Preventing Errors in Cancer Treatment Equipment: Schaffner AHFs Deliver Reliability in Production

2024.06.26

When specialising in the production of medicines for the treatment of cancer, Big Pharma companies cannot afford mistakes. The type of equipment used in such applications does not have a history of failing but with the ever-evolving incorporation of new electronic devices in the medical sector, the potential dangers of harmonic distortion (HD) cannot be ignored.

High Harmonics Content

One pharmaceutical company, decided to eliminate the EMC related issue to prevent the risk of something going wrong. The company had identified a high harmonics content across its site: a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) between 30% to 40%, which could lead to malfunction and failure of the site equipment, such as distorted signals producing data errors, inaccurate readings and diagnostic faults.

Other potential problems such THD levels could create include overheating in power supplies, risking potential fires or breakdowns, as well as increased electrical stress, all of which can reduce the lifespan of medical devices and disrupt the device’s overall operation and efficiency. With such risks at forefront of mind, the pharmaceutical company decided that prevention was the best approach.

Active Harmonic Filters to the Rescue

Schaffner's expertise in the medical industry is widely acknowledged and the company is committed to pushing the boundaries when it comes to interference suppression technology for manufacturing devices in medical applications. Schaffner is collaborating with trusted partners that also reflect this vision, to deliver a full consultancy service with guaranteed solutions to customers.

The pharmaceutical company worked closely with one of these partners, who was able to utilise the trusted partnership with Schaffner, relying on their technical expertise as well as their solutions focused products. The partner supplied Active Harmonic Filters (AHFs) from Schaffner’s power quality product portfolio, which were easily accessible for the pharmaceutical company because of Schaffner’s close relationship with its partners. The AHFs are designed to identify, monitor and correct electrical harmonics in real-time. By producing compensating currents to cancel out harmonic distortions, AHFs improve power quality, enhance equipment efficiency and reduce the risk of damage or malfunction. AHFs are a vital tool when looking to maintain stable and clean power in such sensitive applications and the Big Pharma company now has the reliability needed to ensure smooth operations for its critical production line. 

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If you have any issues or concerns about high harmonics and EMI, ask Schaffner.