Methods for tracking products in facilities

Abstract

To provide a method for product tracking in installation in an installation for processing a powdered product.SOLUTION: A method for tracking a product in an installation in which a powdered product is processed into manufactured items is provided. The product introduced into the installation is divided into mass units by using measurement data from at least one inlet mass sensor arranged at a product inlet of the installation, and the progress status of the mass units in the installation is tracked by using measurement data from at least one other mass sensor in the installation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for tracking products in a facility where powdered products are processed into manufactured articles. [Background technology]

[0002] In such equipment, the powdered product is processed, for example, into tablets or capsules. Accordingly, the equipment may include, for example, a tablet press or a capsule filling machine. Such equipment has one or more product inlets for the powdered product processed in the equipment. To the extent that several product inlets are provided for different products, such equipment also typically has a mixing device. The products are mixed in the mixing device to form a product to be pressed. The mixed product is then fed from the mixing device to, for example, a tablet press, e.g., a rotary tablet press. Here, the mixed product is pressed into tablets. The resulting tablets are discharged from the equipment via a tablet outlet in the tablet press. Such equipment is designed as a continuous equipment, and, in contrast to a batch process, the product can be continuously fed into the equipment and processed, for example, into tablets or capsules. Furthermore, so-called containment equipment is known, which, by special sealing means, largely prevents product dust from escaping into the environment.

[0003] Specifically, in continuously operating installations, it is necessary to assign the product supplied to the installation at the inlet to the manufactured goods produced in the installation. This is necessary, for example, if a product is recognized as defective by a sensor in the installation. In this case, the manufactured goods produced from this product, e.g., tablets or capsules, must be removed, and, if possible, only manufactured goods produced from the corresponding product batch should be removed to avoid unnecessary scrap. This necessitates product tracking in the installation.

[0004] So-called dwell time models for product tracking are known, in which the generated production items are assigned to the products fed into the system via the equipment using the product's dwell time, or throughput time, respectively. However, product tracking based on such dwell time models is complex, especially when several different products are fed into the system. Therefore, the dwell time may vary depending on the product being fed. Consequently, the dwell time must be reconfigured for each product combination to achieve reliable results. Furthermore, the accuracy of the dwell time model strongly depends on the equipment's operating point, i.e., the operating parameters set in each case. This is, of course, immediately apparent in terms of the equipment's production rate. However, the dwell time also depends on other operating parameters, such as the operating mode of the mixing device. The dwell time model must also take into account even slight deviations from the operating point. The effect of such deviations from the operating point on the dwell time must also be experimentally reconfigured each time, specifically for the specific product. Therefore, parameterizing the dwell time model to achieve acceptable accuracy requires a very high effort. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Starting from the prior art described, the object of the present invention is to provide a method of the above type for processing a powdered product into a manufactured article, which allows product tracking in a simple and accurate way in the facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention achieves this object with the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0007] In contrast to methods of the type described above, the present invention achieves the object in that the product introduced into the installation is divided into mass units by using measurement data from at least one inlet mass sensor located at the product inlet of the installation, and the progress of the mass units in the installation is tracked by using measurement data from at least one other mass sensor in the installation.

[0008] The facility includes one or more product inlets for the products processed in the facility. Furthermore, the facility may include a mixing device for mixing different products supplied to the facility. The facility may also include a generator, such as a tablet press, e.g., a rotary tablet press or a capsule filling machine, where the products supplied to the facility, or the mixed products produced in the mixing device, respectively, are processed into finished products, such as tablets or capsules. The finished products may be, for example, oral solid dosage forms (OSDs). The facility includes an inlet mass sensor disposed at the product inlet, which determines the weight, or respectively, the mass, of the product supplied to the facility. Based on this mass determination, the product supplied to the facility is divided into successive mass units, for example, in an evaluation and control device for the facility. The facility includes at least one additional mass sensor downstream from the at least one inlet mass sensor in the product flow direction, which determines the mass, or respectively, the weight of the product flowing through the facility. The progress of the mass units in the facility is tracked based on this. Specifically, this product tracking is realized by an evaluation device of the facility, preferably based on an evaluation algorithm. A mass sensor can measure mass directly, i.e., it can include a metering device, or it can measure mass flow directly. However, a mass sensor can also measure mass or mass flow indirectly.

[0009] In contrast to the prior art, the present invention does not provide a time-based, but rather mass-based, product tracking. The mass unit, or mass quantum, respectively, is small and sufficient to ensure sufficient accuracy in product tracking for a specific intended application. For example, the mass unit can have a size smaller than 50 g. Specifically, fluctuations in the flow rate, or production rate, respectively, in the equipment can have a lower frequency than the frequency of consecutive mass units. This makes product tracking largely independent of fluctuations in the flow rate, or production rate, respectively, and therefore largely independent of corresponding deviations from the equipment's specific operating point. Product tracking, for example, by recording mass units at the exit of a tablet press or capsule filling machine, or respectively, the equipment, and assigning them to products, or respectively, product batches fed to the equipment, is therefore reliable, and defective product batches can be recognized, minimizing scrap while still allowing product tracking.

[0010] In the evaluation unit, the mass units move through a facility similar to a shift register model. With reference to the mass of product tracking according to the present invention, it has been shown that time-based models (dwell time models) have implicit properties that can only be achieved by using higher-order equations in the corresponding evaluation algorithm. This significantly reduces the number of parameters required to fit a specific product, or respectively, the operating point of the facility, compared to traditional dwell time models. At the same time, according to the present invention, it is also possible to observe material properties in parts of the facility that are unrelated to concentration or dwell time. This is due to the fact that the basic structure of product tracking according to the present invention resembles a shift register of finite mass units. Therefore, in extreme cases, it is possible to mark a single mass unit as defective or for sampling and subsequently remove it from the facility.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the progress of mass units in the facility can be tracked in real time, which allows for alignment of the product tracking model, and in particular the corresponding algorithm, with other sensor data from the facility, which can further enhance the robustness and long-term stability of the product tracking model.

[0012] As already mentioned, the installation may be an installation for tablet production in which a powdered product is processed into tablets in a tablet press. The installation therefore comprises a tablet press, for example a rotary tablet press.

[0013] According to another embodiment, the progress of the mass units in the installation can be tracked by using measurement data from another mass sensor placed at the tablet outlet of the tablet press. This additional mass sensor can, for example, be a sensor that counts the number of tablets discharged by the tablet press. Their weight can be assumed to be known for a given process. The weight, or respectively the mass, can be determined indirectly by counting the tablets. However, it would of course also be possible for another mass sensor to count and weigh the discharged tablets. In the aforementioned embodiment, the produced tablets are directly assigned to the corresponding mass unit at the inlet and therefore to the corresponding product batch.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the progress of mass units in the installation can be tracked using measurement data from a separate mass sensor located in the tablet press's filling device. This mass sensor can, in turn, directly or indirectly measure mass or mass flow rate. The tablet press's filling device typically has a filling tube through which the powdered product is fed into a filling chamber, from which it is added to a cavity in the press's die plate, where it is pressed by the upper and lower punches of the tablet press. A filling container can be located upstream from the filling tube. The additional mass sensor can be located, for example, on the filling tube, the filling container, or the filling chamber.

[0015] The installation can also be an installation for producing capsules, in which the powdered product is added to the capsules in a capsule filling machine. The installation can then include a capsule filling machine accordingly.

[0016] The progress of the mass units in the installation can then be tracked, for example, by using measurement data from an additional mass sensor located at the exit of the capsule filling machine. This additional mass sensor can, for example, be a sensor that counts the number of capsules discharged from the capsule filling machine. Their weight can be assumed to be known for a given process. The weight, or the respective mass, can be determined indirectly by a tablet counter. However, it would of course also be possible for other mass sensors to count and weigh the discharged capsules.

[0017] According to another embodiment, the installation can be provided to include several product inlets for different powdered products and a mixing device for mixing the different products into the product before processing, for example before being processed into tablets in a tablet press or before being filled into capsules in a capsule filling machine, and the products added to the installation are divided into mass units by using measurement data from several inlet mass sensors arranged at the product inlets of the installation.

[0018] The progress of the mass units through the facility can then be tracked by using measurement data from at least one additional mass sensor located on the mixing device. The different products fed to the facility can be, for example, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), excipients, and / or lubricants. The different products are fed to the facility via separate inlets and fed from the separate inlets to the mixing device, where they are mixed into a mixed product that is pressed. The mixing device can include, for example, a mixing screw. Thus, the products are simultaneously mixed and conveyed.

[0019] According to another embodiment, the mixing of different mass units into a new mass unit in a mixer can be taken into account when tracking the progress of mass units in the facility. The mix ratio achieved by the mixer can be taken into account when considering this mixing. Thus, a new mass unit containing a mixed product is formed from the mass units arriving from the mixer. The mix ratio of the mixer depends on the specifications of the mixer and, if applicable, the feed rates of the individual products. Thus, the mix ratio is known for a particular product and can be used when considering the mixing. For example, if the mixer mixes two products equally in a 50% / 50% ratio, the new mass unit will be composed of half of the first product and half of the second product. Other mix ratios achieved by the mixer will result in different divisions into new mass units. Mass units are mixed in the mixer according to the known mix ratio. This can be taken into account, for example, by forming a moving average of consecutive mass units and forming a new mass unit from this formed average. In this way, it is possible to calculate to what extent a particular mass unit contains components from different product batches at different product inlets.

[0020] In addition to the mixing device, the mixture, or respectively the dispersion, may also occur in other components of the equipment, such as the filler of a tablet press, where the agitator mixes the product batch. Therefore, in order to track the progress of the mass units in the equipment, other components of the equipment, such as the injection device, or the tablet press, or the capsule filling machine, can also be considered by mixing different mass units into a new mass unit. The mixing ratio achieved by the specific components can be taken into account when considering the mixture. The new mass unit composed of the mixed product is then formed from the mass units of the specific components that arrived. The mixing ratio of the components is usually known for a particular process and can be used when considering the mixture, as described for the mixing device.

[0021] According to another embodiment, backmixing of different mass units can be taken into account when tracking the progress of mass units in the equipment. Such backmixing, where the product changes between different mass units, for example, from one mass unit to a preceding mass unit, can be desirable or undesirable. However, backmixing is generally specific to a particular equipment. Therefore, it can be empirically determined in advance and taken into account in the product tracking algorithm. For example, experiments using spectroscopic measurements can be performed to empirically determine backmixing. For example, the use of so-called tracer materials that can be clearly tracked based on a specific color is also conceivable.

[0022] According to another embodiment, gaps for product in the installation can be taken into account when tracking the progress of mass units. Product can collect in such gaps, or respectively, dead zones, and leave the installation later. Such gaps occur, for example, in screw conveyors for transporting product within the installation. Such gaps are generally specific to a particular installation and can also be determined empirically, since they are taken into account in the algorithm used for product tracking.

[0023] According to another embodiment, product loss in the equipment, specifically from the suction device in the equipment, can be taken into account when tracking the progress of mass units in the equipment. Specifically, during long equipment operating times, such product loss can be significant and must be compensated for by replenishing more material. With time-based and dwell-time models, this requires significant effort to modify model parameters. According to the present invention, this is unnecessary. Product loss can be determined by comparing the mass flow rate into the equipment and the mass flow rate out of the equipment for a given product amount, e.g., the number and weight of manufactured articles leaving the equipment, e.g., a tablet or capsule filling machine, per unit time. Product loss occurs, for example, during routine suction in a tablet press; a small amount of product, along with air, can be sucked in to maintain low pressure within the tablet press. This product loss is also generally specific to a particular equipment and can therefore be determined empirically, for example, using the methods described above.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, the masses of the mass units may be the same. If the mass units all have the same mass, the algorithms used for tracking, and in particular for product tracking, are simplified.

[0025] As explained above, the mass units have a sufficiently low mass for reliable and accurate product tracking. In this regard, according to one embodiment, the mass units can have a mass in the range of 1 g to 20 g, preferably in the range of 1 g to 10 g. Specifically, the mass units can all have the same mass, which is within the aforementioned range. Thus, the mass units are small enough for accurate product tracking and for targeting and removing defective units of measure while potentially avoiding large amounts of scrap.

[0026] According to another embodiment, the adequacy of tracking the progress of a mass unit in a facility can be evaluated by using measurement data from several mass sensors in the facility. When evaluating several measuring devices for determining the mass of the mass unit, for example, if a drift is found when tracking the mass unit, a faulty determination of the mass can be identified.

[0027] At least one product inlet of the installation can include at least one dosing device, in particular a loss-in-weight dosing device. Such dosing devices are used for the supply of the injected product. So-called loss-in-weight dosing devices (loss-in-weight dosing devices) have a weighing device and douse the supplied product by measuring the weight of the product located in the dosing device. This weighing device can be used in a very practical way as an inlet mass sensor.

[0028] As already mentioned, the present invention is particularly suitable for installations for continuously processing powdered products into finished products, for example, for continuous tablet production or capsule filling. As is known, in installations for continuous production, in contrast to batch processes, products are continuously fed into the installation and, possibly following continuous mixing of the previous product, are continuously processed there into finished products. Such installations can theoretically operate indefinitely, and it is only necessary to ensure that the product inlet is adequately replenished with product. Compared to batch installations, installations for continuous production have various advantages, as known to those skilled in the art. In particular, in such installations for continuous production, the accurate and high-resolution product tracking ensured by the present invention is of great importance.

[0029] Furthermore, the installation can be a so-called containment installation, in which special sealing means are used to substantially prevent dust from leaving the installation. The containment level of the installation is determined, for example, according to the so-called SMEPAC test (Standard for Measuring Airborne Particle Concentration in Equipment). The installation used in the method according to the invention can, for example, have a containment level according to the SMEPAC test of 10 to 100 μg / m 3, or 10ug / m 3 is less than.

[0030] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 shows the installation used in the method according to the invention for producing tablets in a tablet press in a rotor plan view. [Figure 2] 1 shows a diagram for explaining the method according to the invention;

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, like reference numbers refer to like objects in the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The equipment shown in FIG. 1 is for tablet production, where a powdered product is pressed into tablets. The equipment includes a rotary press arranged in a housing 11, specifically a rotary tablet press with a rotor driven by a rotary drive and equipped with a die plate 10 having a plurality of pedestals 12. The pedestals 12 are formed, for example, by holes in the die plate 10. The rotor further includes a plurality of upper and lower punches 14 and 16 that rotate synchronously with the die plate 10. The upper punch 14 is axially guided by an upper punch guide 18, and the lower punch 16 is axially guided by a lower punch guide 20. The axial movement of the upper and lower punches 14 and 16 during rotor rotation is controlled by an upper control cam element 22 and a lower control cam element 24. The rotary press further includes a filling device 26, which includes a filling container 28 and a filling chamber 30, which are connected via a feed 32. In this way, in this embodiment, the powdered filler material flows under gravity from the fill tube 28 through the supply section 32 into the fill chamber 30, and from there through the fill opening provided in the bottom surface of the fill chamber 30, and again under gravity into the receiving means 12 of the die plate 10.

[0034] The rotary press further includes a press device 34. The press device 34 includes a pre-press device having an upper pre-press roller 36 and a lower pre-press roller 38, and a main press device having an upper main press roller 40 and a lower main press roller 42. The rotary press further includes a discharge device 44 and a scraper device 46 having a scraper element, which supplies tablets 48 produced in the rotary press to a discharge device 50 for discharge from the rotary press. The scraper device 46 may include, for example, a preferably crescent-shaped scraper element, which scrapes tablets 48 transferred to the upper surface of the die plate 10 by the lower punch 16 from the die plate 10 in the area of ​​the discharge device 44 and supplies them to the discharge device 50.

[0035] The housing 11 may be under positive or negative pressure relative to the surroundings of the housing 11. Furthermore, the housing 11 may be sealed relative to the surroundings. The rotary press may be a so-called containment press.

[0036] It should be noted that the rotary press shown in Figure 1 with the features described is merely an example. In principle, any other tablet press is also suitable for the invention. In principle, any other type of generator is also suitable for the invention, which processes a powdered product into a manufactured article, such as, for example, a capsule filling machine, which adds the powdered product to capsules.

[0037] In the illustrated example, the equipment further includes two product inlets 52, 54 for feeding two different products, e.g., a pharmaceutical product on the one hand and excipients on the other, into the tablet press to be pressed into tablets 48. Product inlets 52, 54 may include, for example, injection devices, specifically, weight loss injection devices. The fed products flow from product inlets 52, 54 to a mixer 56 of the equipment, where they are mixed to form a product mixture that is pressed. The mixer may include, for example, a mixing screw. The mixed product leaving mixer 56 is fed via feed line 58 to filling vessel 28 of filling device 26. The equipment also includes an evaluation and control device 60 for controlling the operation of the equipment and for product tracking based on an evaluation algorithm stored in evaluation and control device 60, in accordance with the present invention. The product inlets 52, 54, the mixing device 56, the filling device 26, and the tablet press, specifically the tablet outlet of the tablet press, can each include at least one mass sensor, by means of which the weight of the product guided through the installation or, respectively, the tablets discharged from the installation can be determined directly or indirectly. The evaluation and control device 60 is connected to the mass sensors and, if necessary, to other sensors of the installation. In particular, it receives measurement data from the sensors and uses this data as the basis for control and evaluation. To achieve this, the evaluation and control device 60 can be connected to all components of the installation by corresponding connection lines.

[0038] The method according to the present invention for tracking product in the installation shown in FIG. 1 will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. The product inlets 52, 54, the mixer 56, and the tablet press 62 are shown in a highly schematic diagram. Using measurement data from inlet mass sensors located at the product inlets 52, 54, the product added to the installation via the product inlets 52, 54 is divided into equal-sized mass units 64, 66, respectively. The mass units 64, 66 of the first product batch are identified by the numeral 01, and the mass units 64, 66 of the second product batch are identified by the numeral 10. At the beginning of the dispersion zone formed by the mixer 56, a new mass unit 68 is formed from the mass units 64, 66 of the two product inlets 52, 54, and the product component consisting of the two mass units 64, 66 of both product inlets 52, 54 is received by the mixer 56 in accordance with a known feed amount. The feed amount is assumed to be the same for both product inlets 52, 54 in FIG. 2, for example. For the mass units 64, 66 located at the bottom of the mass unit chain below the product inlets 52, 54 in Figure 2, this means, for example, that two new mass units 68 are formed from these two mass units 64, 66, i.e., from half of each of the initial mass units 64, 66. The mass units 68 formed in this way are assigned numerical values ​​corresponding to their composition.

number

[0039] Also considered is the mixing of the components of the mass units in the dispersion zone formed by the mixer 56, corresponding to a known, for example empirically determined, mixing ratio of the mixer 56, until a mass unit is achieved, which can be seen at reference number 70 in FIG. 2. Also, in the dispersion zone, mixing of successive mass units 68 with one another occurs. Also, a mixture of products from different initial product batches can occur at the product inlets 52, 54. Mathematically, the mixture in the dispersion zone can be described as a shift register, for example, by forming a moving average composed of successive mass units 68, which changes the ratio of the components of the mass units 68, as indicated by pairs of numerical values. At the end of the dispersion zone, the formed mass units 70 are represented by numerical values ​​in the illustrated example.

number

[0040] The mass units 70 are tracked in their progress through the facility, specifically to the tablet press 62, by using measurement data from a mass sensor located, for example, in the filling device 26 of the tablet press. Discharged tablets 48 can be assigned to specific mass units 64, 66 previously introduced into the facility via product inlets 52, 54, for example, by another mass sensor located at the exit of the tablet press, which counts and, if necessary, weighs the discharged tablets, and thus can be assigned to their corresponding product batch. For example, if one or more mass units are recognized as defective by the facility's sensors during their progress through the facility, this allows the tablets produced from these mass units to be reliably identified, so that they can be removed from the produced tablets.

[0041] While tracking the progress of mass units in the equipment, specific backmixing of products between different mass units can also be taken into account, which backmixing is generally equipment specific, as well as product voids, which are generally equipment specific, or product losses in the equipment, which are also generally equipment specific.

[0042] Of course, the division of the product into mass units described above and the corresponding tracking of the mass units in the installation, as well as the allocation of the produced tablets to specific mass units by the evaluation and control device 60, are carried out on the basis of corresponding models stored in the form of algorithms.

[0043] The mass units 64, 66, 68, 70 can all have the same mass. The mass of the mass units can be preferably less than 20 g, more preferably less than 10 g, for example, about 1 g. The equipment is specifically an equipment for continuous tablet production. The equipment can also be a containment equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Die Plate 11. Housing 12 Receptive means 14 Upper punch 16 Lower punch 18 Upper punch guide 20 Lower punch guide 22 Upper control cam element 24 Lower control cam element 26 Filling equipment 28 Filling container 30 Filling room 32 Filling tube 34 Press equipment 36 Upper prepress roller 38 Lower prepress roller 40 Upper main press roller 42 Lower main press roller 44 Discharge device 46 Scraping element 48 tablets 50 Ejector 52 Product inlet 54 Product inlet 56 Mixing equipment 58 Supply Line 60 Evaluation and control devices 62 tablet press 64 mass units 66 Mass Units 68 Mass Units 70 mass units

Claims

1. 1. A method for tracking product in a tablet production facility, in which a powdered product is pressed into tablets in a tablet press, comprising: the product introduced into the facility is divided into mass units (64, 66) before the pressing by using measurement data from at least one inlet mass sensor arranged at a product inlet (52, 54) of the facility, and the progress of the mass units (64, 66) through the facility is tracked by using measurement data from at least one other mass sensor in the facility; The installation comprises several product inlets (52, 54) for different powdered products and a mixing device (56) for mixing the different products into the product before processing, the product added to the facility is divided into a plurality of mass units (64, 66) by using measurement data from a number of inlet mass sensors arranged at the product inlet of the facility; From the mass units (64, 66) arriving at the mixing device (56), a plurality of new mass units (68, 70) containing the mixed product are formed; The tablets pressed in said tablet press are assigned to a specific mass unit (64, 66, 68, 70), A method characterized in that pressed tablets from mass units that are identified as being defective are removed.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) through the facility is tracked in real time.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation is tracked by using measurement data from a separate mass sensor located at the tablet outlet of the tablet press (62).

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation is tracked by using measurement data from a separate mass sensor located on a filling device (26) of the tablet press (62).

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) through the facility is tracked by using measurement data from at least one additional mass sensor located on the mixing device (56).

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixing of different mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) into new mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the mixing device (56) is taken into account when tracking the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation.

7. 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the mixing ratio achieved by the mixing device (56) is taken into account when considering the mixing of different mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) into new mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the mixing device (56).

8. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a moving average made up of successive mass units is formed when considering the mixing of different mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) into new mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the mixing device (56).

9. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that backmixing of different mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) is taken into account when tracking the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein backmixing is caused by the equipment being empirically determined.

11. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that product voids in the facility are taken into account when tracking the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the facility.

12. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that product losses in the installation, in particular product losses from an aspirator in the installation, are taken into account when tracking the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the product loss is determined by comparing the mass flow rate into the facility for a given amount of product with the number and weight of manufactured items exiting the facility.

14. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the masses of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) are the same.

15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mass of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) is in the range of 1 g to 20 g, preferably in the range of 1 g to 10 g.

16. 16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the adequacy of tracking the progress of the mass units (64, 66, 68, 70) in the installation is assessed by using measurement data from several mass sensors in the installation.

17. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one product inlet (52, 54) comprises at least one injection device, in particular a loss injection device.

18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the installation is for continuously processing the powdered product into a manufactured article.

19. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the facility is a containment facility.

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