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Dust extraction that follows the process

On-demand dust extraction control for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Ecogate coordinates extraction at active pharmaceutical process points, maintains engineer-defined transport airflow and adjusts fan operation as production demand changes.

Keep inactive points closed, reduce unnecessary removal of conditioned room air and give facility teams greater visibility into extraction-system operation.

Standard full flow Ecogate on-demand
Ten pharmaceutical process points are shown. Four processes are operating. In the standard state every extraction point remains open. In the Ecogate state Smart Gates keep only the four required extraction points open. CONDITIONED MAKE-UP AIR AIR SUPPLY PROCESS POINTS EXTRACTION FAN + VFD
Four processes operating in both statesAll 10 extraction points open
Points open10 / 10
Fan demand100 HP / 74 kW
Make-up air9,100 CFM
Ecogate pharmaceutical experience includes
GlaxoSmithKline
Upsher-Smith
Fortune Pharmacal

Maintain transport airflow without disturbing an inactive process or controlled room.

Pharmaceutical facilities often need localized extraction while maintaining room-pressure requirements and limiting unnecessary loss of conditioned air. Leaving every extraction point open can exhaust more conditioned air than active processes require, increasing make-up-air demand. Closing inactive points without coordinated airflow control can allow duct transport airflow to fall below the engineered requirement.

Current Adelie-generation systems using the greenBOX natively support Precision Airflow Gates as adjustable bleed gates. These gates can draw air from an appropriate plenum or technical space rather than an occupied production room, helping maintain the required duct airflow without unnecessarily exhausting conditioned room air.

As more process points become active, the bleed opening can decrease. When fewer points are active, it can increase. Reducing unnecessary exhaust can lower conditioned make-up-air demand and may reduce fan and HVAC loads. Actual savings depend on fan size, operating hours, process utilization, climate, utility rates and the engineered system configuration.

STATE 011 / 4 ACTIVE
Bleed fully openDedicated bleed airflow supplies most of the configured minimum flow.
STATE 022 / 4 ACTIVE
Bleed mostly openProcess airflow has increased, so the required bleed contribution begins to decrease.
STATE 033 / 4 ACTIVE
Bleed less openActive process airflow supplies most of the required transport airflow, so the bleed opening is reduced.
STATE 044 / 4 ACTIVE
Bleed closedActive process airflow meets the configured minimum, so dedicated bleed airflow is not required.

Precision Airflow Gates, shown in motion.

Precision Airflow Gates provide variable-position control in 1% increments. They can be used for dedicated bleed airflow or applications regulated from measured pressure, air velocity, air volume or temperature.

Smart and Precision Airflow Gate Actuators use 24V DC electric gear motors and Modbus daisy-chain wiring, eliminating the compressed-air infrastructure required by pneumatic gate actuators.

Watch on YouTube ↗
Granular position controlSee how a Precision Airflow Gate can adjust through intermediate positions.
Butterfly Precision Airflow Gate demoThe Butterfly Gate uses a silicone seal for airtight closure and is designed for seal-sensitive, lower-particulate applications such as pharmaceutical production, laboratories, fume extraction and high-vacuum systems.

One coordinated airflow-control layer.

Ecogate connects process demand, gate position, measured airflow, dedicated bleed control and fan response. Each system is configured around the design airflow assigned to its process points and duct zones.

01
Start and stop wall switches used to signal extraction demand

Demand signal

A machine signal, process input, sensor or local wall switch calls for extraction.

02
Ecogate Butterfly Smart Gate for controlling ventilation airflow

Gate response

The assigned Smart Gate opens and confirms its open or closed operating state.

03
The greenBOX industrial ventilation controller from Ecogate

Demand calculation

The greenBOX coordinates active process points and calculates the airflow required by the configured system and duct zones.

04

Bleed adjustment

Precision Airflow Gates can modulate dedicated bleed air as process demand changes.

05
Ecogate Power Master VFD for fan-speed control

Fan control

The Power Master VFD adjusts fan speed to match the current operating condition.

Current Smart Systems using the greenBOX support automatic airflow calibration at gate, branch and system levels, with dynamic minimum-velocity control across as many as 10 configured duct zones.

Each system is configured around the facility’s process points, required airflow values and operating sequence.

See the control strategy in operation.

See how movable extraction arms, wall-switch controls, Butterfly Smart Gates and Precision Airflow Gates configured for dedicated bleed airflow work together in Svante’s R&D laboratory.

Video preview of the Ecogate-controlled extraction system at Svante's R&D laboratory
▶

Svante R&D laboratory

Watch active extraction points, localized controls and dedicated bleed airflow operate in a variable-demand laboratory environment.

Movable extraction arm positioned at a laboratory workstation▶
Manual switch control in the R&D labWatch how local controls activate extraction at the point of use.

Where variable-demand control can fit

Application engineering starts with each process point, its required airflow and the expected operating sequence.

Tablet pressingCoating processesFluid-bed dryingSpray dryingBlending and granulationLocalized extraction armsR&D laboratoriesCentral vacuum systems

Planning a pharmaceutical extraction or central-vacuum project?

Share the process schedule, airflow requirements and control architecture for an initial engineering review.

Discuss the airflow strategy ↗

Designed to participate in the facility control environment.

Ecogate components communicate using Modbus RS485 RTU. Integration with a facility PLC or higher-level control platform is defined during controls engineering.

Gate and branch informationPressure, air velocity and air volume information from Smart and Precision Airflow Gates where configured.
Fan and collector informationFan operating state, VFD power, fan pressure and filter pressure where supported by the selected system equipment.
Warnings and alarmsConfigured low-air-volume, pressure, filter and equipment conditions can support operational and maintenance response.
Process and local inputsMachine signals, PLC outputs, sensors and wall switches can initiate extraction according to the configured sequence.
ECOGATE
CONTROL LAYER
BAS / BMS
DCS / PLC
Fan + VFD
Smart + Precision Airflow Gates
Process Signals

Available data points, commands, protocol conversion and responsibility boundaries are established during project controls engineering.

Local operating visibility

Current Adelie-generation systems store operating data locally in a time-series database and make it available through the built-in web interface. Local monitoring does not require cloud connectivity. Remote communications are end-to-end encrypted and do not require open inbound internet ports.

One-second local dataTwelve months of five-minute downloadsGate pressure, velocity and volumeFan and filter pressureVFD powerUtilization and CSV exports

Defined fallback and availability options

Communication lossBy default, powered Smart Gates open if active Modbus communication is lost. Project-specific no-communication behavior can be configured where appropriate.
Manual fan fallbackIf the greenBOX is unavailable, Power Master VFD manual mode can operate the fan at full speed with the gates open.
Pressure protectionPower Master VFD pressure-protection logic can stop the fan at the configured excessive-negative-pressure limit, including during manual operation.
High-availability optionsCritical applications can be engineered with two fans and two VFDs in lead-and-backup configurations.

Continue into the technical detail.

Explore the technologies, control strategies and engineering principles behind on-demand airflow control for pharmaceutical production.

Questions engineers ask first.

How does Ecogate maintain transport airflow when only one process is active?

The greenBOX calculates airflow demand as extraction points open and close. If active process points do not provide the airflow required by the engineered duct strategy, designated Precision Airflow Gates can add bleed air from an appropriate plenum or technical space. Minimum transport-velocity values are established during system engineering and commissioning.

Why not open another inactive extraction point?

In a pharmaceutical or laboratory environment, opening an inactive point may remove additional conditioned room air, disturb room conditions, create noise or interfere with a process. Dedicated bleed gates provide a separate source of transport air when the system design calls for it.

Can Ecogate integrate with a BAS, BMS, DCS or PLC?

Ecogate components use Modbus RS485 RTU communication. Integration with a facility PLC or higher-level control system can be established during project controls engineering. The available points, commands, protocol conversion and responsibility boundaries depend on the project configuration.

What operating data is available?

Current Adelie-generation systems can display and store gate airflow information, fan and filter pressure, VFD power consumption, system utilization and configured warnings or alarms. Data is stored locally, with CSV downloads available for operational and engineering analysis.

Are stainless-steel and butterfly-style gates available?

Yes. Ecogate offers stainless-steel gate-body options and butterfly-style bodies for appropriate low-particulate and seal-sensitive applications. Final material, body and actuator selection depends on the process and system conditions.

Can an existing pharmaceutical extraction system be retrofitted?

Potentially. Ecogate can evaluate existing ductwork, collection points, fans, drives, control signals and transport-airflow requirements to determine whether an on-demand retrofit is technically appropriate.

Can Ecogate control a central vacuum system?

Ecogate has experience with on-demand central vacuum applications using room-valve or process inputs, automatic pump operation and minimum-airflow control. The pump, valves, pressure range and control sequence require project-specific review.

What does Ecogate control, and does it provide containment or GMP validation?

Ecogate controls extraction-point operation, gate coordination, measured airflow inputs, dedicated bleed-gate position and fan-speed demand, and it can communicate configured operating information. Capture design, ductwork, filtration, room-pressure design, material hazards, containment and explosion protection are addressed by the complete engineered system. GMP qualification, validation, operating procedures, maintenance, change control and regulatory compliance remain facility responsibilities.

What information is needed for an engineering review?

Useful starting information includes a process and collection-point list, operating schedule, simultaneous-use assumptions, duct drawings, required airflow values, fan and collector data, room-pressure requirements, control-platform details and applicable dust or material hazards.

Review the airflow strategy before selecting the controls.

Share the process points, simultaneous-use assumptions, design airflow values, current extraction equipment and facility-control requirements. Ecogate can help determine where on-demand airflow control may fit.

New extraction systemExisting-system reviewCentral vacuumConsulting-engineer support

Useful starting information: process-point schedule, duct drawings, airflow requirements, fan and collector data, room-pressure requirements, control-platform details and applicable material hazards.

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