Case study: pumps drive drug production

Polish pharmaceuticals manufacturer Polpharma has been supplying medicines and in-patient care for more than 80 years.

The company specialises in pharmaceutical preparations used in cardiology, gastroenterology and neurology, and is considered one of the major generics drug manufacturers with a portfolio of roughly 600 products.

Polpharma currently employs over 7,500 staff – many of whom work throughout its seven manufacturing plants in Poland, Russia and Kazakhstan. The company also operates seven research and development facilities.

To increase production capacity at its manufacturing plant in Starogard Gdański, Poland, Polpharma called on the services of peristaltic pump and fluid flow components manufacturer Watson- Marlow Fluid Technology Group (Watson-Marlow).

Central to the upgrade, Polpharma opted for a Watson-Marlow 620 series process pump to transfer liquids between tanks.

The decision to purchase another Watson-Marlow pump was dictated by a rational plan to increase the productivity of the plant

Damian Szymanowicz, Polpharma engineer

The purchase followed five years of operation using a Watson-Marlow 600 series pump.

The upgrade has effectively doubled the productivity at the plant, Polpharma says.

“The decision to purchase another Watson-Marlow pump was dictated by a rational plan to increase the productivity of the plant,” says Polpharma engineer Damian Szymanowicz.

Seamless integration

The 620 pumps are designed with powerful brushless motors, while their pumphead configuration allows for gentle and virtually pulsation-free operation, Watson-Marlow says.

Polpharma’s use of the 620 series process pumps is coupled with Pumpsil platinumcured silicone tubing – which is designed to avoid contamination between batches.

Engineered specifically for postirradiation dispensing stability and manufactured in ISO 14644-1 Class 7 cleanroom conditions under tight tolerances, Pumpsil is also post-cured for lowest extractables and features laseretched lot data.

Szymanowicz says the pumps work seamlessly with the rest of the instrumentation located at the plant.

“We have seen for ourselves that the high quality of the pump reduces the cost of upgrades and guarantees a long working life. The pumps have certainly improved our performance and allowed for further development of the company’s manufacturing ability,” he says.

Sterile service

According to Watson-Marlow, its 620 series process pumps are ideal for working in sterile conditions.

Rafal Łydziński, a representative of Watson-Marlow Poland, says pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries require sterility and precision in order to ensure the highest quality of the final product.

“The separation of liquids and precise flow control are crucial,” Łydziński says.

“Many years of co-operation with drugs manufacturers has been for us an expression of mutual trust and effective understanding of customer needs,” he adds.