AGIERRE Powder Transfer Processing and Containment Solutions

AGIERRE produces powder handling systems for applications in the food processing, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

AGIERRE’s commitment to meeting its customers’ processing needs makes it a leading global reference company for powder handling solutions that meet cGMP guidelines and UNI EN ISO, ATEX US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and 21 CFR Part 11 regulations.

Safety, productivity, containment, easy cleaning, advanced technology and customisation are key considerations for all AGIERRE products and systems, which cover every aspect of powder handling. The solutions are customised to meet client specifications and are designed to be efficient, flexible, and safe.

Vacuum transfer systems for powders in food processing

The Vacuum Transfer System (VTS) can be applied in the production area to load reactors, mixers, mills, dryers, batching machines, fluid bed dryers, bins and tanks, as well as in the packaging division to load filling and tabletting machines.

AGIERRE products are designed for a range of applications, from loading with a vacuum transfer system in a nitrogen atmosphere, to the gravity loading process with a range of primary packaging types such as bags, drums and big bags.

All VTS series, comprising Standard, Filtervac, PED and Hoppervac, can be installed with a Clean in Place (CIP) system and fully comply with cGMP.

Dosing and weighing units for food powders

AGIERRE provides accurate dosing and weighing machines for bulk material handling. These enable continuous and precise dosing of small to medium quantities.

For a high performance, fine and precise dosing is ensured by the rotary and dosing valve, which is managed by an analogic electropneumatic system that allows the powders to flow freely.

In addition, all systems can be customised according to customer requirements.

Filling and emptying systems

AGIERRE also designs filling and discharge stations for powders in super sacks, bags, drums, containers and cartons.

The big bag emptying structure is a modular system with a different combination. Due to a well-designed closing and tightening system, the product discharge is made without any powder emissions.

The system can be positioned on load cells, making it possible to check the product transferred and/or dosed in the receiving system. In addition, it can be combined with VTS through a suction hopper for connection to other equipment.

The bag and drum emptying system represents an ideal solution for emptying bulk materials with no dust / powder emission, achieving OEB4 containment. A breaker can be installed beneath the machine and connected through a suction hopper to transfer the powder to another system by a VTS.

The contained bag station combines the benefits of isolation technology with the laminar flow technique, providing a high-containment solution that can be used to empty multiple bags.

Powder blending systems

During the powder production process, there is sometimes the need to quickly mix powders with different characteristics, usually within a contained environment.

To this end, AGIERRE’s Bin / Drum Blender Column and Tumbler systems have been researched and tested, with results proving that the machines homogenously mix the powders directly inside the bin or drum. This eliminates the loading, unloading and cleaning of the mixer and avoids putting personnel in contact with toxic powder. The systems have an easy and integrated design.

All Bin Blending systems have an electro-mechanical locking system and, due to the double inclination of the rotation axiis, allow the powders to be homogenously mixed.

Containment solutions

All AGIERRE solutions can be applied in food processing applications in order to optimise them and ensure the operator’s protection. This is achieved through the elimination of cross contamination and cross pollution, the reduction of clean-up phases, and the automation of manual operations.

Engineering services

AGIERRE’s engineering department manufacture solutions in direct answer to customer needs, offering customer support right from the initial phase to the final assembly and commissioning.

This includes product analysis, process development, process optimisation, commissioning and training, assembly supervision, FAT, SAT, validation QI/QO and after sales support.