* * * INSIGHT * * *

Purchasing a  Freeze Dryer - Need of a Sanity Check?

By

Thomas A. Jennings, Ph.D.

The freeze dryer is by no means the most complex commercially manufactured machine in the world.  But in my opinion, I would certainly list it among the first top ten. And with the ever growing increase in technological advances, especially with the computer leading the way, the overall machine has become more and more complex. For the end user the new machines may be so sophisticated that they can be viewed as a dream to operate but to the manufacturer that dream may pose a nightmare of problems. I am certain that there are still those in the manufacturing sector who would once again long to return to those distance days when a control system consisted of merely a mechanical cam system or light detector following a black line on a graph. For those whose responsibility it is to validate the machine, the task seems to take on a life of its own and seems to have grown to monstrous proportions. Does such additional efforts in validation lead to an improved quality of the final product is beyond this INSIGHT but should make for very interesting reading in the future.

Right now I would like to outline my views on the steps one should take when going through the progress of purchasing a freeze dryer. Since I am a completely independent consultant with no ties, obligations, nor have I received any “gifts” from any freeze dryer manufacturer, I am in a rather unique position to speak without any bias in mind. Thus this INSIGHT would be, in my opinion, applicable to the purchase of a freeze dryer from any of the current manufacturers. Before I start, I would just like to say I have the greatest respect for those brave organizations that manufacture freeze dryers. For truly from my perspective any one purchasing a freeze dryer today is in no doubt getting a real bargain. At a time when, except for mass produced electronic devices such as computers, the cost of most products increase, the cost of a freeze dryer in terms of the current economy has seen a significant increase. It is truly one of the few remaining bargain items in the 21st Century.

Vol. 5 No. 9                                                                                              September 2002

7 Pages          1 References           0 Figures

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