Containment valves designed for the pharmaceutical industry

The demand for equipment and specialized solutions for the protection of the work environment and the product itself (in the pharmaceutical industry) are continually rising. Consequently, Buck® Valve has since the introduction of the Buck® High Containment Valve in the mid '90's, consistently designed and introduced new products for containment. Today the Buck® Valve range is regarded as the most efficient, safe, and well documented range of containment interfaces in the world. The C, HC & UHC, TC and MC containment valve systems from Buck® Valve provide ideal solutions for a broad spectrum of tasks in the pharmaceutical industry that comply with varying limits on emission.

Containment levels: Short term exposure ST TWA (mcg/m3)

These technologies provide high personal and product protection during all stages of the charge and discharge process of high potent APIs as they form a dust and contamination free interface.

NEW Buck® MC Valve - Modular Containment Valve

This new concept unifies all the current requirements in high containment equipment:

• full GMP design
• no need for lubrication
• no need for vacuum
• robust centering
• free orientated docking
• quick release without any tools as standard.

But the most innovative step is the idea of using only passive valves driven by a modular actuator unit.

1. undocked, unlocked and closed 2. docked, locked and closed 3. docked, locked and open

This flexible concept allows a direct IBC to IBC or IBC to double cone dryer transfer, where up to now there has always been the need for a back to back active valve installation to operate the passive valves.

In addition, three versions of the actuator unit have been designed to achieve various containment levels:

• "normal" Containment - Level between 10 - 100 mcg / m³,
• High Containment - Level between 1-10 mcg / m³,
• the most advanced actuator unit will keep the emission level in the sub mcg range (values are short term emission levels according to SMEPAC guidelines).

This modular concept takes, for example, the dilution factor of the processed product into account and allows for a tailor made containment installation throughout the complete process line in using only one basic valve system in combination with different level actuator units according the specific requirements at the various points.

The mechanical re-design (extremely few parts on the passive valve) as well as the advantage of having simply identical parts in higher quantities due to the passive valve only concept enables the Buck® MC Valve to undercut the pricing of all existing comparable split valves on the market.

The Buck® MC Valve offers a unique solution to market requirements: Safety, Flexibility and Cost Saving.

• only passive valves
• free orientation valve docking
• robust, integrated centring device
• integrated locking unit
• no need for vacuum
• seal concept for CIP/WIP
• no need for lubrication
• compact energy supply
• 3 level containment
• Quick release (QR) as standard

Buck® Valve TC (Total Containment) Valve

Buck® Valve has met the challenge of creating innovative and individualized solutions that guarantee the highest possible degree of cleanliness and safety during transfer of highly sensitive or highly active materials with the Buck® Valve TC (Total Containment). Buck® Valve TC is a exacting system based on the split-valve principle of the highly successful HC (High Containment) docking system, but designed to meet far more stringent requirements.

Buck® Valve HC (High Containment) Valve

Regarding the correct methods for product handling, the pharmaceutical industry is continually being confronted by increasing requirements. Wherever solid material transfer takes place, the restrictions on dust emission must be adhered to. One of the major aspects of the restrictions is the protection of both products and personnel during production processes in the chemical and especially the pharmaceutical industries. Restrictions apply particularly to dust-free charging and discharging of production units with sensitive or toxic powders right up to granulates - a challenge which the equipment from Buck® Valve comprehensively meets.

Docking systems like the patented split-valve technology from Buck® Valve, for example, the Buck® Valve HC, have an excellent reputation world wide. These systems consist of an active and a passive valve that are able to seal (dustproof) two different container systems independently of each other. The active "split valve" is located on the fixed production unit and can be activated manually or automatically. The passive split valve is attached to a mobile receptacle by means of variable attachment options and has an additional mechanical lock that prevents it from opening on its own without the active unit.

Buck® Valve C - The Standard Split Valve

The Buck® Valve C is a low cost contained split valve solution. The "C" in Buck® Valve C, stands for 'basic containment.' Although Buck® Valve C is a low cost version of the Buck® Valve HC, it offers very impressive containment, and has been designed to achieve levels down to 10 ug/m³.

The benefits of a 'C' containment system include:

• The ability to manufacture more potent drugs, either now or for future drugs; newer drugs are increasingly more potent, and as these gradually loose patent protection, generic manufacturers need the equipment to handle these drugs safely.
• Reduced risk of product cross contamination; this is of particular benefit to multi-product plants.
• Good house keeping; no powder trails left through the plant.

Buck® Sampler - Contamination Free Sampling

Buck® Sampler is developed specially for process sampling purposes by gravity in combination with common used parts for product sampling out of remaining processes, like granulation, drying etc. The Sampler firstly allows a fully contained sampling process, even ensuring a process related pressure resistance during all stages of docking, sampling and undocking.

Undocked & closed

Docked & closed

Docked & opened