Vibration Sensors for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Built to withstand aggressive conditions for total reliability
Ensuring Equipment Reliability and Compliance with Precision Vibration Monitoring
In the pharmaceutical industry, maintaining consistent production, product quality, and regulatory compliance is essential.
Pharmacutical Manufacturing processes rely heavily on precision machinery operating continuously under controlled conditions, where unexpected equipment failure can result in costly downtime, batch losses, and compliance risks. Hansford Sensors provides reliable vibration sensor solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, supporting predictive maintenance strategies that help safeguard critical assets.
By monitoring vibration levels across key equipment, maintenance teams can detect developing mechanical issues early, ensuring stable operation and minimising disruption to validated production processes.
Key Vibration Sensor Applications in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Hansford Sensors’ vibration sensors are widely used across pharmaceutical production, utilities, and packaging areas to monitor essential equipment, including:
- Motors – Identifying bearing wear, imbalance, and misalignment to maintain consistent and reliable process operation.
- Pumps – Monitoring vibration in transfer, dosing, and circulation pumps to detect cavitation, bearing defects, and mechanical looseness.
- Fans & HVAC Systems – Ensuring reliable airflow in cleanrooms and controlled environments by detecting early signs of bearing and alignment issues.
- Gearboxes & Conveyors – Protecting critical drivetrain components in material handling, tablet processing, and packaging lines.
- Mixers & Granulators – Monitoring mechanical condition to ensure consistent mixing performance and avoid process interruptions.
Vibration Monitoring Solutions For Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Hansford Sensors offers a range of vibration sensors and monitoring solutions designed to meet the specific requirements of pharmaceutical environments:
- AC Accelerometers (e.g. HS-100 Series) – High-sensitivity vibration sensors ideal for detailed fault detection and condition monitoring of bearings and mechanical components.
- 4–20mA Vibration Sensors (e.g. HS-420 Series) – Scaled output sensors suitable for continuous monitoring and seamless integration with PLC, DCS, and BMS systems.
- Waterproof & Washdown Sensors – Sealed vibration sensors designed for use in areas subject to regular cleaning and controlled hygiene procedures.
- Enclosures & Junction Boxes (HS-JE & HS-SE Series) – Robust housings available in stainless steel to protect connections and maintain system integrity in production and utility areas.
These vibration monitoring solutions enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement reliable condition monitoring programmes that support compliance, reduce maintenance risk, and extend equipment life.
Designed for Clean and Controlled Environments
Hansford Sensors’ vibration sensors for the pharmaceutical industry are engineered for reliable operation in clean, controlled, and continuously operating environments. With stainless steel construction, high ingress protection, and stable long-term performance, they provide accurate vibration measurement without compromising hygiene or process integrity.
From utilities and HVAC systems to production and packaging lines, Hansford Sensors’ vibration monitoring solutions help pharmaceutical manufacturers maintain uptime, quality, and confidence in their operations.
Typical solutions for the Pharmaceutical Industry
For use with air handling units (AHUs)
Our range of vibration monitoring sensors and systems include specialised devices for use with air handling units (AHUs). These include simple and cost-effective online 4-20mA sensors (HS-420 Series) mounted on to the bearings and shafts of the AHU, to detect out of balance and misalignment problems. Output connections are normally fed back to a PLC (programmable logic controller) or similar system where overall vibration trends can be monitored remotely.
Dual Output Analysis
A dual output sensor (HS-421 Series), provides both 4-20mA and AC outputs, enabling plant or maintenance engineers to carry out a detailed vibration analysis via a data collector. This allows bearing defects and mechanical looseness to be easily identified, as well as more detailed information on out-of-balance and possible alignment issues.
Longer Term Trend Analysis
Fixed AC sensors (HS-100 Series) or transmitters can be hard-wired back to switch boxes located in accessible and safe locations. This set up enables vibration data to be collected safely from the same machine positions on a regular basis, for longer term trend analysis.
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Global Customer Service & Support
We have a global network of sales partners, backed by the resources of our central product design, manufacturing and customer centre in the UK. Our sales partners include vibration analysts, consultants and system builders and integrators. Each is fully trained, experienced in meeting the challenges of vibration monitoring in a wide range of industrial applications and capable of providing dedicated local technical, engineering and customer service, wherever you are in the world.
For fast, friendly advice, and to learn more about our products, please contact our sales team.