For its new production facility in Schopfheim, Develco Pharma wanted an overall concept that complies with the drug industry's strict requirements for maintaining room conditions such as pressure, temperature and humidity and monitoring them using a validated monitoring system. Building automation, intrusion detection, video surveillance, an access control system and a comprehensive fire safety solution were also needed.

Siemens offered all disciplines from a single source, including the laboratory solution, and networked everything via the Desigo CC management platform. The installed laboratory solution continuously monitors the fume hoods to protect precisely defined areas. Exhaust air is extracted based on demand, preventing contamination of substances as well as uncontrolled backflow of air into the room. Particle counters detect particulate matter in the air that might be hazardous to the environment or production and dynamically adjust the air exchange rate to reduce the concentration and render it harmless.

Critical Environment Technology (CET) from Siemens is a range of reliable air volume controllers and additional components for safe, precise and fast measurement, regulation and monitoring of air volumes and room pressures in laboratories. CET consists of independently functioning controllers (base components) and a number of peripheral devices (add-ons) such as VAV dampers, sensors and actuators.

All components are interconnected via interfaces based on open standards. CET is easy to add to building automation systems like Desigo; in this case it was connected to the Desigo CC management platform at a higher level. Compact Monitoring Technology (CMT) from Siemens ensures seamless monitoring. CMT monitors and documents all GMP-relevant pharmaceutical production parameters.

Last but not least, the site is connected to the Siemens Remote Service Platform (cRSP).

Develco Pharma specializes in developing and manufacturing pharmaceutical products with known active ingredients; it also produces generics and performs additional development on drugs. The company is an internationally recognized supplier of drugs for treating severe pain (opiates) and sells its products mainly on the European and North American markets. At the company's second location in the German town of Schopfheim near the Swiss border, a new production facility was set up to manufacture pain medications and drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).