal peeler configuration
- Small and compact footprint
- cGmp design for CIP and eliminates product stagnation zones
- Laser cake detector (external to process chamber)
- No contact between the operator and the product during operation makes it ideal for pharmaceutical synthesis products
- Through-the-wall installation for clean rooms
- Full access to inspect all areas including rear of basket and shaft seal
- Horizontal basket assures even loading of cake
- Filter medium is easily changed and secured in the basket
- Installation directly on the floor on anti-vibration dampers
- FDA-approved oil lubrication for bearings on all models
- Sizes range from 400mm (15.75 in.) diameter to 1700mm (66.9 in.) diameter – See chart below
- Knife scraper blade fixed without use of bolts (FOD compliant)
- Suitable for the maximum recovery of solids discharged and the protection of the discharge chute
- Steep solids discharge chute (30° from vertical)
- Heel removal assist with optional blow back to ensure full discharge from the basket
- Options for solids discharge with high containment (use of continuous liner, isolator, etc.)
- Maintenance of shaft and bearings from the rear side of the machine (service area) without contaminating the clean room
- Complete PLC controls with touch-screen interface
- Switch between automatic, semi-automatic, and manual operation
- Variable frequency drive (VRD) speed control
- ATEX (Europe) electrical enclosures or NEC (North America)
- Optional instrumentation integrated into the control system including oxygen monitoring, temperature, pressure, liquid feed flow, and N2 purge
- High-level surface finishing for the cleaning of the process zone
- The highly effective C.I.P. system (Clean-in- Place) uses a Washing Machine Effect cycle and spray balls
- The C.I.P. system avoids cross-contamination between products from one campaign production to another, which makes the machine suitable for multi-purpose applications
- Options for sterilizing include steam or Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP system)
- Pressure tight to 400mm H20 (0.6 psig)
- Inert gas purging
- Easily replaceable endless filter cloth, thermo-welded, in polypropylene or PTFE of various weaves and sizes
- Construction materials
- Parts in contact with the product: all stainless steels and special alloys are available, such as AISI 316L, AISI 904L, hastelloy, monel, alloy 59, 254 SMO, nickel, titanium, SAF 2205
- Surface coating option: Halar (ECTFE)
- Elastomers: antistatic and FDA certified, Teflon ETFE, and hard rubber
- Certifications, validation, FDA qualification, and construction documentation
- Field service and technical support available
- Mechanical and electrical parts
- Process control and maintenance manuals
- Mechanical and electrical upgrades
Standard Sizes and Technical Data
|
Centrifuge model: HX/GMPUnit |
Basket Diameter (mm) |
Basket Length (mm) |
Filtering Surface (m2) |
Cake Volume (liter) |
Max Load (kg) |
Max Speed (RPM) |
G Factor (xg) |
Centrifuge Weight (kg) |
Solid Chute Slope (°vs vertical) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400/170 | 400 | 170 | 0.21 | 11 | 14 | 3000 | 2011 | 1100 | 30 |
| 500/220 | 500 | 220 | 0.35 | 22 | 28 | 2700 | 2037 | 2500 | 30 |
| 650/280 | 650 | 280 | 0.57 | 42 | 53 | 2300 | 1922 | 3700 | 30 |
| 850/380 | 850 | 380 | 1.01 | 90 | 112 | 1850 | 1626 | 5600 | 30 |
| 1030/610 | 1030 | 500 | 1.62 | 165 | 207 | 1500 | 1295 | 7600 | 30 |
| 1150/500 | 1150 | 500 | 1.81 | 222 | 278 | 1400 | 1260 | 9600 | 30 |
| 1300/610 | 1300 | 610 | 2.49 | 340 | 425 | 1200 | 1046 | 13000 | 30 |
| 1450/730 | 1450 | 730 | 3.32 | 485 | 607 | 1150 | 1072 | 16500 | 34 |
| 1600/800 | 1600 | 800 | 4.02 | 733 | 916 | 950 | 807 | 22000 | 36 |
| 1750/920 | 1750 | 920 | 5.05 | 991 | 1239 | 900 | 792 | 3400 | 36 |
| 400/170* | 400 | 170 | 0.21 | 11 | 14 | 3000 | 2011 | 1100 | 30 |
| 500/220* | 500 | 220 | 0.35 | 22 | 28 | 2700 | 2037 | 2500 | 30 |
*Pilot centrifuges – HX / GMP MODEL
The smaller horizontal peeler centrifuges are considered pilot centrifuges and are ideal for both research and development laboratories, as well as small productions of high-added value products. These pilot centrifuges, while smaller, include the same features as the industrial scale module plus can be skid mounted for easier mobility.