Single-Use Filling

April 7, 2012

At Holland, we keep seeing more and more processes moving from traditional stainless steel applications to single-use

Single Use Filling Manifold

processes.  One of the most recent we’ve been tackling is biopharm filling operations. Customers have been expressing a strong desire in moving to a one-time use, pre-sterilized and complete filling manifold.  There are two ways (predominantly) our customers have been using this technology: 1) mating up single-use fill manifolds to existing fillers and 2) using these disposable assemblies and driving them via peristaltic pump.

For traditional fillers (Optima, Inova, Cozzoli, etc.) – we can take the last wetted part of the filler (tube through needle) and convert everything into a single-use assembly (gamma irradiated or autoclavable).  Your operators can open up the double bag and have a fill manifold ready to go.  Our customers have been very straightforward about the amount of time this operation has saved them on the front end (reduced labor, reduced validation, reduced downtime, etc.) as well as after completing their fill run (no cleaning/cleaning validation, less time to breakdown, etc.).  In some instances, we’ve been able to increase the productivity of a fill line up to 20%.  That kind of efficiency speaks right to the top and bottom line.

Peristaltic pumps completely subvert the manufacturing/cleaning hurdle of a wetted, stainless fluid path.  Our end users are working with smaller batches and taking cleaning completely out of the equation.  Now, there is no need to clean the traditional filler.  Every part of the fluid path is single-use and ready to go.  Once the single-use fill manifold is placed into the peristaltic pump – it’s just a matter of running the machine, finishing your fill and starting over with a fresh batch.

We have a long history of resolving our customers’ engineering issues at Holland.  It is the backbone of our business and the reason why we have been servicing the biopharm industry for over 50 years.  Please call us today at 800-800-6464 to get your technological questions answered.