Zoetis Streamlines Calibration at Rathdrum Site with Beamex Digital Calibration Solution
Beamex calibration hardware and software forms the core of a fully digital, paperless calibration ecosystem in Rathdrum, Ireland, where Zoetis manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for its world-leading range of companion animal and livestock products. The onsite Maintenance team taking care of instrument calibration rely on Beamex solutions to manage and execute hundreds of calibrations a week.
Zoetis, the world’s leading animal health company, develops and manufactures vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other technologies for companion animals and livestock. In 2017 the company’s Global Manufacturing and Supply division acquired the Rathdrum site, situated in County Wicklow, Ireland about an hour’s drive from the capital, Dublin.
This 84-acre campus is a critical component of Zoetis’ manufacturing network, currently housing four production plants that manufacture APIs used in many of the company’s key products. The equipment requiring calibration includes reactors, centrifuges, dryers, and site utilities, with typical calibration activities involving temperature, pressure, level, and humidity, among others.
When Zoetis acquired the site, the engineering maintenance team with responsibility for instrumentation required compliant computerised calibration management software (CCMS), as Paul O’Sullivan, Engineering Planner at Zoetis Rathdrum, explains.
“The Beamex system and equipment was very familiar to the maintenance team and Zoetis knew that it fulfilled all their requirements in terms of regulatory compliance, which is non-negotiable in the pharmaceutical manufacturing business,” Paul says. “So when the site was reactivated after the change of ownership, getting everything up and running again was a relatively straightforward process. I have been using Beamex solutions as a technician for over 15 years and there is simply no comparison. Everything is so easy to set up and use, which makes our job far easier and less stressful!”
PAPERLESS CALIBRATION TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF
Before adopting Beamex solutions, the maintenance technicians at Rathdrum were saddled with a time-consuming, potentially error prone paper-based calibration process where they were transcribing information from notebooks and manually calculating errors to check tolerances.
“As well as the amount of time it took, the paper records were very untidy looking and everything we wrote down needed to be filed away ready for inspections and audits,” Paul says. “Finding the records we needed, for example previous calibration certificates to verify instrument ranges before committing to a task, was a nightmare. What’s more, we had to manually enter the due dates and next due dates for the instruments and reference instruments we use to perform calibrations and there was no central location to check these from.”
The Rathdrum site first adopted Beamex solutions back in 2005 in the form of Beamex MC5 documenting multifunction calibrators and QM6 calibration management software. Today Paul and the maintenance team still use one Beamex MC5 alongside their new, state-of-the art Beamex MC6[1] and MC6-Ex Advanced Field Calibrator and Communicators and Beamex CMX Calibration Management Software.
“We currently use six MC6 and three MC6-Ex calibrators as well as two external high-pressure modules. We use the equipment to perform a wide variety of calibrations onsite; a little bit of everything really,” Paul explains. “Our CMX database has close to 2,500 active positions and about 5,000 positions set up in total, and we can be performing anything up to 100 to 150 calibrations a week depending on the month.”
MAKING EVERYDAY LIFE EASIER
For Paul and the team of technicians, the Beamex integrated calibration solution streamlines the entire calibration process. Instruments can be checked out from the CMX software directly onto the MC6 via USB, which provides all the information required to perform a calibration.
Once the calibration is complete the results are digitally documented on the MC6, errors calculated automatically with the ability to instantly show a pass or fail, and the results uploaded to the CMX database from the MC6.
Adding new users is also a straightforward process, as is assigning access rights according to their role and level of training. “If we have new people come onsite, they learn very quickly because the calibrators and software are so intuitive, plus they don’t need to look up ranges from previous calibrations because everything’s there in the database, along with the calibration history for each position. For me, setting access rights for technicians, supervisors, and admin users is equally easy,” Paul says.
The HART communication module for the Beamex MC6 is another big plus for Paul and the team. “It’s another example of how Beamex makes life that bit easier for us. If we’re in the field and need to adjust an instrument, there’s no need to come back to the workshop to do it and we’re not carrying two pieces of equipment around with us.”
A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR ALL CALIBRATION NEEDS
Beamex and the Rathdrum engineering team have built a strong relationship over many years of working together, and this is echoed in the comments from Aidan Farrelly, Calibration Consultant Wales, Ireland & South West at Beamex:
“We have developed a close working relationship with the team at Zoetis over the years, supporting them both directly and through our Irish channel partners at Howard Instrumentation. Our aim is to help ensure regulatory compliance via smart processes. We also assist our customers to achieve operational objectives in relation to efficiency, data integrity, and sustainable working practices, while ensuring they can continue to adapt to the rapidly changing trends in the life sciences industry.”
“We work in partnership with Beamex to provide local support to the team at Rathdrum, helping Zoetis to build and maintain a world-class calibration solution. We are proud to be able to say that the Rathdrum site is an example of calibration excellence in Ireland,” says Niall Howard, Managing Director of Howard Instrumentation.
“Beamex is our one-stop-shop for all our calibration requirements,” Paul sums up. “Their solutions enable massive time savings for us and reduce the pressure on our technicians by making their job easier and more efficient. And if there’s ever a problem or a question, the Beamex team is always at the end of the phone with technical support or advice. It’s a win-win for everyone concerned!”
Discover more on how Beamex have helped other industries with their calibration solutions.
[1] Beamex MC6 Advanced Field Calibrator and Communicator
Beamex Ltd
- 01455 821 920
- beamex.ltd@beamex.com
- http://www.beamex.com
- Unit 1, Interchange 21, Centre Court Leicester Leicestershire LE19 1WR GB
About us
A better way to calibrate – Since the establishment of Beamex in 1975, the company has focused strongly and consistently on calibration. Beamex is a technology and service company that develops, manufactures and markets high-quality calibration equipment, software, systems and services for the calibration and maintenance of process instruments. The company is a leading worldwide provider of integrated calibration solutions for improving quality and efficiency.
Beamex offers a comprehensive range of products and services—from portable calibrators to workstations, calibration accessories, calibration software, industry-specific solutions and professional services. Through Beamex’s global and competent partner network, Beamex’s products and services are available in more than 80 countries. Beamex is certified in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard.
Over forty years of experience in manufacturing and developing calibration equipment and systems, close co-operation with customers that have high requirements and uncompromising quality standards, shared by the people working at Beamex, are things that have made Beamex’s calibration solutions world-class. As a proof of Beamex’s success, there are more than 10,000 companies worldwide utilising its calibration solutions.
Beamex’s ISO 17025 accredited calibration laboratory is accredited and approved by FINAS (Finnish Accreditation Service). FINAS is a member of all Multilateral Recognition Agreements / Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MLA/MRA) signed by European and other international organisations, i.e. European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum Inc. (IAF).
What we do in a nutshell
We provide products and services for companies to streamline and digitalise their calibration processes.
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