Technology

Higher Yields

Improved product recovery and transmission, reducing losses and maximising output.

Uniform TMP

Maintains a uniform TMP across the entire membrane area, enabling precise process control, higher transmission and sharper separations.

Lower Fouling

The Vibro^® anti-fouling mechanism that localises turbulence at the membrane surface minimises build-up, supporting longer run times and more consistent performance.

How it works

Unlike conventional cross-flow or tangential flow filtration (TFF), where rapid flow creates turbulence not only at the membrane surface but throughout the system, Vibro^® technology vibrates the membrane relative to the liquid medium.

The result is localised turbulence exactly where it matters and elimination of large energy- and shear intensive pumping of the process medium. The reduced liquid flow rates eliminate the high pressure drops known from TFF and allows the process to be controlled at low, uniform transmembrane pressure (TMP) which is critical for high transmission of large molecules.

Coupling the open, unrestricted flow channel of the Vibro^® technology with the independence of the liquid flow rate opens new possibilities of membrane filtration; for instance by eliminating the need for pre-clarification steps, or making single pass processing possible – everything within the same single technical solution.

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Gentler Processing

Reduced shear stress preserves sensitive biomolecules and cells, protecting product quality.

Fewer Steps, Greater Simplicity

The possibility of membrane filtration without pre-clarification and the potential for single-pass processing can eliminate process steps and simplify operations and validation.

Energy Efficiency

Lower feed velocities and minimal pressure loss mean reduced energy requirements, making Vibro^® technology a sustainable choice for modern bioprocessing.

VMF in Micro and ultrafiltration

microfiltration

Microfiltration is a filtration process that removes suspended solids, bacteria, cells, and other large particulates from liquids. It works by passing a fluid through a microporous filtration material, typically with pore sizes ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 micrometres. Molecules smaller than the membrane pores such as water, salts, peptides and most small proteins pass through as permeate, while larger entities like cells, microbes, and colloidal particles are retained by the filter.

Operating Principles in Microfiltration

• Microfiltration either uses depth filtration or membrane filtration principle. By depth filtration the larger material is retained within a porous filter matrix. After the process has been completed the filter is discarded with the retained materials. To ensure that all undesired material is retained, depth filters are often combined with a microfiltration membrane filter step.

• Microfiltration using membranes offers a well-defined rejection of material at the membrane surface. When applied after or in combination a with a depth filter the liquid is typically passed directly through the membrane, called direct flow filtration. As rejected particles build up on the membrane surface the capacity of membrane based direct flow filtration is very limited.

• Cross-flow or tangential flow filtration (TFF) is often applied to achieve a higher utilization of the membrane. In TFF, the feed material is pumped along the membrane surface, to continuously reduce the amount of retained material at the membrane surface. By applying a transmembrane pressure (TMP) a filtered part of the liquid passes through the membrane, called the permeate.
  The tangential flow and pump-induced turbulence help minimise the build-up of retained particles on the membrane, reducing fouling and maintaining filtration efficiency.
  Microfiltration TFF is preferably performed at low transmembrane pressures (TMP) to enable a high transmission of the target molecules. The rapid flow of liquid result in a pressure loss along the length of the membrane creating high TMP at the inlet part of the module, and low or sometimes negative TMP towards the outlet from the module.

ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration is a pressure-driven membrane process used to separate macromolecules and colloids from smaller solutes and solvents. The membranes used have much finer pores (typically 1–100 nanometres), allowing water, salts, and small organic molecules to pass through, while retaining larger species such as proteins, viruses, antibodies, and colloidal particles.

Operating Principles in Ultrafiltration

• Ultrafiltration at process scale applies the rapid flow principles of TFF to prevent fouling and to reduce concentration polarization at the membrane surface
• Ultrafiltration is conducted at higher TMPs than microfiltration, providing the driving force for the passage of solvent and small solutes through the membrane.
• The selectivity of ultrafiltration membranes is often described by their molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). MWCO is the molecular weight at which the majority (typically 90 %) of a globular protein is retained.
• Separation is influenced not only by size but also by factors such as molecular shape, charge, and membrane affinity.

In summary

Vibro^® technology is designed to maximise process economy by delivering higher yields, lower fouling, and streamlined operations, all combined with significant energy savings. Explore the following sections to see how these benefits are realised in both microfiltration and ultrafiltration applications.