Flexible pharmaceutical powder production

A computer controlled solution for the powder processing of tablet production within the pharmaceutical industry is presented. It is anticipated that this solution will assist in the automation of pharmaceutical powder production by providing a link between process inputs and outputs using a single vessel. A review of the traditional manufacturing approach and the present day advancements towards minimizing product transfer is given, with the work being placed in context with current advances in automation. The proposed solution eliminates the need for the traditional seven distinct unit operations by combining these within a single vessel. The effectiveness of the vessel is ascertained by examining each of the sub-processes within the processing cycle. The vessel is described in its entirety and offers a detailed description of its performance for the sub-processes of size-reduction and mixing. Validation of the vessel is achieved by investigating the performance of the vessel under three modes of operation using two types of powders. The findings from the size reduction process indicate performance measures comparable with current technology while the mixing sub-process results indicate a performance level comparable with homogeneities achievable using optimal turbulent blending. It is anticipated that the new vessel will aid in the overall automation of pharmaceutical and food production, providing a facility which enables flexible powder processing, a reduction in plant size and greater throughput with equivalent or improved quality of output