Arville Provides Insight on Pharmaceutical and Medical Textiles
As a specialist manufacturer of technical textiles that serve an extensive and diverse range of functions, Arville regularly have to address complex manufacturing issues in industries with high compliance standards.
This is particularly true of our work in the pharmaceutical and medical industry. Our fabrics are used extensively in the production of fluid bed dryer bags, a key component in pharmaceutical production, as specialised technical textiles are able to control specific particle size and micro-rated flow rate during the filtration process.
As part of a recent article for AATCC News, our Group Head of Marketing Andy Smith talked through our approach to filter manufacture for a client who required Glatt bags with anti-static properties to remove the risk of combustion during manufacturing, as well as providing traceability that ensures our clients meet strict compliance guidelines:
“In processes such as filtration and separation of liquids, gasses, powders, and suspensions—electro-static discharge can present a high risk of ignition.
“For a fabric to be used in the production of a powdered drug as an end-form multi-pocket fabric bag, to be used within a fluidised bed dryer unit, we created a bespoke weave structure that included stainless steel to dissipate static electricity and allow it to discharge through the fabric, creating an effective anti-static textile. Subsequent versions substituted stainless steel for carbonised filaments.
“We control the design and production of our fabrics from individual fibre selection, to weaving, finishing, and end-form fabrication. Residual spin finishes, weaving lubricants, and any impurities are scoured from our fabrics with intensive finishing processes to prepare them for pharmaceutical use.
“Strict quality assurance procedures throughout the make-up process ensure that the appropriate regulatory requirements are followed in relation to clean down routines, specification tolerances, and traceability.”
For more information on this project, you can download our case study on electro-conductive fabrics. You can also contact the team if you have any specific questions about fluid bed dryer bags, or have an enquiry about bespoke textile requirements.
