Film-coated or effervescent tablets, capsules, pellets or granules - medicines are offered in various dosage forms. Losan Pharma, an internationally recognized partner to the pharmaceutical industry, converts manufacturers' products into the appropriate form. The company focuses on internationalization and is on a growth path following restructuring and consolidation in recent years. In addition to the headquarters in Neuenburg am Rhein and the research laboratory in Frankfurt am Main, the pharmaceutical company has now opened its third site in Eschbach in the Breisgau business park, just a few kilometers from the headquarters, in summer 2017.

Compressed air adjusting screw

The company attaches great importance to efficient processes in production. This is why Losan Pharma has undertaken to have the company certified in accordance with the ISO 50001 energy management system. The aim is to continuously improve energy-related performance. "Especially with constantly rising energy costs, we are specifically looking at where we can make savings," explains Christoph Lang. The technical manager and authorized signatory points to two packaging lines in the clean room. Compressed air serves as drive energy on the one hand and as control air for valves and cylinders on the other. "Once we have set up everything here, we will have eleven lines at our disposal," he says. These consist of filling systems, pick & place systems, cartoners, so-called pushers, which push or blow shortages out of the line, scales and various packaging systems. "In production, we use compressed air in tablet presses, for example - or as sealing air," says Lang. To prevent explosions during production with flammable liquids, housings with electrical switching components are sealed with the help of excess air pressure. "We also use compressed air to remove dust from filter systems during production or to drive ventilation flaps," says Lang.

It all depends on the compressor

Losan Pharma has been using Almig screw compressors at its main site in Neuchâtel since the company was founded in 1993. There are currently four systems there. Based on their positive experience, those responsible in Eschbach also opted for machines from the supplier. Important: As part of energy management, the consumption of this costly form of energy should be able to be flexibly adapted to actual requirements. "That's why we installed two speed-controlled, direct-drive compressors from the Variable series. Compared to other systems, these are the most energy-efficient," explains Almig Area Sales Manager Volker Gräschke, who looks after the pharmaceutical company. By avoiding idle times, the permanent load changes and the associated higher compression, electricity can be saved. With several thousand load changes per year, the energy consumption can add up considerably. "Compared to compressors that are controlled in load idle mode, our devices save around 30 percent energy with this alone," says Gräschke.