New Articles
VR

High-Speed Disc Centrifuge Separators: Essential Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

July 16, 2025

Shenzhou Disc Stack Centrifuge Machinery: Features & Applications

Speed, sterility, and yield; miss any one of them and a pharmaceutical line stalls. That is why the high-speed disc stack centrifuge has become a frontline workhorse, polishing vaccine harvests, clarifying antibiotics, and protecting downstream chromatography. Shenzhou Machinery, with over 50 years of experience, leads in providing customizable, high-performance centrifuge separator equipment designed specifically for pharmaceutical needs. In this article, we’ll explore how these separators work, the types suited for pharmaceutical use, and how to choose the right system for your facility.


Understanding Disc Stack Centrifuge Separators

A Disc stack centrifuge operates by spinning a conical stack of discs at high speeds. This action generates powerful centrifugal force, causing denser components (such as solids or heavier liquids) to move outward while lighter ones stay closer to the center. The design multiplies the effective settling area, allowing even micron-sized particles to be separated quickly and efficiently.

Key components of a disc centrifuge include:

· Bowl Assembly: Houses separation components.

· Disc Stack: Facilitates rapid and efficient separation.

· Feed Inlet/Outlets: Controls fluid movement into and out of the centrifuge.

· Solids Collection System: Manages collected particles during the separation process.


Understanding Disc Stack Centrifuge Separators

2-Phase vs. 3-Phase Separation in Pharma

Shenzhou Machinery offers both 2-phase and 3-phase disc centrifuges:

· 2-Phase: Separates solids from liquids or two immiscible liquids. Widely used in pharma for clarifying suspensions like antibiotics, plasma, or cell cultures.


2-Phase Separates


· 3-Phase: Separates two liquid phases plus solids. Relevant for specialized processes involving organic solvents and aqueous phases, such as in extraction or downstream biologics recovery.

Whether you need standard clarification or complex solvent separation, Shenzhou’s technology covers all pharma applications.


 3-Phase Separates


Types of Pharmaceutical Centrifuge Offered by Shenzhou Machinery

Shenzhou Machinery offers specialized configurations matching pharmaceutical separation requirements:

Primary Function

Bowl-Design Category

Shenzhou Series (full name

How the Bowl Handles Solids

Typical Pharmaceutical Duties

Clarification(remove fine solids from one liquid)

Solid / Chamber Bowl(manual clean)

Solids-Retaining Clarifier

Solids collect in a chamber; operator opens bowl between batches

Final polish of injectables, WFI buffer clarification


Self-Cleaning – Intermittent Eject

Intermittent-Eject Clarifier

PLC-timed hydraulic pistons discharge cake every few minutes

Vaccine harvests ≤ 10 % solids, insulin crystal washing


Self-Cleaning – Continuous Nozzle

Continuous-Nozzle Clarifier

Solids slurry bleeds off through nozzles while spinning

High-cell-density E. coli / yeast broths, penicillin liquor

Purification(split two immiscible liquids + solids)

Self-Cleaning – Intermittent / Nozzle

Three-Phase Purifier

Internal disc dam separates light & heavy liquids; eject or nozzle handles solids

Solvent–water–API systems, lipid removal, vitamin-E extraction

Concentration(thicken biomass or crystals)

Solid / Chamber Bowl

Solids-Retaining Clarifier (small bowls)

Batch heel removal lets you recover delicate cakes

Sterile API crystals where low shear is critical


Self-Cleaning – Continuous Nozzle

Continuous-Nozzle Clarifier

High-solids purge raises paste to 20–25 % w/w

Biomass thickening before dryer or decanter, peptide slurry

Disc Separator Features


Not Sure Which Model Fits Your Line?

Shenzhou Machinery manufactures multiple bowl diameters and drives packages inside each series, so the perfect match is almost always in stock. Share your requirements and specifications, and a Shenzhou Machinery process engineer will recommend the exact model, complete with ATEX or SIP options.


Shenzhou Machinery Pharma-Grade Key Disc Separator Features

GMP Sterility & Hygienic Construction

· 316 L stainless steel, Ra ≤ 0.4 µm on every product-contact surface prevents microbial harboring and ensures easy FDA swab recovery.

· Automated CIP/SIP cycles (121 °C) validate sterility for aseptic fill-finish suites and biologics facilities.

Process Precision for Critical Batches

· Hermetic bowl architecture eliminates aerosol release and contains highly potent APIs.

· Nitrogen overlay modules protect oxygen-sensitive actives from oxidation.

· Real-time vibration and imbalance monitoring keep each run inside GMP alert/action limits.

· Optimized disc geometry plus direct-drive motors lower kWh m⁻³ while maintaining up to 14 500 g.

· PLC/SCADA logs batch records, alarms, and enables secure remote diagnostics.

Pharma-Centric Custom Engineering

· Application-specific 3-D printed mock-ups speed FAT and verify clean-room pipe fit.

· ATEX-certified, explosion-proof builds for solvent crystallization or botanical extractions.

· Turn-key skid packages ship pre-piped and PLC-integrated, arriving with complete IQ/OQ paperwork for rapid validation.


Shenzhou Machinery Pharma-Grade Key Disc Separator Features


Why High-Speed Matters in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Cut a ten-hour clarification step to two, and the whole plant breathes easier. That’s exactly what a high-speed disc centrifuge does, and the benefits ripple far beyond the separator bowl:

Pay-off

What Shenzhou’s High-G Families Deliver

Plant-Level Impact

Faster Turnover, Leaner Tanks

All clarifier, purifier, and nozzle lines run 14 000–16 000 g; the largest bowls empty a 10 m³ fermenter in a single pass

Fewer surge vessels, extra batches per shift, higher fermenter utilization

Sharper Cut-Off, Cleaner Broth

High-G plates push the particle limit down to 0.5 µm across the pharma series

Enzyme, vaccine, and mAb streams leave polish-filter-ready, cutting depth-filter spend by 30–50 %

Lower Bioburden Risk

Hermetic, fully CIP/SIP bowls seal out air and complete separation in minutes

Meets GMP bioburden targets without extra antibiotics or preservatives

Higher API Yield

Minimal foam, low shear, no long waits in a surge tank

Sites switching from low-speed units report 2–4 % more protein recovered per batch

Energy per Kilogram, Not per Hour

Direct-drive motors plus optimized disc geometry focus power into g-force, not heat

kWh · kg⁻¹ of clarified broth drops or holds steady even though the bowl spins faster


How to Choose the Right Disc Centrifuge Separator for Pharmaceutical Use?


Step

What to Check

Key Parameters / Ranges

Typical Pharma Choice

Why It Matters

Feed Characterization

1. Solids volume %  

 

2.Particle-size curve (D90)

Low-titer < 0.5 % vs. high-density 10 %+


D90 < 10 µm vs. > 10 µm

High-G clarifier for fine or dilute feeds

 

Nozzle/eject bowl for dense broths

Drives bowl design and discharge style; wrong match hurts yield or clogs the machine

Sterility Level

1. Cleaning regime

 

2.Bowl geometry

CIP vs. full SIP (121 °C)

 

Hermetic vs. semi-open

Hermetic + SIP for injectables

 

Semi-open + CIP for lower-risk products

Direct impact on GMP bioburden and audit outcomes

Throughput vs. Batch Rhythm

1. Tank size vs. separator flow

 

2.Hydraulic limits

Target single-pass turnover ≤ 2 h

 

Inlet 0.05–0.1 MPa, stable back-pressure

Choose a model whose flow window brackets real pump-out ratesPrevents holding-tank growth and keeps upstream fermenters cycling on time
Solids-Discharge StrategyBowl type & solids loadSolids-retaining (< 0.5 %)


Intermittent eject (≤ 10 %)


Continuous nozzle (≥ 3 % dense)

Match bowl type to solids % and cycle-time targe

Balances shear sensitivity, uptime, and cleaning frequency

Integration & Compliance

1. Automation

 

2. Zone rating

 

3.Validation docs

PLC/SCADA

 

ATEX Zone 1 or standard

 

DQ-IQ-OQ pack

Order skid pre-wired & pre-documented

Cuts wiring change-orders, speeds FAT/SAT, and smooths regulatory audits


FAQs

Q1. What’s the smallest particle a Shenzhou disc separator can remove?

As low as 0.5 µm for solid particles when configured with the High-G DQBS bowl.


Q2. Are validation documents (DQ/IQ/OQ) available?

Yes. Shenzhou Machinery supplies full GMP document packs plus material certificates for all product-contact parts.


Q3. Can one machine handle multiple products?

Yes, recipe-driven PLC settings, quick-change disc packs, and FDA-approved elastomers make product switching rapid.


Conclusion

Disc stack centrifuge separators play a pivotal role in pharmaceutical manufacturing. They enhance yield, improve product purity, and streamline operations. Shenzhou Machinery offers reliable, compliant, and customizable solutions that fit seamlessly into pharmaceutical workflows. Ready to upgrade your pharma process? Reach out to Shenzhou Machinery today for expert guidance and tailored solutions.


Basic Information
  • Year Established
    --
  • Business Type
    --
  • Country / Region
    --
  • Main Industry
    --
  • Main Products
    --
  • Enterprise Legal Person
    --
  • Total Employees
    --
  • Annual Output Value
    --
  • Export Market
    --
  • Cooperated Customers
    --

Send your inquiry

Choose a different language
English
Español
Português
русский
한국어
français
العربية
Deutsch
日本語
Current language:English