"Clean" solution proposals for cleanroom sealing

The facility opened in 1994 by Bayer Weimar GmbH & Co. KG serves simultaneously as the company's headquarters and as a site for production, quality control, and packaging. With around 500 employees, this location manufactures hormonally active solid dosage forms, such as tablets, dragees, and film-coated tablets for the national and international markets of Bayer AG. The processing of hormonally active pharmaceuticals places special demands on the production areas within the plant. Therefore, EFAFLEX high-speed roll-up doors, model EFA-SRT CR, have been installed to separate the cleanrooms from the corridors.

"Absolutely no hormones should enter the environment from our pharmaceutical production," explains Nino Baracskai, Head of Technical Office, emphasizing the importance of the quick doors in front of the cleanrooms and their airlocks. "We operate our production areas under -15 Pascal negative pressure to protect our employees and the environment. This means that when the doors are opened, the airflow moves toward the cleanrooms." Consequently, the corridors leading to the airlocks of the cleanrooms must always be impeccably clean. The high opening speed of up to 2 m/s and closing speed of up to 0.75 m/s of the rapid doors additionally ensure that the exchange of air from the corridor into the airlock and from the airlock into the production area occurs only for the shortest possible time, preventing particles from entering the production rooms despite the negative pressure. This keeps the filter load low and reduces air loss. The door coverings are also adapted to the cleanroom environment. "Our specifications included doors with stainless steel frames and plastic coverings that are washable and resistant to cleaning agents," explains Nino Baracskai. The cleanroom doors of the CR series from EFAFLEX are perfectly tailored to the requirements of controlled manufacturing zones. These high-performance rapid doors have a smooth surface structure and no protruding edges. Therefore, they are easy to clean, and particle settling is largely prevented.

Like all EFAFLEX rapid doors, the cleanroom doors are extremely durable and low-maintenance thanks to their outstanding quality. The most compelling arguments for EFAFLEX cleanroom doors are their high airtightness, which significantly contributes to cost savings in the cleanroom, and their modular design with a clinical appearance. The narrow frames allow space-saving and visually appealing installation even in tight spaces.
Despite the complex installation conditions under airlock circumstances, the installation of the doors proceeded completely smoothly. Nino Baracskai also speaks very highly of the responsible field service engineer: "I can always call him if there’s a problem. He thinks along with us and then offers very good solution proposals." Company information Bayer Weimar GmbH & Co. KG. Bayer Weimar GmbH & Co. KG is a legally independent pharmaceutical site located in Weimar, on the premises of the former Jenapharm. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Bayer Group. In Weimar, the logistics center is also situated, which handles procurement, delivery of all materials, storage in a fully automated high-bay warehouse with approximately 8,000 pallet spaces, distribution, product shipping, and production planning. Through consistent investment in a modern computerized integrated system for factory management and production control, all processes within the company—from planning to shipping—are managed optimally. This enables the company to achieve high flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs while maintaining competitive costs and the exceptional quality essential for pharmaceutical products.