Rupture Discs for Pressure Safety in Pharma Industries

About The Pharmaceutical Industry In India

The pharmaceutical industry in India is the thirteenth largest across the globe in terms of value and the third largest in terms of volume. The industry plays a significant role in the production and delivery of life-saving medicines intending to make the medicines accessible to a huge population across the globe and improve their quality of living.

The medical industry following the guidelines of regulatory organizations makes certain that drugs or medicines delivered are tested using the safety tests carried out using the testing equipment. The value of industry with a share of twenty percent of global exports is expected to reach $ 130 by 2030.

According to the economic survey conducted during the year 2023, India is ranked third for the value of life-saving drugs manufactured. The high quality products manufactured are exported to locations such as the US, UK, Canada, and European Union.

The need for pressure safety devices in the pharma industry

A wide range of devices are used in the pharmaceutical industry for making medicines or drugs. These devices need to be operated with a hundred percent safety complying with the regulatory standards set by the concerned regulatory authorities. The high pressure or vacuum conditions caused by combustible dust, gas, or chemicals present at the drug manufacturing facilities can cause flames at any interval during operation leading to a dangerous explosion that damages the devices and causes serious threats to the lives of people. To ensure a safe and secure operating environment in industries and obtain complete protection against pressure safety accidents, it is vital to use pressure-actuated devices such as burst discs.

The pharmaceutical applications in which burst discs are used

Rupture discs or burst discs are used in a wide range of pharmaceutical or biotech applications such as process vessels, autoclaves, storage vessels, and sterilization equipment, laboratory equipment used for fermentation, magnetic and resonance imaging applications, bioreactors for pressure relief. The disc model used depends on the type of medical application.

How do burst discs ensure the safety of the pharma industry?

Medical equipments such as autoclaves, process vessels, fermenters, anesthesia machines, and bioreactors operate under high-pressure or vacuum conditions releasing a small amount of heat. The excess heat generated during the process of sterilization of medical equipment used for making drugs, storage and usage of chemicals, or due to the failure of the

cooling systems can cause high pressure leading to serious safety risks such as fire accidents. By using diverse burst disc models such as forward-acting, reverse buckling, and custom discs, the excess pressure generated can be regulated to a greater extent.

Rupture discs can be fitted to any device system using a disc holder and installation screws. Whenever the pressure inside the system exceeds the predetermined pressure, the device with a one-time-use membrane bursts or ruptures releasing the pressure outside. The operating process depends on the disc model used.

The ruptured device must be replaced with a new one to continue the medical applications and prevent pressure safety accidents in the future. The burst disc indicator fitted with the device provides an early alert to the operator whenever the device bursts.

To purchase the pressure safety device to use with pharmaceutical applications

Purchasing a reliable and compatible rupture disc is vital to obtain the operating performance as expected. Here are the factors to consider before purchasing the device to use with challenging pharmaceutical applications.

• The disc model.
• The type of pharmaceutical application.
• Operating and maintenance costs.
• The device operating temperature.
• Burst tolerance.
• The material used for construction.
• The reputation of the safety device manufacturer and supplier.

Pharmaceutical sectors are operating across various locations in India with one and only one mission to manufacture and supply medicines globally. Pressure safety devices must be used to ensure the safe operation of equipment used for the production and distribution of pharmaceutical products.

To handle highly challenging pressure relief applications with safety risks and obtain complete pressure protection, using a pressure safety device is the precise choice. Hundred percent safety of operations can be ensured using burst discs, the device designed to operate with challenging applications in pharmaceutical industries.