Pioneering product development partnership
The future of continuous tablet production
Continuous or batch feeding? Continuous or batch? Although continuous manufacturing technology and its benefits are familiar to the industry, so are reservations about it. In collaborating on the new Fette CPS feeding unit, Fette Compacting and Kubota Brabender have provided a clear answer to this crucial feeding technology question.
Continuous manufacturing rethought
From the very beginning, the new FE CPS has aspired to pioneer continuous tablet manufacturing processes. In contrast to previous solutions, the FE CPS makes no additional demands on installation sites and can be used in existing production spaces. Incidentally, the FE CPS is not only aimed at pharmaceutical manufacturers. The machine continuously feeds and mixes up to 6 solids, and therefore performs a function that can be reproduced on a wide range of different production lines.
The FE CPS
Partners in product development: Fette Compacting and Kubota Brabender Technologie
To develop the new feeding/mixing unit, which was of key importance to this project, Fette Compacting initially had to find a partner that was willing to go down the same route and therefore share the risk of developing a completely new product. Kubota Brabender Technologie finally came out on top in a ‘beauty contest’ involving almost half a dozen candidates.
Our companies’ basic requirements and in particular our ideas about what dimensions the new project would take on dovetailed right from the start. Kubota Brabender Technologie is an established feeder brand on the market and is equally willing to go down exceptional product development routes.Nicolas Walter, Continuous Manufacturing Application Specialist at Fette Compacting
Robert Feldges
Kubota Brabender Technologie was able to score points in this competition above all on the strength of its experience and international operations, which enable worldwide service. Finally, the determination of all parties to get involved in such a lighthouse project played a major role, says Robert Feldges, who was responsible for the joint project at Kubota Brabender Technologie.
The FE CPS as a tablet production game changer
Looking back on this extremely effective partnership, as the spokespersons for Fette Compacting and Kubota Brabender Technologie both emphasize, the combination of a shared business perspective, years of experience and product development expertise has enabled both companies to action a project that has what it takes to be a game changer. Initial reactions and inquiries from major tablet manufacturers have already been received.
In terms of looking beyond the project into the future of continuous tablet production, both parties rate the partnership as a success. That is because this future - both are convinced - will belong to a technology that is straightforward and convenient to handle, compact and modular, yet intelligent and specifically adaptable to customer needs. And therefore, fully able to exploit all the efficiency potential of continuous tableting. Or as Nicolas Walter from Fette Compacting puts it: "With the new technology as represented by the FE CPS, we have been able to show that things can be done differently by applying a smart continuous manufacturing solution, even in the pharmaceutical industry."
Fette Compacting and Kubota Brabender Technologie on the way to the future of continuous tablet production.
