ChargePoint Technology has invested in new manufacturing machinery at its UK facility to meet increased demand for larger diameter valves for use in large scale drug manufacturing that requires containment.
The new 5-axis machine is the first of its kind in the UK and forms part of a wider £1million investment into advanced manufacturing capabilities at the company’s facility in Liverpool. It will enable ChargePoint Technology to speed up the production and delivery of larger diameter valves up to 14”.
The investment has been made in response to growing containment demands that are being driven by growth within therapeutic areas, including oncology and hormonal drug products. This is leading to increased volumes of high potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) being used in the production of tablets, capsules and other solid dosage forms.
“We are seeing an increase in demand from solid dose manufacturing companies, including big pharma firms and CMOs in the US and Europe, for large scale containment valve solutions,” Tony O’Sullivan, chief commercial officer (CCO) at ChargePoint Technology said.“Our new machinery enables us to manufacture larger diameter valves, directly addressing this market need. In addition, our in-house manufacturing strategy provides us with absolute control over the quality of the final product so our customers can rest assured that they receive high-performing and reliable technology.”
As part of the investment, a new automated washing plant will be used to ensure effective and repeat cleaning of parts with higher throughput capacity, while a new 3-axis coordinate measuring machine (CMM) will also allow for high precision measurement and scanning of critical valve components in-house.
ChargePoint Technology intends to invest further in manufacturing capabilities at its facility over the next three years. In particular, it plans to continue to evolve its product design using the latest manufacturing methods to provide further advancements in valve technology.
An integral part of a complete powder handling system, ChargePoint Technology’s valves are independently performance tested to the ISPE SMEPAC guidelines.