May 16 2011
Clean air technology developed to offer high levels of protection to operators from harmful, hazardous, toxic or sensitizing dusts generated and handled during manual power handling operations is now accepted as the norm when activities such as sampling, dispensing and charging and offloading sub-division from powders or solvents, drum loading and un-loading etc. are being carried out.
This increased acceptance of clean air environments utilising downward air flow to create a safe working zone has led containment specialists such as Hosokawa Micron Ltd to respond to demand by investing in innovative ways of upgrading established technology to create the next generation of downflow booths suitable for even more exacting and flexible demands in contamination control.
'Whilst the principles of utilising recirculation downflow booths for powder handling operations and utilising single pass downflow booths when fume or solvent laden substances are handled or high potency products demand a once through philosophy are maintained, Hosokawa Micron continue to offer fresh innovations in design that push the boundaries in contamination control and which provide fully configurable options to meet specific customer requirements.' explains Carl Emsley, Sales Manager Pharma and High Containment.
High Containment Screens
Flexible or rigid transparent Containment Screens create a physical barrier between the operator and the source of dust particles enabling containment levels of <5µg/m3 to be achieved in downflow booth which is quite exceptional.
Screens options allowing varying dimensional adjustment, 2D, 3D and 4D, determine the level of protection and the range of operator movement - this can actually help prevent deviation from standard operating procedures and therefore offer ergonomic benefits for operators.
Bag-in, Bag-out Filtration
Hosokawa Micron now offer triple stage, safe change filtration (pre filter, fine duct, HEPA) that enables maintenance personnel to remove contaminated particulate filters without coming in direct contact with the hazardous contaminants or internal booth surfaces during filter change offer a significant improvement in design and operational safety.
Airlocks
Airlocks provide a pressurized bridge between a controlled air environment to an unregulated area, preventing entry or egress of potentially harmful or unwanted contaminants. By providing a range of safety alarm, access control and decontamination options within such air locks Hosokawa Micron can ensure operator safety and product integrity standards are not compromised.
Temperature Cooling and Heating Packages
Fully integrated cooling and heating packages offer operators the most comfortable working environment appropriate to their operating procedures allowing them maximum operational time. Considered one of the most operator popular additions to contained working, Hosokawa temperature control packages come complete with local automated controls.
Energy conservation operation
A significant cost effective control option offered by Hosokawa Micron is designed to reduce energy costs and wastage that includes not only automated control of lighting, temperature and start up procedures but also air flow control that maintains operator exposure levels depending on the activities undertaken. Continuous testing of the working zone environment allows increased or decreased air changes to be made to meet set OELs with the resultant energy savings.
Within such a package Hosokawa Micron can offer an optional PIR idle mode of operation. When no physical movement is detected inside the booth, by the PIR mounted in the front buffer zone, the booth will ramp down to around 15% of full capacity to effect a cost saving energy efficiency mode. Movement detection:power down times can be set to suit individual booth requirements.
PIR detection times
Similarly, Hosokawa Micron can offer an optional PIR '' hands free'' auto start mode of operation which powers up the systems on detection of movement in the booth front buffer zone. This means no physical contact with switches or controls is necessary with the advantage of minimizing possible contamination by contact transference.
'Our new downflow booth developments are designed to exceed market expectations for both operator safety and product integrity. Working closely with customers Hosokawa Micron engineers are able to help determine the exact downflow booth specifications required to meet customer requirements in the most cost effective and operationally flexible way.' says Carl Emsley.