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Biopharmaceutical Industry Utilizes Industrial Generators


Biopharmaceutical Industry

This industry produces pharmaceutical drugs manufactured or semi-synthesized from biological sources. To be considered a biopharmaceutical, the drug cannot be completely synthesized. 

Research Lab

Biologics can be composed of sugars, proteins, nucleic acids or combinations of these components. Biopharmaceuticals are used for human and animal consumption. Many companies manufacturer drugs for both human and animal use. This industry can be divided into two divisions:
 
  • Research and Design (R&D)
  • Production
This article provides basic information for the two divisions of the biopharmaceutical industry and the need for emergency power.
 

Biopharmacy 

Biopharmacy can be considered the R&D division of the biopharmaceutical industry, with the term appearing in the 1960s. It is the scientific discipline of pharmacy. It engages in studying the influence of physical and physiochemical properties of drugs and how they interface with humans or animals.
 
The main goal of biopharmacy is to maximize efficiency and reduce the side effects on the subject (human or animal). There are five pharmaceutical factors that influence the biological effects for drugs:
 
  • Physical state of the substance
  • Chemical nature of the substance
  • Auxiliary substances
  • Introduction into organism
  • Technical operationsBiopharmaceutical Manufacturing
This industry relies on constant power for lab equipment that allow scientists to conduct research, analyze compounds, produce new compounds, etc.
Auxiliary systems such as, lab air, ventilation, heating/cooling, lighting and clean room systems are part of the total power requirements. If a lab experiences a total power loss and does not have backup power, all facility auxiliary systems and lab equipment shut down. This can cause additional costs to the project due to the need for repeated tests. Some tests can be long term and must be restarted from the beginning when interrupted.

Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

This process can be defined as the use of advanced technologies by harnessing new scientific advances driven by the R&D division. After the R&D division has the drug approved through appropriate federal agencies, the manufacturing process begins.

Large molecule drugs, expansion in number of personalized or targeted products, and the rise in treatments in orphan diseases have driven the industry to innovate the manufacturing process in the following areas:
 
  • Continuous Manufacturing - Used over batch manufacturing lower capital and operating costs with improving quality
  • Analytical Tools - New advanced tools to accelerate ramp up of commercial production and use resources more efficiently
  • Single Use System - Components disposed of after a single use opposed to cleaning
  • Alternate Downstream Processing - Recovery and purification of biosynthetic products
Production equipment and support systems to manufacturer biopharmaceuticals is more advanced than typical industrial manufacturing. The creation process can be considered long term, with some drugs taking up to a year to create. After creation appropriate packaging and storage until shipping can be as critical as the creation process.

If power is lost without emergency power, costs to the production can elevate quickly with losses to batches in creation, packaging and stored product.

Backup Power for Facilities2000 kW Generator for Biopharmacy Facility

Biopharmacy manufacturing facilities and processing plants often have a need for an un-interrupted power supply. When utility power is lost, emergency power must be provided quickly to avoid in costly delays in research and production. Drug warehousing and pharmaceutical manufacturing have the same need for slightly different reasons.

To illustrate further, we recently supplied a world-wide biopharmacy client with a Kohler 2000 kW generator set. The generator set pictured to the right is housed in a Sound Attenuated Enclosure. Sound attenuated enclosures are an all in one power generation set providing:
 
  • Enclosure has sound proofing for operation in populated areas
  • Cooling system for engine is housed in enclosure
  • Fuel tank is double wall constructed and hold up to 2500 gallons of fuel for operation during extend power outages
  • Less than 1000 hours operation providing many hours of operation
  • Digital control panel to start and monitor functions when commanded
Generator size, ease of operation, and operating hours supplies our customer with reliable emergency power when utility power fails. Natural Gas (NG) generators are an option for facilities that have a ready natural gas supply. These generators offer the same performance as the diesel counterpart but depend on utility gas, which can be interrupted.

This client only required a diesel generator. However, this is not the only component that is required to supply emergency power to a facility. Common requirements are:
 
  • Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) - When power is lost, commands generator start, after generator is online switches power to bus
  • Switch Panels - Provide power to various systems. Can be programmable for system isolation during power loss
  • Remote Alarm and Monitoring Panels - Supply generator operating and alarm information to manned area
Generator Source can set your facility up with emergency power. Give us a call and we will help from the design stage to final installation.

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