Frankfurt/Main, Germany - At Achema 2015 (June 15-19, 2015), Bosch Packaging Technology will present the new granulation unit GranuLean for the first time. Developed by the Bosch subsidiary H?ttlin GmbH, it combines the process steps of mixing, granulating and drying for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical granules. "The name GranuLean stands for a lean and compact machine, which can be easily integrated into production rooms and focuses on the basic requirements of pharmaceutical producers," Fritz-Martin Scholz, product manager at Bosch Packaging Technology, explains. "By concentrating on the essential basic functions within fixed dimensions, we have developed an especially efficient granulation solution." The GranuLean exhibited at Achema for instance saves valuable production room with its 6 meters length and 3.4 meters height. The new development is available for three different batch sizes and is based on H?ttlin's long-standing process technology experience.

As opposed to tailor-made granulation lines, the most important functions of GranuLean are installed by default. "The high level of standardization now enables us to fulfil customer demands for a complete and quickly available system at the accustomed high quality," says Scholz. Thanks to the easy alignment of machine components on site, the granulation unit can be installed quickly and easily. All process and cleaning steps can be controlled via recipes. The operator interface is a 21-inch touchscreen with user-friendly navigation.

The process for manufacturing pharmaceutical granules begins by pneumatically filling the high-shear mixer. The mixing device Gentlewing, which is driven from below, mixes and granulates the active ingredients and excipients. The high-shear mixer is emptied via the equally newly developed, integrated wet mill.

Communication between mill and Gentlewing ensures that only as much product is emptied as the mill is able to process, which prevents the mill from clogging. A pneumatic transfer pipe subsequently transfers the wet product to the GranuLean fluid bed module, where it is dried through the inflow of the proven Diskjet distribution plate. The function of process filters is crucial to obtain high yields: for this reason, Bosch has developed a new process filter, where the elements are serially cleaned with compressed air pulses. At the end of the drying process, the product is emptied by a dry mill.

Apart from the high-shear mixer, granulation can also take place in the fluid bed by using a tangential or top spray process. GranuLean is available for a containment level of up to OEB3 (Operational Exposure Band). The machine remains closed during operation, while inflatable seals on the product containers provide for an optimum draughtproofing. Moreover, the integrated cleaning system ensures an even easier handling.

Suitable handling equipment makes it possible to combine the new granulation unit to a compact line, for instance with the new tablet presses of the Manesty TPR range. Alternatively, the granule can be filled into stick packs or capsules, for example with the new GKF 2600 capsule filling machine from Bosch.

Bosch's technologies are on display at Achema in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, from June 15 to 19, hall 3.1, booth C71.