New pharmaceutical automation laboratory opens in Ireland, thanks to Intellution software

Tallaght, Ireland--Training control engineers and other skilled technicians for Ireland's burgeoning pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has taken a step forward with the government's opening of the first Pharmaceutical Technology Training Centre here at the Institute of Technology, just outside of Dublin. The centre is expected to produce over 200 highly skilled workers each year.

By Control Engineering Staff August 9, 2002

The pilot plant includes an industrial scale formulation system with chemical intake simulation, premixing tanks, a final mixing tank, pasteuriser, holding tanks and in-line instrumentation.

Tallaght, Ireland – Training control engineers and other skilled technicians for Ireland’s burgeoning pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has taken a step forward with the government’s opening of the first Pharmaceutical Technology Training Centre here at the Institute of Technology, just outside of Dublin. The centre is expected to produce over 200 highly skilled workers each year.

The euro 4m facility is divided into five main areas: a pharmaceutical pilot plant, technology transfer laboratory, analytical laboratories, bioprocess technology centre and an automation centre.

The pilot plant, which includes an industrial scale formulation system with chemical intake simulation, premixing tanks, a final mixing tank, pasteuriser, holding tanks and in-line instrumentation, is a fully integrated production facility with PLC, SCADA and batch management systems developed using Intellution’s iFix and iBatch software. Students have access to the control system through six work stations. The teaching facility also has an 18-seat computer laboratory designed to enable simulation of the production facility. Students will be able to use this centre to experience `the full process of managing a batch production and to create individual assignments.’

The complete system is integrated with CIP (clean in place) and SIP (steam in place) systems. Keeping the environment in mind, the plant is connected to a waste storage and management facility.

Control Engineering Daily News DeskMichael Babb, editor, Control Engineering Europe mbabb@reedbusiness.com