Scale-up of the Chemical Processes
Whether you are a chemist, safety specialist or chemical engineer, the goals of scale-up processes are to ensure safer, and more efficient processes that leads to maximum yield. The should also eliminate unsafe and non-green materials and processes while reducing the overall costs used. After the first conference in 1994, scale-up of the chemical processes has become a popular international forum where industry players discuss various aspects of scale-up in relation to the chemical, pharmaceutical and allied fields.
Industrial biotechnologies are heavily reliant on the chemistry developed in laboratories. Chemical processes scale-up is focused on the creation of safe, reproducible and economically efficient manufacturing processes. A team composed of engineers, chemists, lab technicians and operators ensures that the process adheres to the route scouting whereby the best synthetic approach is investigated, and more quantities of the molecule are later produced to facilitate additional synthesis. After choosing the synthesis route, the focus now goes to scale-up of the synthesis, i.e. to define process design space and other parameters that will ensure the production of high-quality products.
What is required during a Processes Scaling?
Process scaling is complex and will require time, experience and forethought. This is because it essential for the success of a factory process. However, most developers ignore it when designing their new technologies while the project promoters also fail to understand its value in this world of rapid business development.
Many companies also view this process as a roadblock to the fast-tracking of the production and sales. But what they fail to consider is the long-term safety, performance and viability of their products. For the scaling processes to succeed, the process engineers and laboratory scientists must collaborate.
It’s also important for the team to prepare for the transition from the lab to a real manufacturing plant right from the initial processes at the lab. They must analyze the different parameters, both small and large, as they have an enormous impact on the process.
However, implanting a process scale-up is a daunting task since it’s not included in the academic of researchers, and they may lack the skills to face problems emanating from the implementation phase. The time and budget are also not seriously evaluated, which limits the scope and achievable goals in these processes. Most scaling up processes also occur at a faster rate, and there is no room to create a realistic schedule that will ensure all critical aspects are covered. Besides, more focus should be on the reproducibility of the industrial process.
Why Team Work is Important
During the entire process of development, teamwork is important, and all members should be discipline if the goals are to be achieved. The team composes the engineers, chemists, lab technicians and operators who will evaluate the process at different stages and give reports of the same.
The role of laboratory technicians will be to observe the process at a molecular level and get to know which tools are needed to track the process. Engineers, on the other hand, will better know the equipment required during the processes, come up with the important laboratory processes and know what is crucial to the success of the process. Operators will be in charge of the machinery needed in the process, and they are a key pillar in the implementation of the entire industrial process.
But also note that everyone plays an important role join the team and therefore, good communication is required if the team is to achieve its goals faster. Every small aspect plays a significant role, but the team should give both the laboratory and plant scale the same attention. These two are very important and related, and so, the success depends on them.
Rapid Decision Making during the chemical process
Since the chemical process is very delicate, most times, the team will have to make informed decisions even without proper knowledge or experience. This is crucial during the laboratory processes, and they should utilize their critical thinking skills to know what to do in such situations. This will safeguard the project and ensure that every aspect is controlled and proceeding on as planned.
The team also needs to study different case studies, their problems, pitfalls and how they dealt with them. That way, they will know the latest ideas and techniques of handling various problems related to chemical development processes and their scaling up.
References
https://www.rsc.org/events/detail/25107/The%20Scale-Up%20of%20Chemical%20Processes
https://www.mt.com/id/en/home/applications/L1_AutoChem_Applications/L2_ProcessDevelopment.html