Many pharmacies are running back-to-back ointments and need to clean their mills quickly. Instead of turning the machine off and turning the rollers with the hand wheel, they leave the machine running while wiping it clean. Not only is this unsafe for the technician, it also risks damaging the mill. If something too big is pulled in by the rollers, it may result in costly replacement parts and repairs.
Here are three easy steps to remove a paper towel from your ointment mill.
1. Turn off the motor and disconnect the mill from the power supply.
2. Open the gaps to their widest position.
3. Cut as much of the paper towel away from the gap as possible.
4. Saturate the remaining towel by dripping small amounts of water on it. Once the towel is saturated, use tweezers to pick out the pieces until there is no paper visible.
5. Open and close the gaps several times to compress the paper. The last action should be to open the rollers. Turn the rollers in the normal direction (don’t back up) until the paper rolls through. The more saturated the paper, the more it will compress and dislodge.
Note: If you cannot turn the rollers easily with the hand wheel, you can grab the rear roller and turn it toward the middle roller with your hand with more pressure that you can get with the hand wheel.
Ointment mills, like any piece of machinery, can be dangerous if they are used improperly or safety precautions are not followed. It’s not uncommon to rush the cleaning process, but remember: slow and steady will win the race.
If you need more information about proper cleaning and safety procedures, talk to our experts. EXAKT has factory-trained technicians and a network of authorized distributors to help you.