SteriPharm Process Systems started in a rented bay in Crestfield with two polishers and a second-hand lathe, rebuilding tablet presses for a local contract manufacturer. The rebuilding taught us which parts of a machine give trouble at three in the morning, and we have been designing around that knowledge ever since.
What we argue about internally
Machine speed is the number that sells and the number that matters least. A press running at ninety percent of its rated output but stripping for cleaning in twenty-five minutes will out-produce a faster machine that needs two hours and a socket set. So our design reviews spend their long arguments on dismantling sequences, seal access and how a surface will read on a swab — not on the top of the speed range.
The people you will actually deal with
- Application engineering: reads your product, batch size and room drawing before quoting. If your granulate is difficult, they will tell you at the quote, not at commissioning.
- The shop floor: sheet metal, machining, polishing and assembly are all in the Crestfield building, which is why a change request takes days rather than a purchase order cycle.
- Test and documentation: runs the acceptance protocol and assembles the dossier. They are the ones who refuse to release a crate.
- Service: installs, trains your operators on cleaning and changeover, and answers the phone when a line is down.
Replacing a machine, adding a line, or trying to work out whether your room can take one? Send an engineer the details and expect an answer within one business day.
