Expertise in Synergy - Glatt

Genzyme And Glatt
a winning cooperation for a new state of the art pharmaceutical plant
In 1959 just five years after having established the company
in Binzen, Werner Glatt together with just a dozen employees designed
and constructed one of the world's first fluid bed plants,
suitable for industrial application in the pharmaceutical industry.
Glatt's international activity developed due to an ever increasing
satisfied customer base and growing international demand. In
1971, Glatt AG was founded in Switzerland, followed by Glatt Air
Techniques (GAT) in Ramsey, USA in 1973. Glatt AG was instrumental
in launching a second product family onto the market: the
Glatt Coater. Today, the Glatt Corporation is a truly global company
group. It employs a workforce of over 1,300 at its various
locations and works with over 50 permanent agencies who act as
local points of contact for customers around the world.
People's ideas and expectations change the same as the economic
climate. There is however one thing that has not changed in
almost 50 years: Our focus on customer satisfaction.
In 1989 Reiner Nowak took over as Chief Executive Officer from
Werner Glatt, and made the most of the opportunities conceived
by the new development taking place in Germany. Glatt has
grown along with its customers over the past fifty years. Starting
from fluid beds, today we plan and supply complex systems specific
to the entire spectrum of solid pharmaceutical production,
exclusively using original Glatt equipment, or in cooperation with
reputable suppliers.
Three Glatt locations are together operating to successfully finalise
the new Genzyme plant on time: Glatt GmbH in Binzen (Germany),
Headquarters of the Glatt Group, with the important
automation part for the new facility; Glatt AG in Pratteln (Switzerland)
responsible for the tablet coater; and Glatt Systemtechnik
GmbH in Dresden (Germany) responsible for the high shear
mixer, the containment technology and the complete product
handling solutions. All three companies have established a single
project team, working together with PM Engineering and our
By Ralf Kretzschmar, Glatt Dresden
client Genzyme, to carry out the most efficient process solution in
time. Integrated systems are nowadays in great demand – preferably
coming from one source. With product handling, the main
criteria are primarily determined by the type of product flow,
degree of automation and level of containment.
Whether weighing, dosing, blending, sieving, storing, transporting,
docking or the necessary documentation, whether manually
or automatically controlled – Glatt together with Genzyme has
developed the optimum solution for the required application.
Something always starts with an idea, which then leads on to a
concept. Special requirements are voiced, restrictions come into
play, specifications have to be complied with and decisions to be
taken: the targeted production capacity, vertical or horizontal product
flow, manual or automatic handling, and the degree of control
integration. Open handling or total containment. WIP or CIP.
The safety concept...
There are often various different solutions which have to be
assessed. Structural circumstances on site and the type of products
being produced have to be taken into consideration.
Project management is a key factor here. Interfaces and fields of
10 International Times No. 27 · March 2009