ANFD / Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer Part 2
Today’s blog post is the second post in a series of two posts about ANFDs. i.e. Agitated Nutsche Filter Dryer. Please refer to Post 1 for background information about an ANFD
Based on past discussions with our customers, some of the selection of a good ANFD runs around the following aspects:
Closed System: ANFDs operate under a closed environment, which is essential for handling hazardous or toxic substances, minimizing operator exposure, and preventing contamination. We have some customers using ANFDs for GMP steps of an anti-cancer drug where potencies are very strong and hence operator exposure must be minimized to even mg quantity of product. Other operations can involve solvents and the risk of fires etc.
Ease of Cleaning and Validation: ANFDs can be designed with CIP (Clean-In-Place) and SIP (Sterilize-In-Place) capabilities. Such ANFDs are easier to clean and validate between batches or product changes. This feature is particularly beneficial in pharmaceutical applications where compliance with strict hygiene and quality standards is critical. Many of our sales at Amar are to US-FDA-approved sites that operate under strict GMP conditions.
Scalability: Choose a vendor that can offer ANFDs at a wide range of catalogue sizes. The goal is to reach full-scale production by facilitating scale-up processes with predictable results.
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There is nothing more frustrating than being forced to switch vendors in the midst of the scale-up program and the new vendor incapable of handling the lab scale choices made. (Photo below shows a large scale production ANFD. Image credit Charles Thompson Ltd & The Handbook of Crystallization by Nagy)
Agitation Mechanism: All our ANFDs are equipped with an agitator that performs smoothing, mixing, and reslurrying of the cake, ensuring uniform washing and drying. An ideal agitator needs to be robust and have minimum maintenance needs. The agitator can also have mechanisms that allow it to be lowered and raised. Agitators also play a crucial role in smoothing the filter cake and compacting it before drying.
High Efficiency: Often the choice of an ANFD model is driven by product specs. In the pharma and fine chemicals sectors, many customers have a product spec which is very low in moisture content. They want an ANFD capable of achieving very low moisture content in the final product, thanks to its effective drying capabilities.
Versatility: The modern multipurpose plant changes campaigns often. No chemist wants to go through the hassle of a new budget approval just because a product changed and the existing ANFD is incompatible with new conditions. Hence, choose an ANFD that is adaptable to various types of products and processes, with customizable options for agitation, heating, and vacuum systems. One element of this is proper MOC selection. Although most users prefer SS316 be open to other options such as Hastealloy or Glass Lining.
This list should serve as a checklist to our customers about whether they have considered all the important aspects before choosing the right Nutsche filter. The Table below (from the same reference above) allows a comparison of the wide range of capabilities of ANFDs specific to the GMP Pharma industry
We hope this set of two blog posts on ANFDs was useful to our readers. Meanwhile, talk to us at Amar for your next requirements for ANFDs [email protected].