INDUSTRY
Pharmaceutical industry
CUSTOMER
The customer’s plant is dedicated to the manufacture of pharmaceutical active substances, mainly intended for proprietary medicinal products, exporting to more than 15 countries.
BACKGROUND
AODD pumps are extensively used in this plant for many application and need to be equipped with FDA approved membranes, due to plant certification.
CHALLENGES FACED
The original membranes were not lasting as expected in the customer’s applications. Additionally, some pumps used for liquid transfer were regularly failing: when tanks or vessels emptied and the pump was working in dry running conditions inadvertently, the original membranes tore due to the high stresses found in these working conditions. These circumstances bothered the customer very much and he asked around if there was a solution that fulfilled all requirements (e.g. FDA) and that also lasted for a longer period without changing.
OPERATING CONDITIONS
1. Media: various (acids, solvents, active substances, ...)
2. Size: AODD pumps 1“, 1-1/2“ & 2“
3. Temperature: various, up to 130 °C
SOLUTION AND BENEFIT
GYLON ONE-UP® pump diaphragms were recommended to the customer and the contact to Garlock was made. Our customer agreed in testing FDA approved GYLON ONE-UP® pump diaphragms in their toughest applications instead of the original membranes.
After 12 months testing in several pumps, they decided to convert all their AODD pumps (over 80 units) to GYLON ONE-UP ® diaphragms due to their much longer lifetime in comparison with the original membranes. Our customer is very satisfied with this decision and keeps installing GYLON ONE-UP® membranes regularly.
