Implementation of Smart Manufacturing Tools Reduces Energy Input for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process by 26%
Project Objective
Develop an integrated Smart Manufacturing platform to improve the energy productivity and reduce energy intensity of a pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing process via wet granulation (WG).
Benefits to Nation
A unique benefit of increasing pharmaceutical manufacturing productivity is that it improves the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and further supports overall public health and well-being. Additionally, improvements in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes stimulates job creation and grows the US economy as a whole.
Benefits to Industry
Besides reducing energy consumption, transitioning from batch to continuous manufacturing will result in the following: • Process intensification from batch to continuous can lead to a 2.5X reduction in manufacturing floor space needed to produce the same volume of product. • Reducing material waste when transitioning from batch to continuous can result in a 33% increase in yield. • Continuous manufacturing production times are much lower than batch production times, leading to an 80% reduction in manufacturing and testing cycle times. All the above improvements will lead to higher inventory turns, improved productivity, and increased profitability for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Technical Approach
- Real-time measurement and analysis of material attributes
- Develop hybrid models to perform virtual experiments and to optimize energy consumption
- Smart Manufacturing enabled model and data integration for efficient manufacturing
- Demonstrate reduction in energy consumption and re-usability of prototype components
Accomplishments
*optim⬇ized • Key energy and performance metrics established for optimized batch and continuous wet granulation processes • Establishment of an integrated Smart Manufacturing platform with process models, process and analytical data and techno-economic analysis
Deliverables
- Delivered baseline for continuous and batch manufacturing energy requirements
- Developed and delivered hybrid model and flowsheet model
- Validated optimal batch production run and continuous production run showing decreased energy consumption
- Completed techno-economic analysis and comparison of batch and continuous processes
Reusable Outcomes
- Wet granulation process predictive models
- Analytical methods for wet granulation
- Near-infrared sensing solutions applicable to other manufacturing processes