Laxmi development line moves to commercial production after successful trial with Hydra-Cell flow chemistry pumps

A market leader in the manufacturing of speciality chemicals has successfully completed a development trial with three Wanner Hydra-Cell flow chemistry pumps to manufacture intermediaries for a number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

The pilot plant will now be upscaled to full production at the company’s Mahad operation in India. Delivering an extremely low pulse flow, the Hydra-Cell pumps will be dosing solvents at a rate of 80-100 litres per hour into the continuous flow reactors at a discharge pressure of 15 bar.

This is important in maximising the efficiency of the process, as it ensures that the concentrations of the various reactants are maintained at an optimum level for consistent manufacture.

Hydra-Cell pumps have a number of advantages, such as being leak-free, which is especially important when handling highly hazardous chemicals. The Hydra-Cell pumps also benefit from an advanced mechanical and hydraulic design, with little ancillary equipment required, and high accuracy over a wide flow range.

Wanner’s commitment to research and development, and its strong protection of this IP, has enabled it to evolve its capability and make it ideal for this application. This has wider implications for the whole pharmaceutical industry.

As the pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical industries move from batch to continuous production processing gathers momentum, Hydra-Cell’s unique technology offers the industry a trusted mechanism for cost-efficiency, consistency and scalability. The technology team of Laxmi Organic Industries believes,

“Manufacturing excellence runs through the DNA of Laxmi and we are constantly looking at ways to improve effectiveness of our production facilities.”

“The Wanner pumps have been very successful in delivering what is needed – in a safe environment, day in, day out. As manufacturing chemicals for life sciences demands large scale operations, we are now moving this line into full production.”

Critical for Flow Chemistry and HPLC applications, the Hydra-Cell pumps exceed API 675 performance standards and boast extremely low pulse flow.

This eliminates the need for pulsation dampeners, eliminates pipe strain due to pulsation, delivering an accurate and smooth flow for flow chemistry dosing applications over a large adjustable range of flow rates.

Paul Davis, Wanner International’s Managing Director commented: “The production of modern drugs is a highly complex process, and we want to help customers with their challenges with a process pump that is safe, accurate and reliable in handling difficult and different liquids.”

“We are all faced with changes driven from the need for sustainability and conserving the environment, which forces technology change in equipment design and different use of materials and processes.

“It is a fantastic achievement that Laxmi Organic Industries is improving these processes so quickly, and we are pleased that our pumps have been able to play their part in maximising production output and efficiency.”

Wanner designs and manufactures Hydra-Cell sealless and packing-free, flow-chemistry, HPLC, transfer, injection, and dosing pumps, helping customers around the world improve their processes by running safe, reliable, and efficient pumping processes whilst lowering energy consumption, servicing and maintenance costs – lowering the total cost of ownership for a more sustainable future.

Monitor Pumps and Systems, +27 (0) 11 618 3860, sales1@monitorpumps.co.za, www.monitorpumps.co.za