Sisto-CM1300 is an automated multi-port valve developed by Luxembourg-based Sisto Armaturen S.A., part of the KSB, for a multinationally operating French pharmaceutical company. The valve is used in the production of immunosuppressive drugs.
Pharmaceutical production plants not only handle the actual active ingredients but also the most diverse of fluids for the required cleaning and sterilisation processes (CIP, SIP). To monitor the precise flow of the different fluids through the systems and switch between the different process steps, operators commonly use transfer panels in their production systems these days. The panels provide a variable connection between the different processes.
Switching to a different fluid is often still a complex manual process. It has to meet the requirements on fluid purity as well as ensure the safety of operating personnel and reliability of the production process. Such a switching process is time-consuming and – like all manual operations – comes with the risk of errors, which could potentially lead to contamination of the fluid.
The transfer panel design also poses challenges in ensuring the tight shut-off of individual branch pipes. Shutting branches off one hundred percent is time-consuming and requires shut-off tightness to be re-checked prior to starting a CIP process.
To overcome the risks linked with these manual operations Sisto Armaturen S.A. has developed an automatic valve, i.e. a compact, flow-optimised multi-way block diaphragm valve. Fitted with pneumatic actuators and electronic actual-position feedback units, it automates and optimises the pharmaceutical production processes, making them smoother, faster and safer as well as more cost-efficient.
The newly developed multi-port valve offers the benefit of precisely supplying each individual pipe in the system, doing away with the need to have connections changed manually by operating personnel. It also does not interrupt any sub-processes. Thorough flushing and cleaning of pipes and components is much easier in this way. This prevents fluid contamination and results in a higher quality of the end product.
Downtimes can be minimised by using the automated multi-port valve. It also clearly reduces the risk for employees during the production process and maintenance work.
Source: KSB
