In ultrapure water production, precise and continuous monitoring is essential to meet the increasingly stringent standards of industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and semiconductors. CIFA Group, a leader in designing and maintaining purified water systems, has integrated Hamilton’s advanced Arc sensor technology to improve real-time monitoring and control of water purity. By eliminating the need for traditional bulky transmitters and enabling seamless digital automation, this collaboration marks a significant step forward in optimizing ultrapure water systems for critical industrial applications.
Intelligent Sensors in Pure Water Production
The term ultrapure water (UPW) is widely used across various industries, although each has its own quality standards. For example, the ultrapure water required by power plants differs from that used in semiconductor manufacturing or pharmaceutical production. As a result, organizations such as ASTM for electronics, EPRI for power plants, and USP, EP, and JP for the pharmaceutical industry have developed distinct standards for UPW production.
Despite these differences, some applications are similar across industries. In both semiconductor fabrication and pharmaceuticals, ultrapure water is used as a cleaning or rinsing agent. In the pharmaceutical sector, UPW is also used as an ingredient in products and for generating steam for sterilization. As a result, the water must not only be extremely low in particles, silica, and non-volatile residue, but also free from microorganisms, viruses, and endotoxins. To meet the stringent purity levels required, ultrapure water undergoes multiple stages of treatment, including pretreatment, primary purification, and a polishing stage that continuously recirculates and maintains the water’s high purity.
One of the most common indicators of water purity is conductivity (or resistivity), used to detect ionic contamination. Ultrapure water is particularly sensitive to contamination from ion exchange breakdown or absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which forms conductive ions in water. To ensure purity, real-time monitoring using conductivity sensors is essential in ultrapure water systems.
CIFA Group, known for its expertise in designing and maintaining purified water systems, including Water for Injection (WFI) loops, serves the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and food industries. To optimize the accuracy and reliability of water quality measurements, CIFA selected Hamilton’s Arc sensors for conductivity, pH, and ORP monitoring.
Hamilton Arc sensors provide a robust digital signal directly to the process control system, simplifying integration. Using an RS485 interface, each sensor is assigned a unique address, allowing configuration files to be downloaded and sensor settings to be easily managed. Additionally, Arc technology eliminates the need for external transmitters, enabling more efficient use of space in electrical cabinets.
A further advantage is the wireless connectivity offered by Hamilton’s Arc sensors. With optional Bluetooth adapters, the sensors can communicate with smartphones or tablets via the Hamilton ArcAir app, allowing for convenient remote monitoring and adjustments.
The reliability of Hamilton Arc sensors, combined with the detailed certification they provide, has made them CIFA Group’s preferred choice for monitoring ultrapure water systems, optimizing efficiency and ensuring the highest level of water purity.
Source: Hamilton
