ACS Valves
Rotary feeder introduces powders to pneumatic conveying systems
ACS Valves’s Aero-Flow series of rotary feeders is designed for pneumatic conveying of dense materials such as fine powders. The feeders use a proprietary, dual-induction endplate design that introduces pressurized air from both endplates into the rotor pockets carrying process material. The high bulk density material, when mixed with air, is more effectively released from the rotor pockets and is more efficiently introduced to the pneumatically conveyed material flow.

While single-induction designs have only one source of pressure-conveying air, the second air source in the dual-induction functionality is intended to improve aeration and flowability of products with sticky material characteristics. The feeder is designed to integrate with most pharmaceutical pneumatic conveying applications, and the dual-induction design’s applications are appropriate for applications in which the material’s characteristics make efficient material transfer challenging. The feeder is available with 304 and 316 stainless-steel cast housing for sanitary applications.

Sartorius Stedim Biotech and G-Con Manufacturing
Global collaboration offers integrated production process platforms

Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) and G-Con have agreed to a global collaboration to offer advanced and flexible production platforms for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The new product line will create an integrated production process platform by combining G-Con Manufacturing’s modular, mobile cleanroom “pods” and SSB’s single-use and reusable product portfolio. SSB has incorporated its products into unit operations for media/buffer preparation, seed fermentation, cell cultivation and harvesting, ultra-diafiltration, membrane chromatography, and viral clearance for biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

Maik Jornitz, SSB’s Senior Vice President of Marketing for Bioprocess Solutions, stated in a Jan. 18, 2012, release, “Our vision is to create standardized unit operations, implemented into the self-contained G-Con modules. These modules can be used as individual process units or joined to an entire process. The combined product portfolio will fundamentally change the way biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes will be designed and configured.”