Pharmaceutical Container Heating Tunnel With Sterile Conveyor Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyors used in heating systems for pharmaceutical containers can introduce contaminants, reducing the effectiveness of sterilization and potentially nullifying the sterilization action on the containers.
Innovation Solution
A transport device with a transport branch and a return branch within the heating tunnel ensures continuous sterilization of the conveyor, preventing contamination transfer to pharmaceutical containers, and optimizing the sterilization and baking process by minimizing the need for additional sterilization steps and reducing system footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conveyor belt is used to transport containers through the heating tunnel, then productivity is improved, but contaminants may be transferred to the containers, worsening sterilization reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is merged with the heating tunnel by routing both the transport branch and return branch through the heated zone. This integration ensures the conveyor belt is continuously sterilized along with the containers, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining transport functionality and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The heating tunnel serves dual functions: it sterilizes the containers being transported and simultaneously sterilizes the conveyor belt itself. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the conveyor belt contamination-free without requiring separate sterilization systems, thus maintaining both productivity and sterilization reliability
2Reliability
If the conveyor belt is sterilized separately before use, then sterilization reliability is improved, but device complexity and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
Separate sterilization operations are merged into the main heating tunnel process. The conveyor belt undergoes sterilization in-situ within the same thermal field that processes the containers, eliminating the need for separate sterilization equipment and reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization of the conveyor belt is made continuous rather than periodic. By routing the return branch through the heating tunnel, the conveyor belt is continuously sterilized during operation, eliminating downtime and maintaining constant sterilization reliability without additional complex systems
3Device complexity
If the return branch is routed outside the heating tunnel, then device complexity is reduced, but the conveyor belt becomes contaminated, worsening sterilization reliability
Solution Approach 1:
Both the transport branch and return branch are merged into the heating tunnel pathway. This routing ensures the entire conveyor system remains within the sterilization zone, preventing contamination while maintaining relatively simple system architecture through efficient space utilization
4Reliability
If the conveyor belt is frequently sterilized, then sterilization reliability is improved, but productivity is reduced due to increased downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The sterilization process is transformed from a periodic interruptive operation to a continuous background process. The conveyor belt is sterilized continuously during operation through the heated tunnel, eliminating downtime and maintaining both high sterilization reliability and operational productivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the sterilization and baking process efficiency by maintaining conveyor sterility, reducing downtime, and minimizing space requirements, while allowing for faster and more precise handling of containers.
Implementation Method 1
Heat treatment operations comprise operations to heat containers for pharmaceutical use to relatively high temperatures, which are intended to sterilise, in particular depyrogenise, containers for pharmaceutical use
Implementation Method 2
The sterilisation action of the heating tunnel operates not only on the containers for pharmaceutical use but also on the conveyor and any other devices passing through the heating tunnel
Data Source
AI summary
A heating system for containers for pharmaceutical use includes a heating tunnel; an entry station to the heating tunnel; an exit station from the heating tunnel and a transport device for containers for pharmaceutical use having at least one transport branch defining a first transport path between the entry station and the exit station from the heating tunnel and at least one return branch defining a second transport path between the exit station and the entry station. The transport branch and the return branch of the transport device may pass through the heating tunnel.