Continuous Manufacturing

In the pharmaceutical industry, it is time to get serious about continuous production processes. After extensive research and development, continuous manufacturing is leaving the trial phase and getting ready for commercial deployment. Continuous production in compact, contained units that provide a high level of automation and require reduced manual intervention will pay off by delivering a wide range of benefits. Companies are seeing record results in record time: reduced variability; higher yields; increased profitability; and lower operating, inventory, and capital costs. With asset utilization rates around 30 to 40 percent and time scales of a month or even two months to manufacture a product that could be made in two days, today’s batch processes will soon seem anachronistic. It is time to step into the new era of continuous production.

Continuous production becomes reality

With continuous manufacturing, pharmaceutical processes can reach a new level of productivity. Many leading companies in the pharmaceutical industry are currently leveraging the potential of continuous production and are introducing continuous manufacturing into their facilities.

Siemens is working in close collaboration with a number of pharmaceutical companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop pilot plants for continuous manufacturing. For oral solid dosage (OSD), one pilot project has clearly demonstrated the feasibility and potential of continuous manufacturing units with real-time-release capability. Continuous manufacturing can significantly reduce process development times while also introducing a range of other benefits. Real-time product release, a long-sought-after capability, will soon become a standard feature of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Continuous partners for continuous production innovation

Utilize our expertise in continuous manufacturing and our broad portfolio of complementary systems and solutions. We will work with you to identify the potential for continuous manufacturing in your operations, support you with an integrated and data-driven control platform for managing your continuous production information, and help you manage the regulatory implications of continuous manufacturing.

Managing the investment in continuous manufacturing in a well-judged and timely manner is crucial. Key points that must be addressed include the following:

•     How can companies feel more confident and certain about the transition?
•     What operations should be prioritized for continuous manufacturing?
•     What areas will continue to be best served by batch manufacturing?
•     How should optimized process control and real-time product release be pursued?

Siemens can help you look at the best solution for your company. Continuous manufacturing has the potential to fix or improve existing processes, speed new product development, reduce site-to-site transfer risk and times, reduce validation costs, and, through quality reliability, enhance a company’s image. The business benefits that are considered to have the largest impact will be used to evaluate the return on investment (ROI)