Piping installation methods in pharmaceutical factories
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Why are the pipes in pharmaceutical factories welded together, rather than using prefabricated seamless pipes for installation (at least that’s how it’s done in my factory)? This can reduce many unnecessary hot work operations. Just to add, our factory is a precision manufacturing plant. Is that the case for all companies in the fine chemical industry? Let’s discuss it together
I don’t think there’s any difference; could some expert explain why?
Pharmaceutical manufacturing falls under the chemical industry; aside from cleanliness, there should be no differences in piping systems compared to ordinary petrochemical and chemical industries.
Welded connections reduce the number of leakage points compared to flange/threaded connections, but they are not easy to repair as cutting is required. From a pharmaceutical perspective, it is important to meet GMP requirements in order to prevent impurities from the sealing surfaces of pipe connections from entering the medium within the pipes, thereby affecting product quality.
Really, it’s easy to have a lot of iron shavings
I’m also wondering if it’s due to GMP requirements, after all, quality is of utmost importance these days. However, subsequent repairs are very inconvenient, as they involve many unnecessary welding operations. Flange pipes are convenient for future maintenance, but it is likely that they do not meet GMP requirements.
Theoretically, prefabricated pipelines offer better quality assurance compared to those welded on-site, and they also help to reduce rust in water systems. However, the problem with the pharmaceutical industry is that user requirements and process design are relatively rough, which imposes high demands on owners and design firms to use prefabricated pipelines. As for GMP, prefabricated pipes are easier to meet these requirements; on the contrary, on-site welding of stainless steel pipes represents the biggest risk.
On-site welding is more flexible, while prefabrication requires high design standards. If it’s a mature process, prefabrication is better; otherwise, welding on-site is still the way to go.
The pharmaceutical industry has relatively strict requirements regarding microorganisms. If pharmaceutical solvents such as purified water or drug solutions flow through pipes, it is necessary to consider factors such as the presence of dead corners in the pipes and whether the inner walls of the pipes are smooth. If there are many dead corners and the inner walls are not smooth, this will inevitably lead to the growth and accumulation of microorganisms, and it will also make it difficult to clean the pipes properly, which does not meet the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. For welding, automatic welding is generally required; manual welding is hardly acceptable.