Built for You

What’s the secret behind great equipment? High performance and high quality should be a given in the world of biopharma, but we shouldn’t forget the overall design and useability of a system, including its ergonomics. Asahi Kasei Bioprocess (AKB) designs and manufactures large-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment that is deployed all over the world – and it prides itself on deep collaboration with customers. Part of the company’s ethos is “Built For You” – a philosophy that ensures equipment is truly made to help biopharma companies to develop the best products possible, in a safe and efficient manner.

Here, we speak with Steve Foy, Manager, Products and Brand Strategy, to find out more.

What inspired AKB’s “Built for You” philosophy?
 

Our mission and vision are centered around being a trusted advisor for customers. The only way to achieve that is to partner with customers – and that means developing and fostering relationships. It shouldn’t just be about the sale of products and equipment; we have a duty to help our customers perform to the best of their ability.

We’re already well-known for custom equipment, but our “Built For You” philosophy is about more than that. It is a broader story that goes beyond custom equipment into a deep understanding of customers and their specific requirements, and our willingness to design solutions on their behalf to help them be more productive.

Why is ergonomic equipment design so important?
 

Ergonomics have naturally been an important aspect of our equipment design for a long time, but we’ve never really focused specific messaging around it. Ergonomics is the study of ease and comfort – and a stepping stone to greater efficiency and safety – and plays a key part in “Built For You”. An ergonomic chair, for example, increases efficiency and productivity for somebody working at a desk by increasing their safety and comfort. Poorly designed equipment can potentially reduce productivity and increase risks for the operator, the product, and the company in general.

To give an example of how ergonomics affects pharmaceutical manufacturing, consider our commercial-scale CURSIV™ DAC Ergo liquid chromatography column. Large columns can be difficult and tedious for operators to use and maintain. The DAC Ergo works on a hydraulic system rather than on a solitary frame. The telescopic legs are much larger and separated from the column. A single operator can remove the bottom plate assembly in roughly 30 minutes, which makes unpacking and maintenance much easier.

Is ergonomics typically overlooked by customers?
 

Customers often focus on the technical specifications of equipment. Certainly, equipment needs to have the right specs and deliver high performance. However, if your equipment isn’t easily usable – for example, if it is difficult to operate or to learn how to use – then it will be an obstacle to optimized productivity.

In addition to looking at the technical details, we always advise customers to think about ergonomics. For example, look for a human–machine interface screen that is positioned appropriately – not too high or too low; look for a keyboard and a touchscreen input option to make it comfortable for the individual operator. Customers should also think about maintenance and accessibility. Are all the parts inside easy to access? The alternative is to take everything apart, retrieve and replace a component, and put it all back together. These are aspects that customers may not consider outright.

As well as ensuring our equipment is high quality, high performing, durable, robust, and reliable, we always look at how we can make things more accessible, more efficient, and simpler. All these factors can have a big impact on day-to-day operations. There is a level of productivity that a customer may not even know they’re able to achieve. And so, it is up to us to focus on that and innovate on the customer’s behalf. Even if they’ve become familiar and proficient with older designs, could they still save hours of downtime when it comes to process changeover? That could mean extra batches per week.

One driver for the design for our recently released THESYS™ ACS Ergo column was input from customers. Our typical synthesis columns are very high performing – and popular with customers all over the world. But changing the media after synthesis involves unscrewing a series of threaded bolts, which can be a bit tedious. After listening to feedback, we modified the design to improve usability and productivity.

How does AKB work with customers during the design process?
 

We start by understanding the space we must work with. Very early in the design phase, we ask the customer for a floor plan of their facility that shows the route the equipment will take from the loading dock, as well as the room and location for installation. We note the maximum dimensions that can be safely wheeled through the hallways and around corners, the sizes of entryways, and areas to avoid placing routine maintenance items.

During our formal internal review, we have several checklist items related to safety and ergonomics. We verify the constraints with the lead engineer and ensure that the designed skid will fit. We look at every single component that will require routine maintenance or access to control panels and consider ease of use, such as the position of pump faces and pump motors, the support of heavy valve blocks and other components, and the accessibility of control panels for sensor calibration.

We locate the HMI and keyboard at commonly accepted heights for ergonomic operation and, during our formal external review with the customer, we suggest they include representatives from their maintenance and metrology departments. We then go through all these points with the customer and come out with alignment or suggestions to better meet their needs. It is not uncommon for us to export a 3D model of the system for the customer to import into their plant plans for further confirmation that all components and ports are located to provide ease of use.

Why should new customers consider working with AKB?
 

I am deeply proud of our people and their ability to develop great equipment and form great relationships. In addition to providing high quality equipment with excellent performance – which can be table stakes – we focus on ergonomics and usability as key selling points. Another differentiator is the service we offer and how we communicate with the customer – from sales and the proposal process, to design, manufacture, installation, and field service.

A cornerstone of AKB is our collaboration with customers. Our success is derived from our customer’s success. Our equipment plays a crucial role in bringing new therapies to patients and we have a responsibility to supply the best solutions that can help customers to be as productive and efficient as possible.

https://fluidmgmt.ak-bio.com/