Alpine UPZ


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The Alpine UPZ Fine Impact Mills are truly flexible. Designed with ultimate versatility in mind, this one unit can accomplish a multitude of size reduction tasks. A wide variety of grinding inserts are available through the entire line of mills. The mill is also offered with a counter-rotating (Contraplex) set of pins for added shear for difficult to mill products. The Pharma version of this work horse has been designed specifically for cGMP compliance from the ground up. Size reduction of soft to medium soft material can be accomplished at rates from 3 to 700 Kg/hr depending on feed material and final size requirements.

Alpine UPZ fine impact mills can also be integrated into Stott isolators. This arrangement provides a completely integrated system capable of containment levels as low as 1 microgram/cubic meter.

The pharma-grade UPZ mills, with a wide range of configurations available can meet most size reduction tasks. These units feature:

Features of the Pharma-Grade Alpine UPZ Fine Impact Mill

  • Monoblock design, which eliminates dead areas
  • EZ clean design
  • Smaller units can be dismantled and autoclaved
  • Full CIP/SIP systems
  • Cryo and inerted systems
  • 10 Bar design standard
  • Fully adjustable speed
  • Lubricated for life bearings
  • Interchangeable grinding tools

Simple Operation:
Operation of the mill is simple. Material is introduced to the mill via feed device such as a rotary air lock or volumetric/gravimetric feeder through the mill's inlet. The inlet directs the material to the grinding chambers center. The grinding toll rotates at high speed, creating centrifugal force that will accelerate the pharm-powder outwards. The particles outward flow hurls them at high speed against the pins or other grinding media where the impact will cause the particles to fracture. See figure 1.

Discharge:
While getting material into the mill is important, recovery of the milled material is key. The pharma-UPZ offers various configurations to conform to your existing plant equipment or if this is a new installation, we can provide the most economical designs. We offer tangential, suction tank, gravity and others. Figure 2 shows a simple gravity discharge system.

Cryogenic:
Certain compounds such as steroids or soft/sticky/ fatty or heat sensitive materials pose their own particular problems when size reduction is required. Embrittlement of the material is such that at room temperature it will smear or is too soft for impact reduction to take place. Also some materials are heat sensitive and will lose the required characteristics needed for the formulation to take place. Therefore, we offer cryo and chilled air systems to accomplish this task. By injection of chilled air or a cryogenic liquid (Nitrogen) the material can be brought below its embrittlement point to allow for easy milling or keep the material from getting too warm, thus degrading the potency of the product.

We offer a full range of processing options. As a custom builder of pharmaceutical processing equipment, we can provide full turnkey systems. With full Validation services available, Hosokawa is a true single source supply for pharmaceutical size reduction equipment and service.

Aseptic and Isolation:
Many of today's compounds can be toxic to the operator given exposure in sufficient amounts. Exposure to the process may also degrade the material. It is not uncommon in the pharmaceutical industry to isolate the process from the operator or provide an inert atmosphere for manufacturing. The Alpine UPZ is adapted to be placed inside containment booths. Through our sister companies, Hosokawa Stott & Hosokawa Vitalair, we can offer full integration in this area. This allows for a custom built system from a single source. We carefully research your project requirements fully analyzing each of the process steps. We work with you to develop a plan of operation so that the operator is comfortable with all the necessary steps in working with the isolation system. We then construct a full scale model and physically test the operation, check dimensions, develop SOP's and consult with the end user. Once all parties are satisfied as to operation and integration, it is then we start the manufacturing process.