As the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industry continues to grow beyond traditional manufacturing locations ASEPCO has committed to expand their representation to those areas as well.

REPASSA Singapore PTE LTD will now have exclusive rights to distribute the full line of ASEPCO products in Singapore and Malaysia. These products include Tank Outlet Valves, Asepconnect tank connectors, Magnetic Mixers, and Inline Valves.

Established in 1992, REPASSA has achieved a leading role supplying Process Machines, Filling and Packaging machines and Pumps in this region. They are proud to represent renowned brands from Europe and the USA to cater to our customers’ requirements.

REPASSA provides Sales, After Sales Service, Consultancy, Maintenance Services and Installation of their equipment.

Industries served include Chemical, Confectionery, Cosmetic, Dairy, Electronics, Glue, Food & Beverages, Paint & Inks, PCB, Pharmaceutical, Pulp & Paper, Resins, Semi-Conductor, Wafer, Water & Waste Water, and many others.

Here is a list of events where you can see our products in person. And believe me, this is a year you’ll want to attend at least one of these events.

Calendar of Events

ASME Bioprocess Technology Seminar
Stockholm, Sweden
June 22-25, 2008
For more information: Click Here

INTERPHEX Canada Product Show
Palais des congres de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
September 24th and 25th
For more information: Click Here

ISPE Boston Chapter Product Show
Gilette Stadium Clubhouse, Foxboro, MA
October 8, 2008
For more information: Click Here

ISPE Annual Meeting
Boca Raton, FL
October 26-29, 2008
For more information: Click Here

ASME 21st Annual
Bioprocess Technology Seminar
Wyndham Rio Mar, Puerto Rico
November 10-14, 2008
For more information: Click Here

Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “What is a mixer wizard?” (and, no, it isn’t some guy who shows up at your place with a wand, waves it, and says Presto! And your mixing is done—it’d be nice though, wouldn’t it?)

The Mixer Wizard is a web-based tool to help you quickly choose a mixer for your application. After you enter a few key characteristics of your mixing application, the wizard analyzes your application and suggests an ASEPCO mixer that will do the job. With one click on the wizard’s results page, you can request a quote for the suggested mixer.

Try it out!

ESI Technologies will now have exclusive rights to distribute the full line of ASEPCO products in Ireland, and simultaneously perform as a representative in the UK. They have access to the full product line including Tank Outlet Valves, Asepconnect tank connectors, Magnetic Mixers, and Inline Valves.

Founded in the early 1900’s ESI has over 100 years of business experience. They are committed to customer satisfaction, using the expertise of their people to focus on customer requirements and by applying quality products, solutions and services.

ESI is well known in Ireland and the UK serving several industries with extensive product knowledge on aseptic and high purity components and systems, vacuum systems, actuation and communication, steam and washdown systems, pumps, valves, and safety systems.

You can search for individual Material Certs or for all Material Certs for a product - or group of products. All you need to do is log in and go the ordering tab and you will see a link to the cert’s page.

Check out our interactive knowledge base. Here you can find answers to questions about our products. You can also submit comments and questions that don’t have answers in the knowledge base yet. http://support.asepco.com/activekb/

Since diaphragms are the high-wear component of most valves, we thought it would be useful to show some of the common failures that occur with diaphragms. In this article we will discuss the most common failures we have observed, and we’ll show an example of a specific case and how the problem was resolved.

Over the years we have seen or heard about various types of diaphragm failures. Most of them fall into one of two categories:

1. Chemical incompatibility

2. Incorrect assembly

Here is an example of chemical incompatability:

The diaphragm shown here was exposed to a 10% (2.5M) solution of NaOH overnight. Sometime during the night this failure occured.

The system where this diaphragm was installed was set-up with a downstream valve that was closed, and then the tank valve (where this diaphragm was installed) was opened. The piping from the downstream valve through the tank valve, and into and including the vessel, were flooded with NaOH. This solution was left in place overnight, with the tank valve left open during this time as well. In the morning the NaOH was found on the floor and, as you can see, the diaphragm was destroyed.

The customer, in this case, choose silicone because it was already approved in their system and, according to most chemical compatability/resistance charts (example chart), is rated as being minorly (0-5% swell) to moderately (5-10% swell) affected by sodium hydroxide. While these guides are useful starting points for choosing an elastomer, they are generally limited by type of exposure, time of exposure, and the elastomer is generally static not dynamic. These additional factors can have a significant affect on elastomer performance.

In this case, the major contributing factor to the destruction of this diaphragm was the high stress point combined with the level of compatability of the silicone with NaOH.

How can this be avoided? There were two options that were available to this customer:

1. Process change

2. Material change

Since there were factors that prevented a material change, the customer made a process change. After flooding the line, tank valve and vessel, the customer closed the tank valve – relieving the high stress point and preventing pre-mature material failure.

Have you experienced problems with a diaphragm? Let us know and we can work with you to resolve the problem. Send us an email or post a comment.

Chemical incompatability can be a difficult problem to resolve. In most cases you’re left with an increase in diaphragm replacement or a change in materials, and if you don’t have a certain material approved for use in your system it can be difficult to change to a more compatible material.

Next post: Incorrect assembly

©2006 ASEPCO Corporation

Asepco’s Polymixer™ CIP validation study has been completed. It shows that the new Polymixer™ has some of the best CIP characteristics of any magnetic mixer.

JM Hyde independently conducted the study to assess the CIP-ability of the Polymixer™ as compared to other mixers available on the market today. Read more.

Check out our revised and updated Valve and ASEPCONNECT™ brochures. You can get a quick overview of both product lines with basic technical data and great pictures by clicking on the following links:

Valves.
Asepconnect.

ASEPCO has recently acquired a Niton analyzer. This is a piece of equipment that allows us to perform Positive Material Identification (PMI) on our incoming materials. What this means is that when we order bar, tube or fittings we can verify that the material is actually what the material certificate states it is.

How does this benefit you? It gives an additional assurance to you or your QC/QA department that the material used in our products is what the paperwork claims it is.