Major Pharmaceutical Company Saves Time and Money Using the Elios 2 for Tank Inspections

A leading pharmaceutical company recently adopted the Elios 2 drone for tank inspections, an essential part of its Riboflavin testing process. The results were impressive and highlighted significant improvements in efficiency, safety, and cost savings.

Key Benefits at a Glance

Introduction

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, large stainless steel tanks are used for various production processes. These tanks must be kept clean at all times to ensure product quality and regulatory compliance. After each batch, they are cleaned using acid and lye, but before they can be used again, a thorough inspection is required to confirm that no contaminants remain.

This is where the Riboflavin test comes into play. A fluorescent substance called Riboflavin is sprayed inside the tank to simulate potential contaminants. If it remains after cleaning, it indicates that the cleaning process needs adjustment. This test, also known as the Spray Shadow test, is crucial for verifying the effectiveness of the cleaning procedures.

Traditionally, this process required workers to physically enter the tanks twice—once to check the coverage of the Riboflavin and again after cleaning to ensure it was fully removed. However, this method posed safety risks and often led to extended downtimes.

Customer Needs

A major pharmaceutical company based in Austria had several large tanks at its facility and wanted to explore new technologies to make the Riboflavin test more efficient. The goal was to reduce downtime and improve safety by eliminating the need for manual entry into the tanks.

The company also aimed to conduct the two verification steps remotely, ensuring that the Riboflavin was fully covered and then completely removed without putting workers at risk.

AEROVISION Drone Support GmbH Provides a Cutting-Edge Solution

Markus Rockenschaub from AEROVISION Drone Support GmbH, a drone inspection services provider in Austria, proposed using Flyability’s Elios 2 for the next round of Riboflavin tests. The Elios 2 is designed to operate in confined spaces and provide high-quality visual data, making it ideal for this task.

With the Elios 2, the team could safely and efficiently perform both stages of the test without requiring personnel to enter the tanks.

Results and Impact

During the test, the Elios 2 successfully captured all necessary visual data for the two stages of the Riboflavin test. It flew through five tanks in a single day, live-streaming footage to a large screen for real-time monitoring.

The results were clear:

• Savings: 60,000 Euros saved from reduced downtime.
• Time Efficiency: The time required for five tests dropped from ten hours to just four.
• Safety: No personnel entered the tanks, reducing health and safety risks.
• Personnel Reduction: The number of people needed for the tests decreased from five to three.

In some cases, the drone detected residual Riboflavin, which would have otherwise required manual re-inspection. This early detection helped avoid unnecessary delays and ensured that the cleaning process was effective before the tanks were put back into service.

Conclusion

The success of the Elios 2 in this application has encouraged the pharmaceutical company to consider using it more frequently for future tank inspections. With more tanks set to be installed in the next six months, the company sees great value in adopting this technology for ongoing Riboflavin testing.

The company is also exploring the possibility of attaching UV lights to the Elios 2 to enhance the visibility of the fluorescent Riboflavin, further improving the accuracy and efficiency of the testing process.

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