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A high-specification, purpose-built, contamination-control product manufacturing site recently opened in the UK is said to house some of the most innovative technology in the industry
Peter Finn
PhD
Supervising Editor
HPE
Contamination-control product manufacturer Shield Medicare, a division of Ecolab, has undertaken a major phase in the development of its “centre of excellence“ with the opening of a purpose-built manufacturing facility in the UK.
The plant, at Baglan Energy Park, near Swansea, Wales, opened on 19 February and at 50,000 sq ft, with a 16,000 sq ft production area, is four times the size of the former production facility.
The new site, some 16 miles from the old location, houses what the company maintains is some of the most innovative technology in the industry, including state-of-the-art cleanrooms and laboratories.
Ecolab senior vice-president and chief technical officer Susan Nestegard said this meant the company could carry out large-volume production and single-batch supply to major pharmaceutical companies, and also devote more resources to research and development.
The plant has five high-specification (grade B and C) cleanrooms with laminar airflow and grade A filtration at point-of-fill in certain rooms.
The cleanroom design incorporates several new features aimed at minimising contamination risk from people traffic and airflow during the production process, including interlocking hatches, talk-through panels and intercom systems.
Ms Nestegard said that even the changing areas and preparation rooms have a high specification and utilise different-coloured flooring to identify “clean†and “dirty†areas.
She explained that additional risk reduction comes from an innovative design to the sprinkler system �” making it easy to clean the cleanroom ceilings �” and from crash-through fire doors that are fully sealed.
The Shield Medicare Centre of Excellence for Contamination Control supplies specialist contamination control products to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare and medical device industries worldwide.
It specialises in meeting the requirements of pharmaceutical and medical cleanrooms, whose needs are often very different from those of electronics cleanrooms. â–
Resources
Shield Medicare
W: www.shieldmedicare.com
Ecolab
W: www.ecolab.co.uk
