Swagelok Teams with Pall, L.J. Star on TS Sanitary Fittings

Synergy, an overused word, is sometimes the only way to describe what happens when top suppliers enter co-marketing agreements to enhance their respective products' appeal and utility. Sometimes product-product collaborations happen by chance, sometimes by design. Recognizing that pharmaceutical customers demand products that work well together, Swagelok Company (Solon, OH) has taken the initiative in announcing plans to share its TS sanitary fitting technology with two pharmaceutical equipment suppliers, Pall and L.J. Star.

The deal is simple: If quality products work well together they can probably be marketed and sold together. Swagelok's TS series are a good start because so much manufacturing equipment requires sanitary fittings.

A full range of Swagelok TS series sanitary ferrules and gaskets for new or retrofit system applications are available in sizes from 1/2 to 2 in. (13 to 52 mm). 316L stainless steel ferrules meet ASME BPE-1997 and 3-A requirements. Gasket materials, EPDM and PTFE, are FDA-compliant.

"Swagelok is offering use agreements for TS fitting technology in response to inquiries from pharmaceutical system and component makers who want to offer their products with integral TS fitting end connections," says Neil Gavin, Swagelok Biopharmaceutical market specialist. "Many components within a biopharmaceutical system can benefit from the easy-to-clean, low-holdup TS fitting connection."

For example, Swagelok's TS series sanitary fittings and Pall Advanta ALT series sanitary filter housings carry similar claims: dramatically reduced fluid holdup, better system draining, faster cleaning, and easier sterilization. Noting how well these products might work together, Swagelok and Pall embarked on a joint-marketing campaign in the United States through which customers can now request that Swagelok TS fittings be built into their Pall Advanta ALT series sanitary filter housings to further maximize system product recovery.

Both companies' products feature low hold-up volume. This is especially critical for producers of expensive biotech pharmaceuticals who want to sell every drop of product possible instead of losing it in their processing equipment.

"The Swagelok TS series sanitary fittings feature a boreline seal and a metal-to-metal stop that controls gasket compression and restricts ferrule movement under a variety of operating conditions, virtually eliminating fluid hold-up," Gavin said.

Like Swagelok's TS sanitary fittings, Pall's Advanta ALT filter housings deliver low holdup and high recovery.

"Pall Advanta ALT series sanitary filter housings have downward sloping internal surfaces and a low-point drain. This makes it easier for our customers to remove CIP solution, steam condensate, and product," said Joseph Bernsley, a US biopharmaceuticals market manager for Pall Corp. "By offering these [Swagelok TS series] fittings in combination with Pall [Advanta ALT series] sanitary filter housings, we are providing a valuable option to our customers to optimize their sanitary pharmaceutical, bioprocess, food and beverage liquid processes" he added.

Metaglas mechanically prestressed, 3A approved sanitary sight windows are used extensively in process applications.

Through another co-marketing deal, L.J. Star Inc. (Twinsburg, OH) now offers TS series sanitary fittings on its Metaglas mechanically pre-stressed sanitary-design sight windows. L.J. Star specializes in signt windows, which allow visual inspection of vessels, tanks, and other biopharmaceutical equipment. End-users install these products to inspect or observe the innards of process equipment, e.g. reactions, mixing, flow, level, color, and cleaning. Star also manufactures sight ports, in-line sight glasses, level gages, illumination sources, and cameras for hazardous and non-hazardous areas.

When tightened, conventional ISO 2852 sanitary fittings permit the gasket to extrude into the boreline of process piping systems, creating a barrier that holds up process fluids. Fluid holdup, inherent with ISO 2852 fittings, may require longer cleaning cycles, making sterilization and validation more difficult. Swagelok's TS series sanitary fittings reduce gasket extrusion and fluid holdup. During assembly, the metal-to-metal stop of the TS series sanitary ferrules prevents overtightening and controls gasket compression. This design keeps gasket extrusion and deformation under wraps through a variety of operating conditions including thermal cycling. As a result, systems drain better, clean faster, sterilize more easily, and improve yields.

For more information: Neil Gavin, BioPharm Market Specialist, Swagelok Co., 31400 Aurora Rd., Solon, OH 44139. Tel: 440-349-5934. Fax: 440-349-5843. Email: neil.gavin@swagelok.com.

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Angelo DePalma