Pharmaceutical industry

Learn more about the importance of air treatment for the pharmaceutical industry.

Air treatment for the pharmaceutical industry

The pharmaceutical sector is among the most highly regulated industries. For good reason. The products manufactured in pharmaceutical plants can ease suffering and save lives. To do so, however, their production must meet stringent quality standards. And that begins with very clean compressed air. Pneumatech offers a complete range of solutions to achieve the compressed air quality standards pharmaceutical companies must meet.

The use of compressed air in the pharmaceutical industry

Compressed air plays a crucial role in virtually every phase of the production of pharmaceuticals. Just consider the laboratories in which they are developed, the extruders and bottling plants, tablet presses and packaging machines. Compressed air really can be found everywhere in the production process.

In many applications, such as mixing and granulation, drying, pressing, coating and packaging, this compressed air comes into direct contact with the pharmaceuticals. When that happens, the air has to meet certain quality standards, or you risk contaminating your pharmaceuticals.

The importance of quality air in pharmaceutical production

All untreated compressed air contains contaminants, which can be divided into 3 categories: moisture, particles, and traces of oil. It would be disastrous for this untreated air to get in direct contact with pharmaceutical products.

That is why the treatment of the air is a top priority – not only to protect your products but also your equipment.

Fortunately, different technologies are available to ensure that the air meets the stringent air quality requirements of the pharmaceutical industry:

Particles: Filters
Water/moisture: After coolers, dryers, water separator, drains, filters
Oil: Filters & carbon towers or using an oil-free, Class 0 compressor

The compressed air quality standard

ISO 8573-1:2010 is the international standard that categorizes compressed air quality. Pharmaceutical processes typically require class 1.2.1 or 1.3.1.

Purity class	Solid particles			Water		Total oil
	Number of particles per m³			Pressure dewpoint		Concentration
	0.1 < d ≤ 0.5 μm**	0.5 < d ≤ 1.0 μm**	1.0 < d ≤ 5.0 μm**	°C	°F	mg/m³
0	As specified by the equipment user or supplier and more stringent than Class 1.
1	≤ 20000	≤ 400	≤ 10	≤ -70	≤ -94	≤ 0.01
2	≤ 400000	≤ 6000	≤ 100	≤ -40	≤ -40	≤ 0.1
3	-	≤ 90000	≤ 1000	≤ -20	≤ -4	≤ 1
4	-	-	≤ 10000	≤ 3	≤ 37.4	≤ 5
5	-	-	≤ 100000	≤ 7	≤ 44.6	-
6	≤ 5 mg/m³			≤ 10	≤ 50	-

Germ-free/sterile air: other compressed air quality standards pharmaceutical must meet

ISO 8573-1 does not define values for germs/micro-organisms. However, germ-free compressed air is extremely important for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. That's because germs and micro-organisms can compromise products and endanger the health of the consumer. It is therefore important to remove them from compressed air using specialized technologies such as sterile filters.

The dryer that meets pharmaceutical production needs

The PB 760-7400 HE offers a low pressure dew point (PDP) of -40°C/-40°F as standard (and -70°C/-94°F as an option). It comes in 3 high-efficiency models: a blower purge version and two zero purge variants.

Meeting the compressed air quality standards pharmaceutical companies must comply with requires the right dryer. The Pneumatech PB is that adsorption dryer:

Quality air: Get high-purity compressed air with a stable pressure dew point to achieve ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1, 2 & 3 at 100% load conditions.
Lower costs: Thanks to its best-in-class efficiency, the PB range keeps your energy costs as low as possible.
Superior reliability: No pharmaceutical company can afford production downtime. Thanks to the PB’s quality components and durable design, you enjoy industry-leading reliability.
Advanced control and monitoring: Our advanced Purelogic^TM Touch is included as standard to allow you to optimize efficiency and reliability.

A wide range of filters

Pneumatech has a full range of filters to make sure your compressed air meets all particle, oil and moisture content quality requirements. Our portfolio includes oil coalescing, particulate and oil vapor filters, as well breathing air, silicone-free, sterile and process filtration.

Meet all your air treatment needs from a single source

As the leader in compressed air quality, Pneumatech offers a complete range of air treatment equipment. This includes all types of dryers, filters, drains and (oil-)water separators. That means you can get top-quality, fully compatible air solutions from one single source.

Expert advice and support

Need help with the compressed air quality standards pharmaceutical companies like yours must meet? Contact us today. Our experts are ready to provide you with the right information, support, and solutions.

Compressed Air Dryers

If you've worked with an air compressor, you've likely noticed the air is saturated with moisture. This is because water, in contrast to air, is incompressible. The amount of moisture per volume unit increases when air is compressed, creating condensation. Our compressed air dryers are vital for removing this moisture, which can cause corrosion, quality issues, and microorganisms in your air system.

Adsorption Dryers

Adsorption or desiccant dryers remove moisture from air or gas streams by passing them through a porous material called a desiccant, ensuring dry and moisture-free conditions.

Membrane Dryers

Using a process called “selective permeation,” membrane dryers can help remove that moisture to ensure the required air quality standards are met.

Refrigeration Dryers

Refrigeration dryers are the most commonly used dryers for removing moisture from compressed air. They therefore play an important role in shielding compressed air systems from corrosion and protecting your equipment and end products alike.

Compressed Air Filters

Compressed air can contain a wide range of contaminants, from oil droplets to sand and dust particles. However small, these particles can cause downstream equipment malfunctions, product contamination, and other quality issues. Depending on your application, you may need compressed air filters to prevent air system quality, reliability, and efficiency problems. Pneumatech offers various types of compressed air filters to remove any type of contaminant.

VT 1-9 Carbon Towers

High efficiency filtration product designed to meet the most demanding industry applications

VT 11-15 Carbon Towers

High efficiency filtration product designed to meet the most demanding industry applications

FF Flanged Air Filters

A filtration solution for high pressure and high flow compressed air applications

HP High Pressure Air Filters

Pneumatech offers high pressure filters for any high pressure compressed air system.

Ultimate Filters

Protects downstream equipment from contaminants found in compressed air

SLF Silicone Free Filters

Protects from substances that could cause defects in spray paint applications

FP Process Filters

For pure compressed air in process industry applications

CDF Mechanical Float Drains

Pneumatech’s CDF mechanical float drain discharges the condensate automatically and without compressed air losses up to 10 bar.

CDT Timer Drains

Pneumatech’s CDT condensate drains discharge the condensate automatically, based on pre-set time intervals. The opening and closing times can be set with high flexibility, which make the drains suitable for almost all capacities.

CDE 5-350 Electronic Zero Loss Drain

The top quality drain that removes moisture from your compressed air system with maximum reliability and efficiency.

ECOBOX Oil Water Separator

The Pneumatech ECOBOX offers a compressor condensate cleaning solution with excellent performance for compressed air systems up to 60 cfm. It is designed to remove the oil traces from compressor condensate via adsorption.

OWS 25-5300 Oil Water Separators

Condensate management has always been a mandatory part of operating oil-lubricated compressors. With the OWS 25-5300 oil-water separator, Pneumatech makes it effortless and effective with innovative dual-stage filtration technology that saves costs and the environment