Umicore SA Argentina Turnkey Pharmaceutical Project
Umicore wanted a chemical synthesis isolator in Argentina. The oxygen level had to stay below 2% and the temperature within 48 degrees C. Fabtech Technologies Ltd delivered the project and finished the installation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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What Umicore asked for
Umicore asked Fabtech to carry out its chemical synthesis isolator project in Argentina.
An isolator is a sealed enclosure. Operators work through glove ports, so the material inside and the people outside stay apart.
Chemical synthesis means making a substance through chemical reactions.
The project had critical demands. The oxygen level had to be kept at less than 2%.
Normal air contains about 21% oxygen. The equipment also had to be kept and monitored below 48 degrees C.
At first, these demands seemed impossible to meet, and we knew that the work would be difficult. We decided to take the project.
In the end, Umicore chose Fabtech over a European company.
Key fact Detail
- Oxygen level inside
- Less than 2%
- Temperature limit
- 48 degrees C
- Continuous running
- 20 days, round the clock
- Dryer
- Vacuum tray dryer with triple layer safety
- Installation on site
- Two months, during the Covid-19 pandemic
How we prepared the isolator
The product was sensitive to heat.
So we prepared a vacuum tray dryer with triple layer safety for the heat source. A vacuum tray dryer dries material on heated trays under vacuum.
We kept and monitored the temperature within 48 degrees C.
The isolator had to work round the clock for 20 days. To prepare for this, we ran stress tests on all the equipment.
The tests showed what the system could do and where a failure was possible.
Our team was responsible for the key stages of the project and completed them on schedule:
- the concept
- the design
- ergonomic modelling, which checks that operators can reach and work comfortably
- manufacture
- the FAT (factory acceptance test), the test of the equipment at the factory before it is shipped
Fabtech supplies isolators for other process steps too. Read about our pharmaceutical isolators.
When Covid-19 stopped the installation
We were about to install the equipment in Argentina when something we had not planned for happened.
The Covid-19 pandemic began, and lockdowns started around the world almost at once. Our team had to leave the project incomplete and leave the country at short notice.
The project could not be completed on time.
How we finished the installation
We had to adapt to the changes that the pandemic brought, and to do our best with limited resources.
For the next few months, we called the Argentinian embassy many times. We explained how critical the project was, and we asked the embassy to let us complete it.
It took a while. We then received a technical visa and permission from the embassy to travel to Argentina and finish the installation.
For the next two months, our team worked on site. They installed all the utilities and the auxiliary equipment without a break, and they followed all Covid-19 protocols.
Auxiliary equipment is the supporting equipment around the main machine.
The project was completed successfully. The customer's feedback on the isolator was highly satisfactory.
For Fabtech, this was one of the most complex projects we have worked on, and one of the most rewarding.
Fabtech was responsible for this project from the concept to the installation on site. That is how a turnkey project works.
In a turnkey project, one company designs, supplies, installs and tests the plant under one contract. See turnkey pharmaceutical projects.
FAQ
What did Fabtech deliver for Umicore in Argentina?
A chemical synthesis isolator project. Our team was responsible for the concept, the design, ergonomic modelling, manufacture, the factory acceptance test and the installation on site. The project included a vacuum tray dryer with triple layer safety for the heat source.
What were the technical requirements of the isolator?
The oxygen level had to be kept at less than 2%. The temperature had to be kept and monitored within 48 degrees C. The isolator had to work round the clock for 20 days.
How was the equipment tested?
We ran stress tests on all the equipment. The tests showed what the system could do and where a failure was possible. We also carried out a factory acceptance test (FAT). This is the test of the equipment at the factory before it is shipped.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the project?
Our team had to leave Argentina before the installation was complete. Some months later, we received a technical visa and permission from the Argentinian embassy. The team returned and finished the installation in two months. They followed all Covid-19 protocols.
Does Fabtech supply other isolators?
Yes. Fabtech supplies isolators for other steps, such as sampling and dispensing, tablet compression and sterility testing. Tell us about your process, and we reply within 24 hours.
Tell us about the isolator project you plan
We reply within 24 hours.