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22 May 2018 Tablets & Capsules filter, a conveying line (piping or hose), and a collection bin or hopper. In operation, the vacuum producer gener- ates an airstream that draws the material into the piping and carries it from one plant location to another or between different processing machines, such as mixers and reactors, hammer mills, feeders, tablet presses, gelcap machines, and packaging equipment. When the material reaches its destination, it drops out of the airstream and collects in the bin or hopper. The high-efficiency filter separates any remaining airborne particles from the air- stream, preventing them from reaching the vacuum pro- ducer and escaping into the workspace. The system can transfer the material using either dilute-phase or dense-phase conveying depending on the application. In dilute-phase conveying, the material is entrained in the airstream and the air-to-material ratio is high. In dense-phase conveying, the material moves in slugs within the piping. Since the material moves slower in dense phase than in dilute phase, dense-phase convey- ing is an excellent choice for friable materials or powder blends. Because each application is unique, pneumatic convey- ing system manufacturers generally have test labs and fabrication capabilities and will customize each vacuum transfer system to the customer's needs using standard components. Benefits of vacuum transfer systems The benefits of vacuum transfer systems over manual material transfer include improved dust containment, ergonomics, segregation prevention, and throughput as well as reduced downtime, material spilling and mishan- dling, and environmental impact. Dust containment. Manual material dumping gener- ates fugitive dust, which can remain suspended in the air for days or weeks, endangering worker health, settling on equipment and surfaces, and posing cross-contamination risks and explosion hazards. A vacuum pneumatic con- veying system avoids these hazards by containing the dust and preventing it from escaping into the workspace. For highly hazardous materials, the system can include additional safety features, such as HEPA filtration, to ensure the safety of the exhaust airstream. Ergonomics. Using a vacuum conveying system to automatically load or refill feeders, hammer mills, mixers, reactors, screeners, or other processing equipment can also help eliminate potential ergonomic issues associated with manual material transfer, such as repetitive-motion injuries and falls. Depending on the level of automation, a company paying $250,000 per year in disability pay- ments for injuries related to manual material transfer might achieve almost instant return on investment by adding vacuum transfer equipment. Vacuum transfer equipment also makes it possible for a single worker to monitor an entire process, so companies can deploy workers more economically. Segregation prevention. Segregation—the separation of a material's particles by size, shape, density, or other characteristic—is a major concern in pharmaceutical into pharmaceutical manufacturing, which is typically a batch process, the FDA also changed the definition of "batch" in CFR Title 21 210.3(b)(2) to read: "Batch means a specific quantity of a drug or other material that is intended to have uniform character and quality, within specified limits, and is produced according to a single manufacturing order during the same cycle of manufacture." Under this definition, the term "batch" is no longer tied to the operating mode; a batch process can be con- tinuous or semi-continuous depending on the level of automation. While it's possible to completely automate a pharma- ceutical manufacturing process, this requires a costly sys- tem overhaul and extended production downtime. Vacuum transfer systems, on the other hand, easily inte- grate into existing processes; can be routed between floors, through partitions, and around machinery; and can be easily rerouted to accommodate process modifica- tions. These systems are cleaner, safer, more accurate, and more cost effective than manual material handling meth- ods but more practical and affordable than completely automated processes. Vacuum transfer system basics A basic vacuum transfer system consists of a vacuum producer (a vacuum pump or blower), a high-efficiency Photo 1: A vacuum conveying system increases throughput by automating traditionally manual processes while containing dust and preventing ergonomic issues associated with manual material transfer.