Regulation is at the heart of the pharmaceutical industry — and these guidelines aren’t exclusively associated with research and development. Managing contamination is a huge concern for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and these sites are usually developed with an intense onus on safety. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of ceramic bearings supplier SMB Bearings investigates why this stringent approach doesn’t always translate into plant maintenance.
Medicines
Plant maintenance is no easy feat, particularly in complex facilities like that of pharmaceutical production. Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CCMS) are now being widely deployed to assist in the maintenance of these plants. These systems can gather, store and analyse condition monitoring data to help engineers intelligently devise a predictive maintenance plan.
Here’s an example of how a CCMS would work. Let’s say a vibration analysis tool is being used to monitor the performance of a bearing on an industrial mixer. Combining powder and granular materials, this machine is integral to the production of pharmaceutical products.