ISPE Boston Chapter Product Show

Sharpe Mixers exhibited at the ISPE Boston Chapter Product show on October 1, 2014.

The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers encourages local chapters to produce these one-day exhibits.

They take place all around the country.  Sharpe Mixers participates in several of them, including Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

This is one of the biggest chapter product shows in the country, attracted several hundred vendors to Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

This year’s show was the biggest ever.  Attendees kept up a constant flow through the two clubhouse exhibit areas.

Quite a few of our customers in the New England area stopped by to say hello and see what’s new at Sharpe Mixers.

Many of our customers also exhibit at this show, including vessel fabricators, systems integrators, consulting engineers and contractors.

These table top shows offer a lot of bang for the buck.

 

Look into ISPE Chapter exhibits, as well as other engineering and production societies like ASME, Mid-West Food Processors and others for opportunities.


Submitted by
Fred DeCicco
North American Sales Manager

Specialty Equipment

Sharpe Mixers is an engineering firm which manufactures mixers, and many customers return to us because we offer custom-made solutions to their mixing problems. 

Although we utilize mass production wherever possible for our standard model lines, many agitation systems require a more individual specialized approach.  If the requirement is exotic alloys or coatings, special polishing or unique equipment designs, our team will draw on extensive experience to put together quality equipment meeting those needs.

Sharpe Mixers' strength originates from the teamwork and energy of our people - experienced and innovative employees dedicated to providing exactly what our customers demand:  superior equipment, excellent service and timely delivery at a competitive price.

Satisfying customer specifications (i.e., special testing, packaging, painting and data requirements) is foremost in our job description.  Some of our specialties include:

1. All exotic alloys including Titanium, Hastelloy, Inconel, Nickel, Ferralium, etc.
2. Polishing for food, pharmaceutical, easy clean properties or show.
3. USDA/FDA approved mixers, all stainless mixers.
4. Coatings:  Halar, Kynar, Teflon, etc.
5. Coverings:  rubber, FRP, PVC, etc.
6. Variable Speed:  electric, air, hydraulic, mechanical.

What are your needs?  How may we assist you?

2011 ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter Vendor Night

Sharpe Mixers exhibited at the 2011 ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter Vendor Night that took place on Feb 9, 2011 at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.

The ISPE, International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, through its local chapters, sponsors these table top exhibits around the country. This gives local members a change to get out and meet with their peers, enjoy a drink and some excellent food, and visit with their suppliers, new and old. They are a great opportunity for us to meet local customers in the biotech and pharmaceutical markets.

Like the Boston Chapter Product Show that takes place at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots football team, the Philadelphia show had outgrown the hotel venue and was moved to Citizens Bank Park.

And like the Boston show, this move proved to be an excellent choice. This was the 21st annual Vendor Night and, according to the ISPE-DVC, the most successful and best attended in the event’s 20 year history. Part of the success is probably due to the venue. People like visiting these sports stadiums. We hope that this is also a sign of an improving business climate.
Sharpe Mixers was supported by our local sales representative, Tom McDonough with Matak LLC. Tom worked with the ISPE DVC so that several of his suppliers were side by side at the exhibit. We called the area “McDonough Place”!

We are encouraged that business in the biotech and pharmaceutical markets will see some growth this coming year, based on conversations we had with customers and suppliers, alike.
If you are involved in the biotech – pharmaceutical industries and you would like Sharpe Mixers to participate in a local chapter Vendor night, please let us know.


Submitted by Fred DeCicco

RD Dry-Running Mechanical Seal Update

In our original post about our dry-running RD seal we mentioned that the next generation would be fully ASME BPE compliant as a standard, unlike seals from other manufacturers: http://sharpemixers.blogspot.com/2009/07/next-generation-dry-running-mechanical.html. We introduced new grades of elastomers for specific use in high end biopharm applications. These elastomers meet or exceed the requirements of USP grade materials. The seal elastomers have the following properties:

• Available in EPDM (standard), FPM (Viton®^a equivalent⁾, Silicone, & FFPM (Kalrez®^a equivalent⁾.



• Full traceability



• Properly postcured



• Contain no ingredients derived from animals



• Free from melamine and mercury



• Complies with the FDA Code of Federal Regulations for rubber and rubber-like materials under Title 21, Paragraph 177.2600.



• Complies with the 3-A Sanitary Standards for rubber and rubber-like materials used as product contact surfaces in dairy equipment, number 18-03, Class II.



• Compound has passed testing in accordance with the current USP section <87> and <88> Class VI – 121°C or ISO/AAMI/ANSI 10993-5, 6, 10 and 11.

The seal has gone through some design changes as well to better meet the requirements of BPE:

· The ID of the debris well is tapered for drainability.

· The debris well flush ports are angled for drainability.

· Debris well gasket has been replaced by an o-ring which mounts close to the flange hole.

· Heat number for wetted metal parts are etched on the parts.

· Silicone Carbide (standard) and Tungsten Carbide static faces are available, as well as Hastelloy® ^b C-276 & AL-6XN®^c metal parts.

· Various finishes, including electropolish & passivation are available.

a - Viton® & Kalrez® are the registered trademarks of DuPont Performance Elastomers.

b - Hastelloy® is a registered trademark of Haynes International, Inc.

c - AL-6XN® is a registered trademark of Allegheny Ludlum Corp.

Next generation dry-running mechanical seals

Sharpe Mixers has partnered with Roplan AB of Sweden, a leading supplier of sanitary and industrial mechanical seals, to develop our RD line of dry-running mechanical seals. The Sharpe Mixers Dry Running RD Mixer Seal has been designed specifically for use in mixers, agitators and reactors where possible product contamination from barrier fluids is not allowed. The design is capable of handling 0.15” total run-out. A proprietary Carbon blend virtually eliminates the face squeal that is common with other seal brands. The seal is available with a plain mounting flange or with a debris well.

The first generation of the seal was similar to existing products in the market such as Flowserve’s VRA or John Crane’s Type 32 mechanical seals. We are now releasing the next generation of this product which surpasses anything currently in the market in its adherence to ASME’s Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) standard. Both Sharpe Mixers and Roplan are working with the BPE committees on seal design. The design has been updated to enhance cleanability. Internal surfaces have been sloped to facilitate drainage, including the debris well flush ports. All non-metal wetted components are either FDA approved or USP Class VI rated, standard. Internal metal surfaces have been polished to a minimum 20 Ra finish, standard. For the same cost as another supplier’s basic, non-pharmaceutical seal you could have a fully BPE compliant seal!

The seal comes as a cartridge assembly (see image below) for easy installation and the proper running height is pre-set with the cartridge clips. No more measuring! Just bolt the seal plate down, slide the shaft through, and tighten the setscrews. Wetted metal parts are etched with a heat number which is traceable to a mill test report to verify proper alloy to help simplify your system validation.

Seals can be made with special materials as well to accommodate your needs. If you want the most BPE compliant dry-running mixer seal on the market, come to Sharpe Mixers.

Materials of Construction

Rotary Seal: FDA approved Carbon

Stationary Seal: FDA approved Silicone Carbide
Metal Components: 316L Stainless Steel

Elastomers: USP Class VI FPM or EPDM Standard

Performance Capability

Temperature: Up to 300F (149C)

Pressure: Full vacuum to 200PSI (13.8 bar)

Speed: Up to 350 RPM

Sizes: 5/8” – 3”

New ELS-Series Mixer Lift Stand

Sharpe Mixers announces the newest entry into their line of of mixer stands. The ELS-Series of Electric Lift Stands joins the Manual-Lift and Air Lift Stands to compliment Sharpe's full line of Portable and All-Stainless portable mixers. The ELS Stands illustrate Sharpe's commitment to build, without compromise, the highest quality equipment available on the market. The ELS Electric-Lift stands
include all the features of the popular ALS Lift Stand, including All-Stainless construction for Wash-Down operation. Sharpe Mixer's new ELS-Series stands use precision machined SS316 components and a 1/2 hp All-Stainless worm gear drive to power the lift cylinder. Available with 36" 48" & 60" stroke length. Other options available for ease of operation include tank positioning arm, tank support strap and mobility options like casters and gliders. The all stainless steel construction meets USDA paint-free equipment mandates for food and beverage plants. Stands can be polished to meet the clean-room demands of the bio-tech and pharmaceutical industries. Complete validation documentation can be provided per ASME-BPE Specifications.

SHARPE MIXERS introduced this new product to the market at Interphex 2009 San Juan Puerto Rico Jan 29-30, 2009