SMALL BATCH COMPOUNDING | PROCESSING
With compounders being asked to deliver smaller and more frequent batches, it is becoming increasingly important to handle product changes
effectively.Peter Mapleston learns how
Making more from smaller batches
As the variety of customer requirements increases and the sizes of individual batches falls, com- pounders need to be more nimble than ever. They need equipment that is easy to set up and shut down, and that can readily be switched from one recipe to another. They also need procedures that help reduce cleaning times and off-spec material. When running different products on the same compounding line, following a few simple rules can help greatly in achieving fast product changeovers and reducing machine down time. The strategy of the transition is always important. However, for production of small batches, the flexibility of the compounding machine is also a key consideration as, besides cleaning work, the need to reconfigure screws and line components can lead to longer downtime and overall inefficiency. This article provides some tips from leading equipment suppliers and some recommendations on the best
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equipment for small batches. “Viewing changeovers like a Formula One or
NASCAR (depending on your passion) pitstop is what it takes to save your company time and money. It requires an asserted effort and buy-in from management, schedulers, engineers, opera- tors and maintenance to develop changeover best practices and procedures,” says Entek Technical Processing Manager Dean Elliott. “Collaborating as a team and having a shared understanding that the equipment needs to be running is essential. Small batch compounding where the lines are running less than 50% of the time creates a huge opportunity to increase uptime,” he says. “If possible, create a team environment where it is ‘all hands on deck’ during the changeover. Batch run order should be from low to high viscosity, as this reduces purge time and cleans out the extruder. Develop an effective
Main image: With batch sizes getting smaller and recipe varia- tions on the rise, com-
pounders have to become faster and more efficient to remain competitive
April 2020 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 15
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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