Sponsor: DFG
Contact person: Lukas Bahlmann
Summary of the overall project:
The transition from batch to continuous processes in the pharmaceutical industry offers benefits, but also challenges. In particular, given the high quality requirements, the absence of defined batches in continuous production means that other measures must be used to ensure effective quality assurance. For example, cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) can be used as digital twins of production processes to support process design, quality assurance and energy efficiency during operation. However, this requires a deep understanding of both the individual processes and the entire process chain. In this research project, an agent-based simulation of continuous granulation will be developed based on mechanistic models and simulation approaches. The process of continuous ring layer granulation, which has received little scientific attention to date, will be investigated and fundamentally characterized. Process data will be collected using a variety of in-line sensors and mechanistic models for granulation will be determined using process-structure-property relationships, which will be used to build the simulation. The agent-based simulation will then be integrated into a CPPS of the whole process chain, for which simulations for mixing and tableting are already available from the previous project.
Goals and tasks of iPAT:
Project partner: Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology (IWF)
Fig.: Flow chart of the continuous granulation and drying system Granucon®1 from Lödige used in this project.