Glatt Protech – Pharmaceutical Equipment Installation

Project Scope – Pharmaceutical Equipment

To install new pharmaceutical equipment (a coater) within an existing coating suite in a Pharmaceutical facility including installing the ancillary equipment into the technical areas above the suite.

The previous coater was situated within an existing building with limited access through a GMP production area including Coating and Compression suites.  It was vital that production could not be disrupted.

The ancillary equipment, Deduster air handling equipment, also had to be positioned in the technical areas, again with minimal disruption to the production processes.

Solutions

After a detailed review with the customer and the machine supplier of the access points to the suite, it was decided to take the old coater out through the corridors system, with delivery of the new machine through the same route.

This meant that the work had to be completed over a bank holiday weekend to allow maximum access to the supply corridor where the new machine would have to be taken in on its side. Other routes would have resulted in major civil works to the building.

The ancillary plant was positioned by crane to a high level scaffold platform built at the access point to the technical area, then skated into position within the building.

A roof opening created by JWI specifically for the task allowed both the removal of the old De-Duster and positioning of the new directly into position.

The existing Coater was dismantled within the Coater room (which was isolated from the GMP facility for the duration of the installation) prior to the shut-down and extracted through the corridor as the first task on the shutdown weekend.

The new Coater was delivered in its normal orientation but was turned through 90 degrees to allow the Coater to pass along the corridors. Once in the Coater room the Coater was re-assembled and turn back to its correct orientation.

This project was undertaken by the JWI team in a town centre pharmaceutical plant working to a 24/7 shift schedule.  The convenient date (Easter bank holiday weekend) for the whole installation was also used by other disciplines to complete other necessary maintenance involving power shutdowns etc.

Result and Client Benefits

There were many different types of lift and time lines involved and the pre-planning with both the customer and the machine supplier was crucial to the success of the machine installation and placing.   The delivery of the machinery, supply of cranes etc on a bank holiday weekend and on time were the result of careful specific negotiations and preplanning which made this a successful operation.

Contact us if you are planning a major pharmaceutical equipment installation.