Combining a two-day training course at the University of Sheffield and a three-day conference in Hamburg, the 11th International Granulation Workshop brings together international researchers, industry professionals, and students. Hosted by the Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology, the workshop shared innovative developments in granulation science.
The two-day training course saw experts from industry and academia deliver lectures and practical sessions on the key aspects of granulation science. The institutions represented during the event were GSK, AstraZeneca, Nestlé, Meggle, DFE Pharma, Alexanderwerk, EIRICH GmbH, Catalent, The University of Leicester, Verder Scientific, The University of Jordan, The University of Strathclyde and the University of Sheffield.
Hands-on practical sessions allowed participants to put into practice what they learnt during the lectures. These sessions, led by experts, focussed on: twin screw wet granulation; roller compaction for dry granulation; extrusion and spheronisation; batch granulation; tabletting; and finished product characterisation.
Following the training course the the Workshop continued with the three-day Granulation Conference in Hamburg, hosted by Prof. Stefan Heinrich and the Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology from the University of Hamburg, and organised in collaboration with Prof. Agba D. Salman and the Particle Product Group from the University of Sheffield.
The conference, opened by Professor Stefan Heinrich, featured a series of plenary lectures. The first, by Professor Csaba Sinka (University of Leicester), was titled ‘Pharmaceutical tabletting: from mechanistic models to data analytics,' followed by Professor Jim Litster (University of Sheffield) on ‘Right First Time Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals.' Other lectures included: Professor Lutz Mädler (University of Bremen): ‘Hetero-aggregates – Particle building blocks for many applications’; Professor Arno Kwade (Technical University of Braunschweig): ‘New insights into powder compaction: From tablets to battery electrodes’; Professor Rohit Ramachandran (Rutgers University): ‘Smart Manufacturing of downstream pharmaceutical drug products’; and Professor Stefan Palzer (Nestlé): ‘How data science, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing will impact particle technology.’
On top of the plenary lectures, three parallel sessions ran simultaneously over the three days showcasing the newest developments and results in various branches of granulation and powder technology. The parallel sessions were divided into macro-topics including pharmaceutical manufacturing techniques (e.g. roller compaction, spray drying, continuous manufacturing), modelling, product characterisation, food powders and batteries.
During the three days of the conference exhibitors from the powder processing industry showcased their latest products, including Hosokawa Micron BV, Orthos Engineering Ltd, Glatt, S3, AJ Tyzack, Parsum, Meggle and Alexanderwerk.
Throughout the conference poster sessions allowed researchers to showcase their work to a wide audience. Prizes, sponsored by industry (Meggle, Pergande Group, Glatt and Alexanderwerk), were presented during the Gala dinner on the Louisiana Star boat. Sheffield was well represented at the awards ceremony, with Mohammed M. Basri (and Dr. Riyadh Al-Asady) taking second place for the Alexanderwerk Best Poster in Dry Granulation prize, and Shengda Hou receiving second place for the Meggle Best Poster in the Field of Pharmaceutical Process Technology prize. Prof. Jim Litster, was also presented with an award in recognition of his ‘Continuous Contribution to Agglomeration Technology for Industrial Purposes'.
