Powder Mixer Solves Safety Hazard and Cuts Process Time

A pharmaceutical manufacturer making glucose media preparation solution was encountering ergonomic and safety issues on their process.

They needed to dissolve 2,856 kg of dextrose powder into 892 kg of water to create a glucose solution at 75% solids. To do so, they were initially using typical top-entry tanks and mixers. Since their mix tanks were all over 20 feet tall, operators had to work at the top of the tanks on a mezzanine.

A total of 42 barrels of dextrose needed to be dumped into a tank for each batch, daily, and every barrel had to be lifted up from the floor level onto the mezzanine by a forklift. Once on the mezzanine level, the operators used a barrel dumper to dip each one into the top of the tank. This created an unsafe work space where people or equipment could fall 20 feet to the floor. Additionally, lifting the 42 barrels onto the mezzanine via forklift added nearly three hours to the process, daily.

The processor had been using Fristam WFI Water for Injection pumps in their plant with long-term success and so turned to Fristam for a mixing solution. After discussing the issue, Fristam arranged a trial with their Powder Mixer model 10-52, with a full pharmaceutical certification package. With a Fristam representative and their distributor partners on-hand for the start-up, the Powder Mixer quickly mixed the 42 barrels of dextrose and output the glucose media preparation perfectly.

Additionally, the processor eliminated their safety issue as the inline mixing design of the Fristam Powder Mixer allowed them to relocate their powder dumping operation to the floor level, below the tanks. Operators now dump the barrels of dextrose into the Powder Mixer’s table-high funnel. The Powder Mixer then recirculates the solution from the tank as the operators continuously dump the dextrose barrels.

Because the Fristam Powder Mixer is able to pull solutions from the bottom of a tank and recirculate them back to the top, barrels no longer need to be lifted onto a mezzanine and operators work safely on the floor level. With the Fristam Powder Mixer, all the dextrose is added and mixed in about 30 minutes. The time savings from forklifting equates to about 12½ hours a week, and the safety improvement is priceless.