An InnovateUK initiative with cumulative funding of £700,000 is aimed at helping pharmaceuticals to manufacture particulates by the use of computer simulations. The Project is called Manufacturing of Particulate Process. The project which is led by Centre for Process Innovation is a 2 year long project which will improve the productivity of industrial processes through the use of computer modelling across the length and breadth of manufacturing processes.
The funding will be used to link the academic researchers to the industry experts so that laboratory processes could be adopted for addressing a range of industry requirements, which has for now culminated into the formation of a generic framework to be used by manufacturers for practical and industrial adoption of particle models. The initial application of the models will be used in pharmaceutical industry which in the manufacture of drugs uses cohesive powders.
The key feature of the framework includes a decision tool to be used by industrial organization based in UK for quicker access and easier adoption of particle models. The design provides engineers and product scientists a simulation based platform to better design and develop models involving particulates. And more importantly it will improve the quality of cohesive and fine powders used by pharmaceutical companies. The project will significantly enhance the productivity of the entire manufacturing process as well as aid in reducing manufacturing cost.
The MPP project manager Dr Caroline Kelly believes that the project involves world’s leading partners in several fields to deliver an innovative new process for translating particle modelling from academic research into industrial scale formulations.
EDEM, simulation based software process provider along with Process Systems Enterprise (PSE) were used by the project for developing models and were also validated using real life trials.
Head of Dept. formulated products at PSE, Dr Sean Birmingham is hopeful about CPI’s excellent demonstration on the capability of gPROMS PBM environment developed using the ADDoPT project for pharmaceutical digital design can be applied to other products industries as well which include specialty chemicals and fast moving consumer goods.
DEM and PBM which were previously constrained to only academic and research environment will find a mainstream industrial scale commercial application through the project. CPI is funded by InnovateUK which is an innovation agency which works independently of the government for supporting development of cutting edge research. CPI works in innovation in processing to aid diverse industries which include Electronics, Food, Energy and Healthcare.