MEMBRAFLOW - Solutions

Membrane filtration for the pharmaceutical industry

Maximum purity, safe processes, efficient solutions.

  • Energy efficient
  • Sustainably clean
  • Scalable flexible
  • Reliable filtering
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The challenge in the pharmaceutical industry

Purity and safety are of central importance in pharmaceutical production. Whether in the Clarification of fermentation solutionsthe Sterile filtration of sensitive active ingredients or the Treatment of process water. Each individual step must highest quality standards to meet. At the same time, requirements are increasing: stricter regulatory requirements, more sensitive substances and more complex processes present producers with enormous challenges.

Conventional filtration processes often reach their limits: thermal loads can damage active ingredients, polymer membranes tend to Fouling and only have Limited durability against aggressive cleaning protocols.

In practice, this means for pharmaceutical manufacturers, among other things:

  • Complex validation processes
  • Risk of batch failures
  • High costs due to frequent diaphragm changes
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membraflow ceramic filter system

The solution: ceramic membrane filters

We develop special for the Systems designed for the pharmaceutical industrywhich meet the highest requirements with ceramic micro and ultrafiltration modules. Unlike polymer membranes, which block quickly or suffer from aggressive cleaning, ceramic membranes offer Ceramic filter one Permanently stable and safe solution. You combine sterile filtration with maximum robustness. The systems work reliably and can be fully validated. They are also GMP-compliant. This means that they fulfill the international guidelines of "Good Manufacturing Practice". These ensure quality in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics.

Advantages over other methods:

  • Sterile & safe: Retention of bacteria, yeasts and viruses without thermal stress.
  • Robust: Resistant to aggressive CIP and SIP cleaning protocols.
  • Efficient: High recovery rates, minimal loss of active ingredients.
  • Durable: Constant separation performance over long running times without material migration.
  • Flexible: Modular design for batch production, pilot plants or continuous processes.

Wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical industry

Ceramic membrane filtration offers a wide range of applications in the production of pharmaceuticals. From fermentation to water treatment. It ensures maximum purity, gentle process control and meets the strictest regulatory requirements.

Fermentation & cell culture processes:

Separation of cells, cell debris and particles

Sterile filtration:

Reliable retention of bacteria, yeasts and viruses without thermal stress

Biological active ingredients:

Purification and concentration of enzymes, proteins, antibodies or peptides

Process media:

Treatment and recycling of water, buffers and cleaning agents

Fermentation & cell culture processes:

Separation of cells, cell debris and particles

Biological active ingredients:

Purification and concentration of enzymes, proteins, antibodies or peptides

Sterile filtration:

Reliable retention of bacteria, yeasts and viruses without thermal stress

Process media:

Treatment and recycling of water, buffers and cleaning agents
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Wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical industry

Ceramic membrane filtration offers in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals Versatile application possibilities. From fermentation to water treatment. It ensures Highest purity, gentle process control and meets the strictest regulatory requirements.

Separation of cells, cell debris and particles

Reliable retention of bacteria, yeasts and viruses without thermal stress

Purification and concentration of enzymes, proteins, antibodies or peptides

Treatment and recycling of water, buffers and cleaning agents

Ideal for sensitive substances at low pressure

CIP/SIP-capable with hot water, steam or chemicals

Suitable for batches, pilot plants or continuous processes

Consistent separation performance, no product adulteration

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Functionality

How ceramic membrane filtration works in the pharmaceutical industry

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Filtration takes place physically: the medium flows tangentially to the membrane surface under slight pressure (crossflow). This reduces fouling, ensures constant performance and delivers clear, sterile filtered filtrate. Ceramic membranes made of aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide or silicon carbide combine mechanical robustness with a fine-pored separation layer. They ensure a long service life, precise separation and lower operating costs. Another advantage: the modules are fully CIP and SIP-capable. They can be cleaned and sterilized automatically, usually with hot water, steam or chemicals. Sterility and process reliability are guaranteed at all times. And without material fatigue or migration into the product. The combination of crossflow operation, high chemical and thermal resistance and constant selectivity makes ceramic membrane filtration a particularly efficient and reliable solution for demanding pharmaceutical processes.

Find out more in our Case studies

We show how our technology works in practice in numerous projects here.
To the case studies

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

The main aim of filtration in the pharmaceutical industry is to remove particles, microorganisms and undesirable by-products from pharmaceutical products without affecting the sensitive active ingredients. It serves to ensure the purity, safety and stability of medicines and is therefore a key step in complying with regulatory requirements and ensuring patient safety.
CIP (Clean-in-Place) and SIP (Sterilize-in-Place) refer to automatic cleaning and sterilization processes for systems and modules. With CIP, product residues and deposits are removed without disassembly by rinsing with water or chemicals. SIP then ensures reliable sterilization, usually using steam or hot water. These processes ensure a consistently high level of hygiene and process reliability, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.
GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice. These are internationally binding guidelines for quality assurance in the production of pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics. GMP-compliant systems meet strict requirements for hygiene, traceability and process reliability in order to ensure the consistent quality of sensitive products.
Because it enables sterile, gentle filtration without thermal stress. This is essential for sensitive active ingredients.
Enzymes, proteins, antibodies, peptides and many other biomolecular active ingredients that occur in pharmaceutical processes can be reliably concentrated and purified.
Yes, they can be validated cleaned with hot water, steam or aggressive cleaning protocols without losing their properties.
Ceramic membrane filters offer several advantages compared to polymer filters. They are particularly robust and resistant to aggressive cleaning protocols (CIP/SIP), heat and chemically stable and durable without material migration. They also deliver consistently high separation performance and minimize losses of active ingredients. Polymer membranes, on the other hand, tend to foul more quickly, are more sensitive to chemicals and have a shorter service life.
Experience & Reviews of MEMBRAFLOW control systems GmbH