Bosch to Present New Freeze Dryer at Achema 2018

Bosch Packaging Technology will present its newly developed freeze dryer at Achema 2018. The lyophilization system can be used to stabilize thermolabile and delicate active ingredients, such as oncological medications, vaccines, or antibodies. The system was developed at the company’s Austrian subsidiary Schoeller-Bleckmann Medizintechnik (SBM) and expands its portfolio for pharmaceutical liquids.

The system’s modular design makes the GMP-compliant freeze dryer suitable for the production of small batches for clinical trials as well as for medium and large production batches. The freeze dryer also offers the benefits of reliable stabilization of pharmaceuticals, optimum shelf design, and high flexibility.

Optimum shelf design

“During the development of the system, we attached particular importance to optimum space design to make processing and cleaning times as effective as possible. At the same time, energy efficiency was also a high priority,” Annabel Madero, product manager at SBM, said in a company press release. As a result, the shelves of the freeze dryer were produced using laser welding technology, which ensures a 100% controlled, automated, and reproducible manufacturing process, the company reports. This, in turn, is essential for consistent and reliable product quality.

In addition, the weight of the shelves has been significantly reduced compared to alternative production processes by using thinner sheets. Because of the weight reduction, less mass has to be cooled and heated, which has a positive effect on energy consumption.

Another advantage of the system is the homogenous temperature distribution in the shelves. The internal channeling and flow velocity were optimized on the developed test bed to ensure consistent heat exchange. “This means that all containers in the freeze dryer are exposed to the same temperature. This offers customers optimal cycles with consistent product quality,” said Madero.

The tilting shelves ensure rapid cleaning by enabling water droplets to quickly drain from the surface, shortening the cleaning and drying time. The tilt angle also improves the performance of the clean-in-place nozzles, reducing water consumption, the company reports.

High flexibility

The new freeze dryer is designed for use with different container sizes and formats. “The distance between the shelves can be varied. Thanks to our patented Double Shelf Interdistance technology, customers are able to switch between single or double shelf spacing to avoid wasting space. This means that the space in the freeze dryer is always optimally used-whether tall or small vessels are employed,” Madero said in the press release.

To respond quickly to individual layout requirements, the various components, such as the vacuum unit and the cooling system, have been divided into modules. “Due to the modular system, the freeze dryer can be adapted to fit the available space and customer requirements,” Madero said.

The freeze dryer was developed based on the user-experience approach, taking know-how gained from customer projects and discussions with equipment producers and pharmaceutical manufacturers into account. The matching interfaces ensure rapid and seamless connection to the upstream filling machine with isolator technology, the downstream capping machine, inspection system, and secondary packaging station.

“Customers benefit from smooth processes with significantly reduced risk of downtimes,” Madero said. “What’s more, standardized control and documentation, as well as rapid validation shorten time-to-market.” Bosch’s global service network also offers quick support with maintenance and process optimization worldwide.

Achema 2018 runs from June 11–15 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Source: Bosch Packaging Technology, Hall 3.1, Booth C71