Precision and Accuracy are Paramount at Glatt
Major pharmaceutical companies where solid dosage processing is required for making powders or contents of pills, tablets, and capsules have a unique need for accuracy. Glatt Air Techniques Inc. sells its equipment to such pharmaceutical companies and makers of vitamins and nutraceuticals because they are the leaders in accuracy.
“Glatt products are bought by customers to be used for the processing of very high-value products. Accuracy is key.”
Glatt must build its pharmaceutical processing equipment for extreme precision because of the high dollar value of the powders that are processed in its equipment. During the buying stage, Glatt explored several technologies. Thermal measurement could not accommodate straight pipe run requirements. Space is a premium and installations are tight on the fluid bed towers (FBTs) that Glatt manufactures. Vortex flow measurement could not meet the pressure requirements and had limited line sizes, topping out at 12” or 16”. In terms of pressure rating of the transmitter, Air Monitor’s products could withstand a high-pressure event – a critical factor. Max pressure within the unit must be able to withstand 10-12 bar rated. Airflow management is critical for ensuring high quality distribution of any ingredients and the technology used in Air Monitor products met all their high demands. The Air Monitor products at work in Glatt’s equipment are the VELTRON-II transmitter and the LO-flo/SS pitot traverse probe airflow measurement system. With a dual-range transmitter like the VELTRON-II, Glatt can measure a 25:1 turndown and the pitot static grid technology was best suited for their needs.
“The way Air Monitor products are calibrated is probably the best in the industry for precision.”
Glatt‘s equipment can be as small as a 1 kilogram processing vessel (lab-sized equipment for R&D work) up to 1,000 kilograms for industrial-sized equipment. The smallest Air Monitor equipment Glatt requires is 4”. The largest is a 24”. Air Monitor’s wide size range allowed Glatt to have the most options and the engineering support they received from Air Monitor helped tailor their specific measurement needs to their high-value product line.
“Air Monitor’s products are highly engineered and extremely reliable. They have great service and support.”
Glatt measures airflow in two places in the process: the airflow into the fluid bed tower (FBT), which is the processing unit; and upstream measuring total airflow to the process. They have trusted Air Monitor measuring equipment at these key points because accuracy and function must be spot on and Air Monitor products have met that challenge consistently for over two decades.
