Electricity + Control November 2017

round up PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT

Humidity validation and compliance in food and pharmaceuticals

Because the control of humidity is vital for many processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing, there are a large number of probes in use at any time – all of which will need to be regularly calibrated to ensure accuracy. Sending RH probes away for calibration is a time-consuming exercise for both food and pharmaceutical companies, but is often seen as necessary as creation, modification, archival, retrieval and transmission of electronic records is essential business practice.

While many companies opt to set up their own, in-house humidity calibration laboratories, this is not an option for all manufacturers because of the capital expense and resources needed to man- age it. However, there are affordable alternatives. Michell Instruments, locally represented by Instrotech , of- fers a cost-effective humidity validator which enables food and pharmaceutical companies the option to save time and money on recalibrations, paying back the cost of the instrument in

a few months. The HygroCal100 is unique in its class. As well as being completely portable, it has data logging and documenting capabilities. It is extremely easy to use and inexpen- sive to maintain. For full, traceable calibra- tions it can be used in combination with a chilled mirror reference hygrometer. Al- though any hygrometer can be used, Mi- chell offer the HygroCal100 and Optidew Vision as a complete package for fully documented, traceable calibrations. Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0) 10 595 1831 or email sales@instrotech.co.za

New pressure gauge for high pressure applications The WIKA model PG23HP-P Bourdon tube pressure gauge has been designed specifically for high-pressure applications up to 6 000 bar. This makes it one of the few pressure gauges availa- ble worldwide which can reliably display pressures of this order of magnitude. Typical measuring points for this pressure gauge can be found in water jet cutting, high-pressure cleaning and test bench construction. WIKA manufactures and qualifies the model PG23HP-P in accordance with the requirements of the new DIN 16001 high-pressure standard in the ‘S3’ safety version. The safety version is

made up of laminated safety glass, a solid baffle wall between measur- ing system and dial and a blow-out back. In the event of a failure, the operator is protected at the front side, as media or components can only be ejected via the back of the instrument. Through the use of high-quality stainless-steel and nick- el-based alloys, the model PG23HP-P features excellent load cycle stability and long service life. The instrument works re- liably within the specification with both static and dynamic pressure profiles. The standard accuracy of the model PG23HP-P is 1,0%. For scale ranges up to and including 0 ... 4 000 bar, the instru- ment is optionally available with an improved indication accuracy of 0,6 %. The resistance to shock and vibration can be increased by the optional silicone oil case filling. Enquiries:WIKA Instruments.Tel. +27 (0) 11 621 0000 or email sales.za@wika.com