CDM – Creative Design & Machine
Blending, Lifting & Material Handling
Pharmaceutical Material Handling & Blending Equipment
Facility material flow, how powders and containers move between unit operations, is a foundational process design decision. Gravity-fed layouts reduce open manual transfers, minimize contamination risk, and simplify the containment and cleaning burden at every handoff point. Creative Design & Machine Inc. (CDM), founded in 1984 in Rock Tavern, New York, designs and builds the cGMP lifts, tumble blenders, and drum handling equipment that make those material flow strategies work. All equipment is manufactured in CDM’s 25,000 sq ft New York facility with in-house fabrication, controls and programming, and equipment testing and validation.
CDM equipment shares a consistent technical platform: 304 stainless steel construction, precision ball-screw drives with Safety Ball Nut Clutch, patent-pending magnetic “Positive Seal Closure” on all lift columns, and Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5380 controls with PanelView Plus 7 touchscreen. Product-contact surfaces use 316 stainless steel polished to 20 Ra µin or better.
MHS Pharma represents CDM across the Northeast United States, supporting pharmaceutical manufacturers with equipment selection for blending, lifting, and material handling requirements in new builds and facility upgrades.
Why CDM
Built for Pharma Since 1984
All equipment designed and built in Rock Tavern, NY specifically for cGMP environments. 304 SS construction with polished welds, 316 SS product-contact surfaces (20 Ra µin or better), and UL 508A certified panels. Optional 21 CFR Part 11 compliance on blenders with data logging, audit trail, and tiered user security.
Safety Ball Nut Clutch
Every CDM lift includes a precision ball-screw drive with fail-safe brake and a Safety Ball Nut Clutch that releases automatically if the carriage contacts an obstruction, protecting operators and equipment without relying on limit switches alone.
Engineered to the Process Layout
Material handling isn’t generic. It’s designed around specific container sizes, weights, ceiling heights, and the process flow between unit operations. CDM engineers custom solutions so that lifts, blenders, and transfer equipment fit the facility layout, not the other way around. Lifts accommodate drums, IBCs, bowls, FIBCs, and platforms. Blenders accept V-shell, double cone, offset cone, and bin vessels.
Magnetic Positive Seal Closure
CDM’s patent-pending magnetic slot cover forms a watertight seal that moves with the carriage on every lift column. Reduces contamination risk and simplifies washdown compared to traditional bellows or accordion covers.
Applications
Blend uniformity is a critical quality attribute in solid dose manufacturing. Every tablet or capsule must deliver the same dose. CDM equipment serves the blending and material handling operations that directly support that outcome:
- Bin blending of pharmaceutical powders and granules (V-shell, double cone, offset cone)
- IBC and drum lifting for gravity feeding of tablet presses and capsule fillers
- Drum tipping and inversion for controlled powder discharge
- Platform lifting for moving equipment and materials between floor levels
- Bowl lifting for high-shear granulator and mixer discharge
- FIBC handling and discharge
Equipment Range
Blenders
|
cGMP tumble blenders with ball-screw lift and belt-driven rotation. Compatible with V-shell, double cone, offset cone, and bin vessels. Available with intensifier bar, RFID vessel ID, and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant controls. Up to 75 cu-ft · 10.4″ PanelView Plus 7 · Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5380 · PowerFlex 525 VFDs |
|
High-capacity A-frame tumble blenders for production-scale blending. Dual-support architecture with direct-drive gearmotor and precision barrel coupling. Full 304 SS construction with same controls and vessel options as the post blender line. Up to 200 cu-ft · A-frame dual support · Direct drive · V-shell, double cone, offset cone, bin |
|
Compact floor-mounted blenders designed for through-wall installation. Mechanical components stay outside the clean processing area while only the vessel operates in classified space. Up to 75 cu-ft · Through-wall design · Mechanical area separated from process area |
|
Compact blenders for R&D and scale-up. Lab units sit on a tabletop with roll-back safety canopy. Pilot units are portable on wheels. Same Allen-Bradley controls platform as production units for consistent scale-up. Lab: up to 1 cu-ft (tabletop) · Pilot: up to 10 cu-ft (portable) · Same controls as production |
Lifts
|
Sanitary post lifts for raising and positioning IBCs for gravity discharge into downstream equipment. Custom IBC cradle with centering pads accommodates any bin size. Optional load cells for gravimetric dispensing and discharge valve integration for fully contained transfer. Up to 5,000 lbs · Up to 270° rotation · Up to 72″ discharge reach · Load cells optional · Pallet jack compatible |
|
Sanitary post lifts for moving equipment and materials between levels. Interlocked safety gates at each landing. Ball-screw drive with fail-safe brake and Safety Ball Nut Clutch. Up to 5,000 lbs · Platforms up to 72 × 72 in · Interlocked safety gates · Magnetic Positive Seal Closure |
|
Sanitary post lifts for lifting and inverting drums for controlled discharge. Universal pneumatic clamping cradle with 316 SS discharge cone. Available in electric and pneumatic drive configurations. Up to 500 lbs · Up to 270° rotation · Electric & pneumatic · 316 SS discharge cone |
|
Mobile lifting solutions powered by battery or pneumatic drive. Non-marking casters with foot brake for flexible positioning across cleanroom areas. Custom lifting arms tailored to specific processes. Up to 500 lbs · Battery or pneumatic · Non-marking casters · Custom lifting arms |
MHS Pharma — Northeast US Representative
MHS Pharma provides direct technical representation for CDM across the Northeast United States. We help pharmaceutical manufacturers design material handling solutions that improve workflow efficiency, operator safety, and process integration.
Get in Touch