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Pharmaceutical Processing

Pharmaceutical Processing is the process of drug manufacturing and can be broken down into a range of unit operations, such as blending, granulation, milling, coating, tablet pressing, filling, and others. The Pharmaceutical manufacturing process has precise requirements and manufacturing guidelines for quality. As a result, pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment must comply with good manufacturing practices.

Pharmaceutical processing

Pharmaceutical process development is from research and development, laboratory formulation to commercial production of pharmaceuticals.

While health is a crucially important social and economic asset, both infectious and non-communicable diseases pose a significant threat to the well-being and prosperity of populations. In the pharmaceutical product development process, quality is essential – cutting-edge research, excellent processes, and perfect products make pharmaceutical companies stand out. New diseases require new cures; increased competition requires faster, leaner processes in all operations.

manufacturing of pharmaceutical processing

The pharmaceutical manufacturing process is typically made up of a combination of specific unit processes chosen according to the physical and chemical characteristics of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Dry granulation: Compaction of a low-density powder to a granule. The roller compaction process consists of screw feedcompaction, and milling systems.

Powder blending: A wide range of excipients may be blended to create the final blend used to manufacture the solid dosage form in the pharmaceutical industry. The uniqueness of each drug formulation assures that no two blending processes can ever be identical.

High shear and wet granulation: Commonly used processes for densification, to improve flowability, content uniformity, or wettability or to improve dispensing qualities.

Fluid bed granulation: Top spray, bottom spray (Wurster), and rotary (tangential spray) are commonly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Hot-melt extrusion: Utilized in pharmaceutical processing to deliver drugs with poor solubility and bioavailability. Of particular interest is the use of HME to disperse active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a matrix at the molecular level, thus forming solid solutions.

Drying: Understanding and controlling the moisture content of powders is critical to many pharmaceutical processes. Fluid bed or laminar flow drying conditions impact powder and granules’ physical and chemical characteristics.

Pharmaceutical milling: The process of using rotary cutters in pharmaceutical equipment machinery to remove materials from a workpiece by feeding in at an angle with the axis of the tool.

Compression of powder or granules into tablets: An efficient process for producing a solid dose medication.

Tablet coating equipment: Options include batch process coating pan, off-press continuous coating, or continuous processing.

Pharmaceutical encapsulation: The containment of a solid or liquid dose of a drug in a softshell or hard pre-formed capsule.

Micronization: The process of reducing the particle sizes of pharmaceutical products under very high pressures, shear, turbulence, acceleration, and impact, to make them more stable and clinically effective.

Pharmaceutical processing equipment includes a wide variety of equipment for specific unit processes, such as:

Employee working in with a pharmaceutical reactor

To guarantee precise manufacturing and formulation development, nearly every pharmaceutical process can be automated. As a result, there is a piece of pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment involved in every processing step.

Pharmaceutical process engineer

Pharmaceutical process engineering is at work during all stages of a continuous manufacturing process. Pharmaceutical process engineers are responsible for designing, implementing, controlling, and optimizing pharmaceutical processes.

Within pharmaceutical equipment manufacturing, the processes involved can be chemical or biochemical. These engineers can be designing innovative processes and equipment for a new facility or be involved in the modification and optimization of pharmaceutical equipment and processes already in place.

The responsibilities of a pharmaceutical process engineer may also include providing analysis of the process to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with relevant regulations.

Pharmaceutical processing news provides in-depth coverage and actionable examples of how pharmaceutical professionals are tackling the most pressing challenges in the evolving pharma landscape. A pharmaceutical processing magazine focuses on the journey from end-stage development, through scale-up, to commercial manufacturing, providing strategies and best practices for facilities whose goals include reducing risks, improving product quality, and increasing efficiencies.

Engineers in the pharmaceutical industry are creating modular, continuous, and scalable processes and manufacturing environments to meet cost and quality challenges head-on.

Various pharmaceutical processing innovations are fueling a fresh wave of pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation. Continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing offers potential flexibility, quality, and economic advantages over batch processing, both in process development and manufacturing for the pharmaceutical sector. Over the past decade, there have been significant advancements in science and engineering to support the implementation of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing.

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Experts for Pharmaceutical Processing

Nathan Grube is Regional Vice President of Sales for BinMaster covering the central United States including a ten-state area stretching from North Dakota to Texas. He joined BinMaster in 2001, already equipped with five years of experience in agricultural equipment. Grube has worked with end users, distributors, and OEMs across the US. His vast expertise covers many industries including agriculture, aggregates, cement, plastics, and mining, among others.
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Karen Van Aelst, ing., is a seasoned professional with a rich background in sales and engineering, particularly within the dry bulk handling and process industry. Over the course of 12 years, she honed her expertise in selling installations tailored for these sectors. In 2010, Karen transitioned to StuvEx, where she embarked on a decade-long journey as a sales engineer specializing in explosion protection. Her role encompassed managing sales activities in both BeLux and Germany, showcasing her proficiency in navigating diverse markets and establishing strong client relationships. Since 2019, Karen has assumed the position of Product Manager at StuvEx, where she is entrusted with the vital responsibilities of overseeing the development and market realization of explosion protection products. Her extensive experience in sales, coupled with her engineering background, positions her as a valuable asset in driving innovation and ensuring the safety of industrial environments. Karen’s dedication and expertise continue to play a pivotal role in the success of StuvEx in the field of explosion protection.
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Arie Srugo was born in 1960 to the late Yaakov Srugo, who established his first factory for the production of industrial machinery in 1954 in Argentina.Ltd. “. In the mid-1970s, the factory was moved to the southern town of Netivot. Arie Srugo was employed in the factory as a salesman from the age of 16 and “pumped” into it the knowledge regarding machines for industry from an early age. In 1981, after his release from regular service in the army, Arie Srugo joined the company and was appointed its VP of Marketing. As part of his role as VP of Marketing and as CEO of the company, Arie Srugo has accumulated vast knowledge regarding industrial equipment in general and mixing equipment in particular. The company under his management began to export its machines all over the world and gained a great reputation among the companies in Israel. As part of his extensive activity in the field, Arie Srugo engaged in consulting, characterization, process planning, and adaptation of various industrial equipment to the company’s many customers. In addition, the company engaged in the planning and management of entire projects that the PerMix company undertook. Here in fact began to accumulate vast knowledge and experience in the field of planning and management of projects in the field of process for industry. PerMix, headed by Arie Srugo, has also managed projects abroad in various and varied fields. Throughout PerMix’s years of operation, the company has grown from primarily manufacturing under OEM contracts, building some of the largest brands in the industry, to complete, turn-key processing lines under the PerMix name.
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Gareth Meese works as Regional Sales Director – EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, India, and Northern Africa) for Eriez-Europe, a global leader in several key technology areas, including magnetic separation, metal detection, and material handling equipment. With nearly 20 years of experience in continuously-evolving positions, Gareth is well versed in bulk material handling applications. When Gareth joined Eriez as an Export Sales Engineer, he led several Eriez teams tasked with expanding business throughout Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and the Czech Republic. Later, as Export Sales Manager, he concentrated on growing Eriez-Europe in Russia, Europe and Northern Africa. His recent promotion expands his geographic responsibilities further with the addition of the Middle East and India. Gareth has been instrumental in pursuing Eriez’ vision and holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Cardiff University. Gareth is more than prepared to discuss and recommend a tailored solution for any unique bulk material handling application.
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Design Engineer, Project Manager, Territory and Sales Manager with 40+ years of experience in capture at source designs, sales and installation projects for high and low vacuum and dust collection and filtration systems and explosion and fire mitigation in dust collection systems.
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Chuck Johnson is the director of sales at National Bulk Equipment, located in Holland, Michigan. His professional experience includes over 25 years in the design, engineering, & sales of bulk material handling equipment & systems. Johnson holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University.
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Matthew Bailey – Technical Lead

Matthew is a mechanical engineer holding an honours degree from the Auckland University of Technology and has been responsible for BFM® Global’s product development, testing and compliance programme for almost 5 years. Matt’s experience is centered on the powder handling industry with a specific focus on flexible connectors, and all the compliance requirements around them. From food to pharmaceutical and all industries in between, Matt works with our Distributor partners, end users and OEMs from Europe, Asia and the Americas to solve application challenges. He regularly attends industry tradeshows around the world and understands the complex requirements of each different market.
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Travis has over 20 years of experience in the dry bulk solids industry and is the President at Vortex, an engineering and manufacturing company that specialises in process valves and loading solutions specifically for solids handling. Travis has worked on solution-driven installations across six continents and has a strong knowledge of market-specific regulations and requirements within the industry.
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As the Sales Manager at Foeth, Michel Terlouw possesses an enthusiasm for international trade and excels in identifying the perfect match for every customer. In a company like Foeth, individuals with a solid technical background are truly indispensable. Clients from across the globe visit to explore our extensive inventory of pre-owned machines, and it’s essential to collaborate closely with each customer to determine which machine best suits their intended application. Michel is impassioned by the collaborative process of discovering the ideal machine alongside the customer because it aligns with our mission. The pursuit of finding the perfect solution is not only gratifying but also contributes to advancing sustainability within the industry.
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Chris has been working at Spiroflow for over 10 years and is currently in the role of technical sales manager. He handles all the technical drawings and specifications during the sale and aides our drawing office while the equipment is designed, he also assists the manufacturing department with the build. His vast knowledge of powder handling and mechanical design is why he is involved in every aspect of designing our powder handling solutions.
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