Pharmaceutical Manufacturer- COVID Control Panels
Check out Keltour’s latest PLC Control Panel that we have been working on for Pfizer. Now you may be asking, where are these panels going to end up? These panels are going to be used in the pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom and will be used to assist in the production of COVID19 vaccines. The different types of panels working in conjunction with other specialty equipment are expected to help produce approximately 3 million COVID19 vaccines per day!
Keltour has provided a dedicated team of Project managers and Panel technicians to ensure this project is built in a compressed timeline, to ensure this vaccine line is up and running.We are proud to be building these panels and doing our part to combat COVID-19.
Major equipment
The Panels are equipped with high level reliable PLC equipment, the platform being used is Allen Bradley- Point I/O, Compactlogix and Ex I/O. These PLC’s are controlling multiple control points within the final assembly procedure. The panels are also housing SMC solenoid banks which are powered internally. These air inlets are firing solenoids using the PLC logic, to pressurize the system as required on the line.
This specific panel utilizes ALLEN BRADLEY point I/O which is controlled by the main CPU’s located down the line in the Main panel which is controlled at a centralized location.
What is the main Purpose of this Panel?
The main function of this panel is to receive signals such as flow, weights, and pressure which will then be monitored by the PLC. These panels are custom made out of 316ss and are designed to segregate the 240Ac voltage from the low voltage 24vdc side. This design is safer and allows for easier access. As an example, an Electrician or technician that requires access to the low voltage side can do this without any hazardous voltages being present. For reference, the bottom half of this panel is the 240 volt side whereas the top half of the panel is the 24 VDC side.
How long does it take to build this panel?
Typically a panel this size, we can get it done in about a week to a week and a half.
Does this panel have to meet certain standards to go into the manufacturing of a Covid19 vaccine?
What kind of certifications does this panel have to go through?
The certification of the actual panel requires ATEX certification and the panels are built and certified to CE standards. The overall complete system with vessels and other equipment will be certified as a whole to ATEX and CE.
What kind of testing does Keltour apply before these panels go out the door?
Before these panels go out the door we conduct a complete overall inspection on the panels to insure these basics are complete and more.
- check the bom to verify that all the components are correct.
- confirm the certification of components and that they have the proper voltage as required.
- verify that the wire used is properly sized and that the insulation is of the proper type and colour.
- verify components phasing is correct.
- verify the environmental rating of the enclosure, operator devices and fittings.
- check the point to point wiring against the schematics.
- hipot the panel by raising the voltage gradually up to a value of twice the operating voltage plus 1000 volts, test for 60 sec.
- reconnect any sensitive equipment that was disconnected.
- power up the panel and validate functionality
- power up of these panels validates if anything fails or gives off any non-optimal results.
Keltour also completes a pneumatic test to validate the pressure of this panel to ensure that all the tubes are tight and air doesn’t leak. We fire the solenoid valves to provide confirmation that the right points of the loop are pressurized. Keltour validates the regulator to see if it’s properly calibrated with our input air.
Keltour is proud to be part of the solution that will get everyday life back to normal. We thank our staff and partners for working with us. Stay safe.