The 3,335 sq. ft. cleanroom is located in Fermoy, Ireland, and will more than double manufacturing capacity for its single-use bioreactor bags – known at ABEC as disposable containers (DCs) – said the firm.
The class ISO-7 site houses a dedicated manufacturing area, CNC (controlled not classified) and airlock space, and is expected to be open this April.
The expansion responds to increased demand globally, in Asia, Europe and North America, said spokesperson Susan Cooper-Curcio.
“ABEC’s Custom Single Run (CSR) 4,000L bioreactor and the 5,000L general mixing are the most sought after, which is driven by customers’ interest in achieving economies of scale and greater process flexibility in single-use manufacturing,” we were told.
The Fermoy site – design and constructed by contractors Clearsphere and Kingspan – marks ABEC’s second cleanroom capacity after its Bethlehem, Pennsylvania site in the US.
In Ireland, ABEC also has manufacturing sites in Kells, County Meath and an existing facility in Fermoy.
The firm said it expects growing demand in the CSR product line to result in added jobs.
Supply chain security
ABEC said the Fermoy site will help meet customers’ quality and scheduling needs.
“A flexible and reliable supply of high quality DCs is critical to our customers’ single-use manufacturing operations.
“ABEC’s new state-of-the art cleanroom in Fermoy greatly enhances our DC supply capability and further reduces our customers’ single-use supply chain risk,” said CEO Scott Pickering.
In 2015, ABEC launched a 4,300L single-use bioreactor – the largest on the market at that time – with a working volume of 3,500L.
In July last year, the firm increased that offering to 4,900L.