CHRIST Production Freeze Dryers, customized Project Engineering

Figure 1: Production facility for production type freeze dryers

Many years of experience and know-how in the production of freeze dryers means we can offer individual application driven solutions to customers demands. We are able to offer variations and flexibility in mechanical and electronical design (plant layout, sterilization methods like SIP and H2O2, vacuum-, refrigeration- and control systems, CIP, ice condenser capacity, shelf area) to meet customers´ specification.

All units from Christ fulfil highest standards on materials used and functional safety and ca be extended for future operations. Modern control electronics simplify user operation and allow the storage of programs, so that processes can be reproduced. The units comply to international regulations such as GMP, FDA, GAMP, PIC.

CHRIST pride themselves on offering full customer support from engineering, installation, start-up and training to a competent service for the entire operation period of the freeze dryer.

Typical production-scale freeze dryers will be produced with ice condenser capacities from 20 to more than 800 kg. Depending on type of the material or individual process requirements single- or double-chamber systems can be provided.

Single-chamber-system

Figure 2.: Principle of the single-chamber-system

CHRIST single-chamber-systems offer a high drying capacity at low investment- and energy costs. They guarantee a reliable and economic operation for years. With large shelves, variable shelf distances and a high ice condenser capacity the units fulfil various customer requirements.

Advantages of the CHRIST single-chamber-system

• Simple and user friendly operation
• High efficiency and short drying periods due to the construction of the ice condenser beside the shelves
• Ice layer control during the drying process and defrosting phase (approx. 20 to 30 minutes)
• Simple cleaning of drying chamber and ice condenser
• Low maintenance costs and operation expenses
• Low space requirements, easy transportation and installation of the unit
• Electro-hydraulic sealing device and variable distances between the shelves on request
  
  

Five standard types with shelf areas between 1.76 and 18 m2 and ice condeser capacities from 20 to 180 kg can be chosen.

	Figure 3: EPSILON 2- 90 with sealing device,8 shelves width=600 x depth=1350 mm, used for e.g. bulk-drying of nutritional supplement (Lactobacillus) or vial-drying of diagnostic products, equipped with remote-PC
Figure 4: EPSILON 2- 90/90 with 2 product chambers an a total capacity of 180 kg ice, 2 x 14 shelves, in total 22,6 m2 for drying of e. g. lactobacillus
	Figure 5: Additional inner door for loading of the product dishes under inertgas with a filling lance

Double-chamber-system

Figure 6.: Principle of the double-chamber-system

In the design developed by CHRIST, the ice condenser is placed directly below the drying chamber. Through the large opening ideal cross section are created for the dissipation of the water vapour.

A high pressure difference between drying and ice condenser chamber can only be avoided if sufficient cross-sections are available during drying to cope with enormous vapour quantities. With this in place the efficiency and economic operation of the unit is greatly increased. Temperature-sensitive materials can be dried safely with this optimized design.

Advantages of the CHRIST double-chamber-system:

• Ice condenser control and access through the chamber door
• Simple cleaning of drying and ice ice condenser chamber
• Minimization of sealings to facilitate service and maintenance works
• Large cross-section between drying chamber and the ice condenser chamber, water vapour dissipation to the ice condenser is optimized
• Short distances for the water vapour, therefore high efficiency and economic operation of the unit
• Reduced pressure difference between ice condenser and drying chamber, therefore sensitive as well as low eutectic substances can be dried
• Full automatic sterilzation process (SIP) with 121°C or 134°C including cooling and vacuum test, filter integrity test
• Clean-In-Place (CIP) available as on option
• Flexible measurement and control system

A comprehensive range of double-chamber-systems is available, starting with 12 kg ice condenser capacity up to more than 500 kg and shelf areas from 0.63 m2 to > 40 m2.

Figure 7: The compact mounting of all components on a skid (if the room dimensions on site allows that) simplifies the installation on site and reduces the SAT effort	Figure 8: View into the ice condenser chamber of the freeze dryer with redundant cooling system and CIP tubing
Figure 9 and 10: EPSILON 2-220 D with 18 m2 shelf surface and lateral arranged ice condenser. The large dimensions of the intermediate valve provide a fast freeze drying process and a good opportunity for inspections of the condenser

	Figure 11: Production freeze dryer with hydraulic sealing device. left side: EPSILON 2.220 DS with 14,4 m2 shelf surface. hydraulic cylinder from the bottom right side: EPSILON 2-400 DS with 29,8 m2 shelf surface, hydraulic cylinder on the top
Figure 12: Freeze dryer with slot door ("Pizza-door"), sealing of vials/shelf movement from top, thus a constant loading level of the shelves is realised
Figure 13 and 14: Professional loading of a production type freeze dryer with an ice condenser capacity of 500 kg and 40 m2 self surface

Control cabinet:

	Figure 15: Control cabinet of a production freeze dryer with Siemens S7 PLC, industrial PC an 32-channel-printer (during mounting phase)
Figure 16 and 17: Christ-Software LPC 32 Win ("Lyophilization Process Control")

Examples for customer specific plant construction:

	Figure 18: Freeze dryer EPSILON 2-45DS: steam-sterilizable double-chamber-system with 45 kg ice condenser capacity. Special features: LN2-cooling for ice condenser and shelf temperature control.
Figure 19: Freeze dryer EPSILON 2-400 DS: steam-sterilisable double-chamber unit with 400 kg ice condenser capacity, total shelf area approx 35 m2, with separate machine frame
	Figure 20: 1 m2-pilot freeze dryer with sliding door for instaltion of a laminar flow above the door, and removable manifold with rubber valves installed at the transparent door
Figure 21 and 22: Steam sterilizable freeze dryer with 2 m2 shelf area for clinical samples with sliding door and device for removal of vials during the process
Figure 23 and 24: EPSILON 2- 45 DS with CIP-tank an CIP-pump (contains cleaning medium for clean in place), the CIP-process is fully integrated in the control system
	Figure 25: Production freeze dryer (capacity 60 kg) with water chiller
Figure 26: steam generator installed on the frame of a sterilizable freeze dryer
	Figure 27: Special noise reduction