38 / 48
Proportional valve technology in process automation
offers a great deal of flexibility
and produces high-quality control results. A complete system supplied by Festo and
installed in Boehringer Ingelheim’s new technical centre demonstrates the performance
which modern pneumatics can deliver. The project was developed in close communica-
tion between the Festo team and automation experts from the pharmaceutical company,
allowing it to move forward quickly.
When the chemistry
is right
Controlling inert gases with proportional valves
I
n Biberach, at Boehringer Ingelheim’s
largest research and development
location in the world, a new technical
centre is safeguarding the production
of innovative pharmaceutical active in-
gredients. A total of 15 chemical reactors
supply the required quantities of sub-
stances within the 2,700 m2 pilot plant.
The size of the new technical centre is
illustrated by the products supplied by
Festo: 12 inert gas stations, 40 valve ter-
minals CPX-MPA to control the process
valves and around 200 automated ball
valves and butterfly valves.
Gases regulated proportionately
As the solutions provider in the field of
process automation, Festo was involved
in the project from the very beginning.
Since the production of active ingredients
involves flammable solvents, many pro-
cesses are carried out in reactors,
centrifuges and dry cabinets with inert
atmospheres. While with the previous
installation three pressure levels were re-
quired in order to regulate the argon and
nitrogen, each with its own piping network,
control valves and flow meters, in the new
installation this function is provided high-
ly efficiently by compact proportional
Photo: © Boehringer Ingelheim
The new K62 Technical
Centre
at Boehringer
Ingelheim in Biberach,
Germany.