Vögtlin Instruments red-y smart thermal mass flow controllers

In the production of small pharmaceutical bottles, vials and capsules made of glass, there are tight specifications and high-quality requirements. Vögtlin Instruments’ high-precision thermal mass flow meters and controllers in the red-y smart series are designed to meet these requirements.

The pharmaceutical glass product is created from glass tubes about 2 m long that are fed into a machine; these are heated, shaped and cut into individual bottles. The flames that heat the glass are produced by mixing a fuel gas with oxygen, with the goal of producing a uniform and consistent flame. A flame is a chemical reaction where the number of molecules determines the process; therefore, the number of molecules or the mass of gases must be precisely controlled. Since the quality of the glass tubes can fluctuate, the flame must be adjusted to the quality of the incoming glass.

Vögtlin mass flow controllers compensate for changes in ambient or gas temperature through automatic temperature compensation. As a result, changing environmental factors such as air pressure and temperature no longer affect critical flames, improving repeatability. MEMS technology provides long-term stability without deviations under the condition of a clean and dry gas supply. Due to this long-term stability, the same repeatable result is obtained again and again, without the need for annual recalibration.

Simple assemblies, where a series of mass flow controllers are built into a gas mixing system with O₂ and a fuel gas inlet, make it easy to install the system with a minimum number of leak points. Other benefits of the complete gas supply modules include savings on purchasing loose gas fitting components; reduced time for onsite installation; and easy implementation of complicated gas mixing and distribution processes. Individual units can be calibrated for multiple gases, allowing the user to change fuels as needed.