Zhejiang Hangzhou Lactose Pharmaceutical Powder Closed Conveying Case

Case Overview

A pharmaceutical company based in Zhejiang Hangzhou required a closed conveying system for lactose powder used in tablet and capsule production. The existing open transfer method led to significant dust generation, material loss, and contamination risks, compromising both product quality and workplace safety. Our company was engaged to design and implement a fully enclosed pneumatic conveying solution tailored to the specific handling characteristics of lactose powder.

Customer Challenges

The customer faced several critical issues with their conventional lactose powder transfer process. First, the open system caused airborne dust, which not only violated GMP cleanliness standards but also posed respiratory hazards to operators. Second, frequent product cross-contamination occurred due to residual powder in shared equipment, leading to batch rejections and costly reworks. Third, material loss during manual handling reduced yield and increased operational costs. Finally, the existing system lacked traceability and automation, making it difficult to maintain consistent production records.

Our Solution

To address these pain points, we provided a custom-engineered closed pneumatic conveying system. The solution utilized a vacuum-based transfer mechanism with sealed pipelines, ensuring zero dust emission and full containment of lactose powder throughout the process. All components were constructed from 316L stainless steel with a surface finish of Ra ≤ 0.8 μm, meeting pharmaceutical industry standards for cleanability and corrosion resistance. An integrated CIP (Clean-in-Place) system was incorporated to enable rapid cleaning between batches, eliminating cross-contamination risks. The system was also equipped with real-time monitoring sensors and an automated control interface, allowing operators to track material flow, pressure, and filter status from a central HMI panel. This upgrade not only improved product purity and operator safety but also enhanced overall production efficiency by reducing manual intervention and material waste.