Case Study: Adaptsil® Provides the Ideal Solution for a Major Pharmaceutical Group

Sector: Liquid Production

Company: Major French Pharmaceutical Group

Context and Challenges

A major pharmaceutical manufacturer in France contacted Venair looking for a custom flexible solution for liquid transfer systems within their production line.

The company was experiencing operational issues related to their stainless-steel piping connections. Their process combined cold liquid production with hot CIP (Clean-in-Place) cycles, generating strong temperature variations.

These fluctuations caused several problems:

• Leaks in the process line due to thermal expansion of stainless-steel components
• Frequent maintenance interventions, as the metal part had to be regularly reshaped
• High operational costs associated with welding adjustments
• Heavy and difficult installation, creating ergonomic challenges for operators

The customer needed a flexible pharmaceutical-grade connection capable of absorbing thermal changes while improving installation and maintenance.

Solution Implemented

Venair designed and manufactured a custom 3-branch Adaptsil® silicone hose assembly, specifically engineered for pharmaceutical fluid transfer applications.

Adaptsil® components are designed to replace rigid stainless-steel sections with flexible silicone connections, allowing systems to adapt to mechanical stress and temperature changes.

This custom silicone solution provides several advantages:

• Compensation of system vibrations
• Absorption of thermal expansion caused by CIP cycles
• Increased lifetime of hose and tube connections
• Sound dampening thanks to the elasticity of silicone
• Improved flexibility in pharmaceutical process systems

Benefits Achieved

After implementing the Adaptsil® custom silicone component, the pharmaceutical manufacturer experienced significant improvements in process performance and operator ergonomics.

The main benefits included:

• Reduced physical strain for operators, thanks to a lighter and easier-to-install solution
• Elimination of repeated welding adjustments on stainless-steel components
• Improved resistance to temperature variations
• Greater reliability of the liquid transfer system
• Lower maintenance costs