Feed and mix system for a system for continuous processing of powder products

Abstract

To provide a system that performs continuous processing of powder products.SOLUTION: A feed mixing system 10 comprises at least two system inlets 28 for powder products, and at least two feed dosing devices each having an inlet 34 connected to the system inlet. and further includes at least one powder mixing device. Each of the feed dosing devices has an outlet 36 connected to the inlet of the powder mixing device. The feed dosing devices are arranged in a row and provided with a separation wall 50 to separate a processing area and a technical area. In the processing area, processing components of the feed dosing device including at least a feeder 32 thereof are arranged. In the technical area, technical components of the feed dosing device including at least an actuator to actuate the feeder are arranged. A connection portion between the actuator and the feeder penetrates the separation wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeding and mixing system for a system for continuously processing a powdered product, the feeding and mixing system comprising at least two system inlets for the powdered product and at least two feeding and dosing devices, each having an inlet connected to the system inlet, and further comprising at least one powder mixing device, each feeding and dosing device having an outlet connected to the inlet of the powder mixing device.The present invention also relates to a system for continuously processing a powdered product.

[0002] Solid dosage forms, such as tablets or capsules, or oral solid dosage forms (OSDs) can be manufactured in tablet presses, e.g., rotary tablet presses, or capsule filling machines. In continuous manufacturing lines, a powder mixture of, for example, at least one active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and at least one excipient is continuously provided by a mixing device and fed to, for example, a tablet press or capsule filling machine. The resulting powder product, mixed in the mixing device, can be continuously fed to the inlet of the continuous manufacturing line. A dosing device may be provided to feed or dose the ingredients to be processed. Such manufacturing processes are also called direct processing, and, particularly for tablet presses, direct compression processes, in contrast to granulation processes, which use additional equipment or processing steps, such as dry granulators, wet granulators, or intensive dryers, to improve the processability, e.g., flowability and compressibility, of products not suitable for direct processing, or to avoid segregation of the resulting mixture. Another process, known as indirect processing, is a hot melt extrusion process in which additional equipment and process steps, such as a hot melt extruder and cooler, pelletizer, or flaker, are also used, for example to improve the solubility or stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the resulting mixture that is not suitable for direct processing. Generally, such systems may also be integrated in more complex processes, for example in wet or dry granulation, to feed either a wet or dry granulator.

[0003] Systems and methods for the continuous production of solid dosage forms are known, for example, from EP 2 427 166 B1 or EP 3 013 571 A1.

[0004] Systems of the type in question typically include a feed and dosing system for feeding various powder products to a powder blender and mixing the powder products into a product mixture, which is subsequently processed in the system's manufacturing machine for continuous processing of the powder products. In practice, more than two feed and dosing devices with more than two feeders are often provided because more than two powder products, e.g., one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), one or more excipients, and / or one or more lubricants, are often mixed in the powder mixer. It is known to install the feed and dosing devices in a circular configuration. In this way, it is easily possible to combine product streams from different feeders in the center of the circular installation and feed them, for example, to a joint inlet of the powder mixer. However, such known arrangements of feed and dosing devices result in a large footprint with substantially unused space. They also have limited access, usually only from the rear of the feeders. In practice, removing the heavy feeders for cleaning, inspection, and maintenance is often necessary. This makes cleaning and maintenance difficult and uneconomical. Additionally, to access the feeder's processing components, such as the hopper and feed screw, it is often necessary to position the feeder on a slide or pivot toward the center of the circular installation. This further increases the required footprint and makes the placement of the feed dosing device more costly. Furthermore, changing the location of the blender inlet of the feeder requires moving the entire feeder to another location. This further complicates the slide or pivot system. Furthermore, slides or pivots are additional components that require cleaning, making cleaning more complicated and increasing the time required to switch from one product mix to another.

[0005] Based on the prior art described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a feeding and mixing system and a system for continuously processing powder products as described above, which has a small footprint, easy access to the processing parts of the feeding and dosing device, making them easy and quick to remove, and even quicker to clean by minimizing the number of components to be cleaned, thereby reducing changeover times and making the system simpler and less costly.

[0006] The present invention solves this object with a feeding and mixing system according to claim 1. The present invention also solves this object with a system for continuous processing of powder products according to claim 14. Advantageous embodiments are shown in the independent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0007] The object of the present invention is achieved by providing a feeding and mixing system of the above-mentioned type, in which the feeding and dosing devices are arranged in a row and a separating wall is provided separating a processing area from a technical area, in which the processing parts of the feeding and dosing devices are arranged, including at least the feeders of the feeding and dosing devices, and in the technical area the technical parts of the feeding and dosing devices are arranged, including at least the actuators for actuating the feeders, and the connection between the actuators and the feeders passes through the separating wall.

[0008] The feeding and mixing system of the present invention is useful for feeding and mixing powder products for continuous processing in a corresponding system. In this system, for example, solid dosage forms can be produced. These solid dosage forms can be, in particular, oral solid dosage forms (OSDs). These can be produced, for example, from a dry powder product fed into the system through a system inlet. The present invention can also relate to a direct processing system, particularly in systems including a tablet press, also referred to as a direct compression system. In a feeding and mixing system, powder products, such as one or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), one or more excipients, and / or one or more lubricants, are fed and continuously mixed in a powder mixing device. The powder mixing device can, in particular, be a dry powder mixing device. The product mixture produced in the powder mixing device can therefore be a dry powder product mixture. The dry powder product mixture can also be a non-binding dry powder product mixture. Immediately after the mixing step, solid dosage forms can be continuously produced in a manufacturing machine, such as tablets, produced by compressing the powder product in a tablet press. Of course, the manufacturing machine can also be another direct processing manufacturing machine, such as a capsule filling machine, where capsules are filled with a powder product. Furthermore, the manufacturing machine can also be a granulation device, such as a dry granulator or a wet granulator, an extractor, such as a hot melt extruder, or a sachet filter. The feeding and mixing systems of the present invention, as well as the systems of the present invention for continuously processing powder products, are continuous systems. The systems and methods of the present invention can include intermittent process components for the process steps included in the systems of the present invention. Also, in more complex processes, such as wet or dry granulation, the powder mixing device can be integrated and feed either the wet or dry granulator.

[0009] The powder mixer may be any type of continuously operating mixer, with the feed and discharge preferably being a continuous product flow. The mixer may be, for example, a screw blender. The mixer may comprise a mixing tube. The mixing tube may be, for example, substantially horizontally oriented. One or more inlets of the mixer may be located above the mixing tube. The outlet may be located below the mixing tube.

[0010] As previously indicated, the powder product may be, for example, an API, an excipient, and / or a lubricant. The system may have more than two system inlets for processing more than two different powder products. The mixer may have a joint inlet for more than one powder product fed from the feeder / dosing device. The mixer may also have more than one inlet for a powder product fed from the feeder / dosing device.

[0011] The connections between the components of the inventive feeding and mixing system and the inventive system for continuously processing powdered products can be provided in the form of, for example, pipes, hoses, bellows, etc. Any inlets and outlets can be designed to be removable, so that they can be removed from their respective connections. However, they may also be non-removable, so that they are fixedly connected to their respective mating connections, for example by being integrated into the respective connections. The inlets and outlets may have closure devices for closing their respective mating connections. However, they may not have such closure devices, and access to each connection is always free.

[0012] The dosing devices may comprise, for example, loss-in-weight feeders. Such loss-in-weight feeders are generally known to those skilled in the art and do not need to be described in detail. Generally, they feed and dose the powder product based on the measurement results of a weight sensor. The dosing devices usually comprise an actuator for operating the feeder, such as a drive device for driving the feeder. Usually, each dosing device is connected to one system inlet, particularly via a refill system, through which the respective powder product is introduced into the system. As already mentioned, the powder mixer may comprise one or more inlets. The outlets of different dosing devices may be connected to the same inlet of the powder mixer. However, it is also possible for the outlets of different dosing devices to be connected to different inlets of the powder mixer.

[0013] The feeding and mixing system of the present invention may comprise more than two feeding and dosing devices, for example three, four, five, six or more feeding and dosing devices. According to the present invention, the feeding and dosing devices are arranged in a row, and not in a circular arrangement as in the prior art. More particularly, the feeding and dosing devices may be arranged along a substantially straight line, in particular along a horizontal line. Of course, depending on the number of feeding and dosing devices, it is also possible to arrange them in more than one row. If more than one row of feeding and dosing devices is provided, the rows may be arranged, for example, along parallel horizontal axes.

[0014] The inventive arrangement of the dosing device, particularly its feeders, in a row allows for the provision of a preferably straight separation wall separating the processing area from the technical area. The processing and technical components may be connected to one another via connections, if necessary. These connections may extend through the separation wall. These connections may be provided in a sealed manner through the separation wall so as not to impair the vibration-proof separation of the processing area from the technical area via the separation wall. Such connections between the processing and technical components may preferably be quick-release connections, allowing the respective processing and technical components to be easily connected and disconnected, for example, for installation, cleaning, or maintenance.

[0015] The separation wall seals the processing area from the technical area, preventing dust, especially product dust, from passing through the separation wall and thus migrating from the processing area to the technical area. The separation wall thus provides inherent containment. Processing components include, in particular, feeders of a dosing device, i.e., components that supply powder material to a powder mixing device, such as a feed screw, a powder feed hopper, a powder agitator, or a feed screw outlet. Generally, processing components are components that come into contact with the powder product being processed during operation of the feeding and mixing system, while technical components are generally components that do not come into contact with the powder product. Therefore, technical components are typically auxiliary components, such as actuators that operate the feeder, such as a drive for driving the feeder. The drive for such a feeder may, for example, comprise an electric motor. Generally, the actuator may, for example, comprise an electric motor and / or a vibration actuator. The connection may, for example, be a mechanical connection (such as a drive shaft), a magnetic connection, and / or an electromagnetic connection.

[0016] The separation walls may be made from stainless steel sheet metal with an appropriate surface treatment, such as grinding, polishing, or glass bead blasting. If a stainless steel "concave plate" is used, such a concave plate can be incorporated into the separation wall for mounting the processing unit. The separation walls can also be made from laminate or high-pressure laminate (HPL) sheets with appropriate outer layers and surfaces. HPL is particularly suitable for clean room wall panels, and thicker interior panels can also be used for stronger, thicker structural panels. Other possible separation wall materials include polymer sheets, such as polyester sheets, and composite sheets, such as glass-reinforced polyester (GRP). Flexible separation walls, made from plastic film, for example, are also possible. Such flexible, potentially disposable separation walls can also be used as separation walls in the present invention. Disposable separation walls can also be used in addition to non-disposable separation walls, such as stainless steel. For example, a stainless steel processing box could be used and lined with a removable plastic material.

[0017] The processing area may further be arranged in a protective housing. This allows the processing area to be sealed off from the environment, for example, in a dust-tight manner or under containment conditions. Another advantage of such a protective housing is that it allows a pressure difference between the processing area and the technical area, potentially enabling a clean room. For example, a negative pressure can be generated in the processing area relative to the technical area and possibly the clean room. This prevents powder from escaping from the system. The protective housing can be positioned relative to a separation wall surrounding the feeding and dosing device and / or the automatic replenishment system and / or the powder mixing device. The feeding and dosing device may form a feeding, dosing, and mixing module together with the powder mixing device. This feeding, dosing, and mixing module may be arranged in the protective housing, thus forming a module housing. This embodiment makes it easy to meet containment requirements. Of course, it is also possible for the protective housing to form a system housing together with a manufacturing machine housing, such as a tablet press housing or a capsule filling machine housing. Therefore, the protective housing may be integrated into or connected to the manufacturing machine housing. This allows for a particularly compact design and also makes it easy to meet containment requirements. The separation wall can be part of the wall between two rooms, one of which, the technical room, contains the technical area, and the other, the production room, contains the processing area. This results in a particularly clear separation between the two areas. A so-called "wall-side" installation is also possible. In this installation, the system is placed with its back facing the clean room wall. A penetration in the clean room wall provides access from the technical room to the technical area.

[0018] According to a further particularly practical embodiment, the separating wall may be part of the protective housing.

[0019] Generally, arranging feeders in a row is considered to be disadvantageous when feeding, for example, one joint inlet of a blender. As mentioned above, it would be easier to arrange them in a circular configuration and feed different powder streams through the center of the circular configuration to the joint inlet of a powder mixer. However, the inventors have now discovered that the advantages of the above-mentioned inventive configuration outweigh these disadvantages. First, the in-row configuration of the present invention reduces the footprint, reducing it by approximately half compared to the circular configuration of the prior art. Access to the technical area, and in particular the components in the processing area, is easy from the front and rear of the system. With feeders arranged in a row, it is easy to add or remove feeders from the row. Complex slides and pivots that are difficult to clean are not required to access processing components such as feeders. Furthermore, since the technical components of the feeders are easily accessible from the technical area, there is no need to remove heavy components such as feeders for maintenance. The mechanical configuration of the present invention allows for a clear separation of the processing area from the technical area, unlike prior art arrangements. This allows for a clear and complete separation of the processing components from the technical components. In some cases, a small processing area may contain processing components such as feeders, blenders, and automated refill units. In some cases, a large technical area may contain components such as motors, load cells, sensors, electrical cables, electronics, and actuators, including pneumatics. This arrangement achieves essential product containment, facilitates cleaning, and facilitates access, while also reducing changeover times due to easier removal and installation. By separating as many technical components as possible from the processing components and moving the technical components to the technical area, the total weight of the processing components can be significantly reduced, making removal of the processing components easier and faster. Reducing the weight of the processing components in this way facilitates manual removal of the processing components, avoiding the use of lifting and removal tools such as lifts, guide rails, slides, and transport carts.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the system further comprises an automatic refilling system for the feeder, wherein a refilling unit of the automatic refilling system for automatically refilling the feeder with the powder product is located in the processing area, and at least an actuator for actuating the refilling unit, such as a drive for driving the refilling unit, is located in the technical area, and the connection between the actuator and the refilling unit passes through the separation wall. Such an automatic refilling system is connected to the product supply section of each powder product. Each refilling unit may, for example, comprise a dosing screw or a refilling screw, in particular a horizontal dosing screw or a refilling screw, for transporting the powder product from the supply section to the feeder. Such an automatic refilling system reduces the risk of blockages, for example, when processing cohesive materials, leads to accurate refilling even at low volumes, prevents leakage using a shut-off valve or the like, is less likely to adversely affect the performance of the feeder, is less likely to cause densification of the powder product or strong fluidization of the powder product that could cause it to be swept into the supply system, and typically has a simple design that is easy to assemble and clean. The refilling unit is also in contact with the powder product. Therefore, locating the refilling unit in the processing area is advantageous. Technical components, such as actuators for operating the refill unit, including drives for driving the refill unit, are again located in the technical area, with connections provided through the separating wall. Again, this connection may be a quick-release connection. The actuators for operating the refill unit may comprise, for example, electric motors and / or vibration actuators. The actuators for operating the closing valves of the refill unit may comprise, for example, pneumatic cylinders. Again, by separating the technical components from the refill unit, the refill unit can be mounted lightly and easily removed manually without tools.

[0021] The refill units of the automatic refill system may be arranged above the feeders of the dosing device, each having a horizontal refill screw, preferably arranged at a pitch angle relative to one another. For example, if three or more refill units are arranged above three or more feeders, the refill screws may not be arranged at a pitch angle relative to one another. In this case, the refill units must minimize the distance between the feeder inlets, which is greater than the distance required by the feeders themselves. This, in turn, results in a greater distance between the feeder outlets than necessary. For example, if a funnel or hopper is arranged between the feeder outlet and the blender inlet, the funnel must have a wider funnel inlet than necessary. This results in a less steep funnel, which is undesirable due to the risk of flowability problems with the powder product. The pitch angles of the horizontal refill screws relative to one another allow the distance between the feeder inlets to be smaller than the distance between the refill inlets, thereby allowing for a greater distance between the product inlets. Thus, the above embodiment facilitates a larger space for the raw material filling system. The pitch angle may be the same between adjacent refill screws in each set. The refill screws can therefore be arranged like the spokes of a wheel: the pitch angle may for example be less than 45 degrees, preferably less than 30 degrees.

[0022] Of course, the automatic refill unit of the automatic refill system may also comprise various components, such as powder valves, discharge valves, and in particular metering valves and rotary dosing valves. In particular, the discharge valves allow the use of the vacuum receiving hopper of the pneumatic conveying system (typically terminated by a powder discharge valve) as a refill unit, which allows the pneumatic conveying system to be essentially directly connected to the feeder hopper.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the powder blender of the powder mixing device may also be located in the processing area, and at least one actuator for operating the powder blender, such as at least one drive device for driving the powder blender, may also be located in the technical area, with at least one connection between the at least one actuator and the powder blender passing through the separation wall. Regarding the other actuator, the actuator may, for example, comprise an electric motor that drives a part of the blender, such as a mixing screw. The powder blender is an additional device that is in direct contact with the powder product. Therefore, it is also advantageous to locate the powder blender in the processing area. Again, components of the powder mixing device that are not in contact with the powder product, such as the actuator, may be located in the technical area. The connection is provided through the separation wall. Again, this connection may be a quick-release connection. Again, by removing the technical components from the powder mixing device, the powder mixing device can be mounted lightly and easily removed manually without tools.

[0024] Furthermore, drives, load cells, sensors, cables and / or electronic components of the feeding and / or dosing device and / or automatic replenishment system and / or powder mixing device may be located in the technical area, since all these components do not come into direct contact with the powder product.

[0025] The separation barrier may separate the technical area from the processing area under contained conditions. In particular, the separation barrier may be dust-tight and therefore contained. The containment level may be, for example, product toxicity level OEB 3, OEB 4, OEB 5 or higher, measured, for example, according to the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) Good Practice Guide: Assessing the Particulate Containment Performance of Pharmaceutical Equipment. Any connections made through the separation barrier may therefore fulfil the required conditions of being dust-tight and therefore contained.

[0026] Generally, any outlet of the feeding dosing device may be connected to the inlet of the powder mixing device in any suitable manner, for example preferably by a vertical connecting tube.

[0027] According to a further embodiment, at least one funnel or hopper may be provided between the feeder and the powder mixing device, in particular the powder blender, with a funnel or hopper inlet connected to at least two outlets of the feeding and dosing device and an outlet connected to the inlet of the powder mixing device. The funnel or hopper may, for example, be conical, with its inlet larger than its outlet. Providing such a funnel or hopper allows for a particularly simple flow of product from the outlets of different feeding and dosing devices to one inlet of the powder mixing device. The at least one funnel or hopper may, for example, be made of a metal material. Of course, it is also possible to directly connect one or more feeder outlets to one or more blender inlets, for example via a tubing connection. Such a connection may be in addition to the funnel, in particular next to the funnel.

[0028] The at least two feed dosing devices may be configured to discharge product from the at least two outlets of the feed dosing devices to the inlets of the funnel or hopper at different flow rates, so that different powder products can be fed to the blender in different amounts depending on the desired product ratios to be processed.

[0029] The feed and mix system according to the present invention may further include at least two funnels or hoppers, each having a funnel or hopper inlet of a different width, which may be arranged alternately or in combination between the feed and mix device and the powder mixer. In this way, a wider range of different feeder and blender configurations are possible to suit specific desired formulations. Processing flexibility is correspondingly increased. Modular funnel or hopper designs with funnels or hoppers of different sizes and / or shapes allow for different feeder and blender configurations. For example, by selecting an appropriate funnel or hopper, product streams from different feed and mix devices can be combined into a single product stream and fed to a joint inlet of a powder blender. For example, depending on the width of the funnel or hopper inlet, more or fewer of the feed and mix device outlets can discharge their product streams into the funnel or hopper. Funnels or hoppers can also be arranged in different positions, thus collecting product streams from different feed and mix devices.

[0030] The use of a funnel or hopper also makes it possible to feed small or particularly difficult ingredients into the main raw material stream, e.g., ingredients with poor flow properties, such as high cohesion. In this way, the risk of inaccurate dosing can be minimized, and continuous premixing can be performed in advance in the funnel or hopper before reaching the powder blender.

[0031] At least one funnel or hopper may further include a vibrating device, preferably an ultrasonic vibrating device, for vibrating the at least one funnel or hopper. Such flow aids, e.g., ultrasonic flow aids, facilitate the processing of low-flow ingredients by reducing friction. This helps prevent material buildup within the funnel or hopper and ensures a starve-fed reaction. In particular, it ensures that the funnel or hopper is not filled with powder, but simply guides or redirects the flow of powder from the feeder outlet to the blender inlet.

[0032] According to a further embodiment, at least one funnel or hopper may be surface-treated by blasting, preferably with a suspension containing a liquid and abrasive particles. The use of blasting, preferably with a liquid and abrasive particles, promotes powder flow by reducing adhesion of the powder product to the surface of the funnel or hopper, thereby reducing friction of the powder product against the surface of the funnel. The use of blasting with a liquid and abrasive particles reduces adhesion by modifying various types of surfaces, which act more or less simultaneously, including reducing surface roughness (reducing the Ra value), improving surface topography, creating an isotropic treated surface, increasing hydrophobicity, and reducing the risk of static electricity generation due to friction.

[0033] According to a further embodiment, at least one funnel or hopper may be surface treated by blasting or shot peening, particularly micro-shot peening, preferably using a suspension containing a liquid and a mixture of spherical and irregularly shaped abrasive particles. Thus, the surface treatment can involve simultaneous blasting and micro-shot peening, preferably using a suspension containing a liquid and a mixture of both spherical and irregularly shaped particles. Simultaneous blasting and micro-shot peening using a suspension containing a liquid and a mixture of at least two different types of abrasive particles further reduces powder adhesion, further improving powder flowability and improving the surface of conventional shot peening, such as closing microcracks and micropores, without the adverse surface deformation and surface stress caused by conventional shot peening. Furthermore, the surface treatment can involve simultaneous blasting and micro-shot peening using a suspension containing a liquid and a mixture of at least two different types of abrasive particles, thereby using spherical and irregularly shaped particles. This further improves flowability.

[0034] The flow aid for improving the flowability of the powder product in the funnel or hopper may also comprise a surface coating of at least one funnel or hopper that reduces friction with the dry powder, such as a PTFE, FEP, or PFA coating, a polymer suitable for reducing friction with dry powders, or any other suitable non-stick coating for dry powder coating.

[0035] The flow aid may also include the use of a suitable material, such as a conductive material, preferably stainless steel, for at least one funnel or hopper. The use of a conductive material eliminates static electricity from the powder, which may be generated in the powder by triboelectric effects, either caused by an automatic replenishment system or a dosing device, or by the powder sliding into the funnel or hopper itself. The flow aid may also include a suitable material, such as a non-conductive material, preferably a polar polymer with very low surface roughness. Polymers are typically either polar or non-polar, and the polarity of the polymer can also be varied. Powder products used for powder processing in the pharmaceutical industry are typically polar materials. Some powder products are less susceptible to triboelectric effects and more susceptible to polar properties. For such powder products, it may be advantageous to use a polar polymer with the same polarity as the powder product, so that the powder product is repelled by the polymer, thereby reducing adhesion and friction of the powder to the polymer.

[0036] In addition to or as an alternative to a funnel or hopper, any (approximately) horizontal powder conveying system may be provided between the feeder and the powder mixing device, in particular a powder blender, which horizontal powder conveying system has one or more inlets connected to at least two outlets of the feeding and dosing device and has an outlet connected to the inlet of the powder mixing device. Such an approximately horizontal powder conveying system may, for example, comprise a horizontal powder screw, a vibrating chute or vibrating tube, or a conveying transport belt. All of the embodiments described above with respect to a funnel or hopper are also applicable to such a horizontal powder conveying system.

[0037] Additionally, any of the above-described embodiments, i.e., connecting tubes, funnels, hoppers, and horizontal powder conveying systems, can be combined in any feasible manner in the system of the present invention depending on the specific processing requirements.

[0038] According to a further embodiment, the powder mixer may have more than one inlet, and it is also possible that at least some of the outlets of the dosing device are connected to different inlets of the powder mixer. This embodiment makes it possible to define different mixing energies. For example, a powder product fed to a more downstream inlet of the powder mixer will undergo a shorter mixing process than a powder product fed to a more upstream inlet of the powder mixer. Different mixing times can therefore be freely selected, and the resulting mixing energy can be chosen for a given mixing intensity.

[0039] The present invention also solves this object with a system for continuous processing of powder products, the system comprising a feed mixing system according to the present invention, the powder mixer comprising an outlet for a product mixture produced in the powder mixer, the system further comprising a production machine, the production machine comprising an inlet connected to the outlet of the powder mixer, the production machine comprising an outlet. In some applications, such as research and development, it may be desirable to discharge the powder mixture directly into a container, in which case the system may be provided without the production machine.

[0040] The system has already been broadly described above. It is possible to arrange the feeding and mixing system and the production machine at the same height, in particular at the same floor level. The system may therefore be a one-floor system. However, it is also possible, for example, to arrange the feeding and dosing system above the production machine, in particular on the upper floor, thus effectively providing a two-floor system. The production machine continuously processes the product mixture produced in the powder mixing device, in particular in the powder blender, and releases the processed product at an outlet. As mentioned above, the system is a continuously operating system. The system may also be a dust-proof system.

[0041] A product conveying device may be located at the connection between the powder mixer outlet and the production machine inlet, and this product conveying device continuously conveys the product mixture from the powder mixer outlet to the production machine inlet. The product conveying device may be, for example, a pneumatic product conveying device, such as a vacuum-tight phase product conveying device. Such a conveying device is particularly suitable for continuously conveying the product mixture from the powder mixer outlet to the production machine inlet, especially when the system is arranged on one floor. Such a conveying device reduces product segregation during conveying, thus improving the quality of the processed product. The product conveying device may, for example, comprise a hose for conveying the product mixture.

[0042] According to a further embodiment, the continuous processing of the powder product may be a direct process, i.e., continuous production of solid dosage forms, and the production machine may continuously produce the solid dosage forms from the resulting mixture, and the outlet of the production machine is an outlet for discharging the produced solid dosage forms. The production machine may preferably be a tablet press or a capsule filling machine, or a sachet filling machine. Thus, the solid dosage forms may be tablets or (filled) capsules or (filled) sachets. The tablet press may in particular be a rotary tablet press. However, the production machine may also be a different production machine, such as a granulator or an extractor. The system may also comprise multiple production machines and / or multiple feeding and mixing systems.

[0043] Embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] The system of the present invention for continuous processing of powdered products. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feed and mix system of the system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a further perspective partial cross-sectional view of the feed and mixing system shown in FIG. 2.

[0045] In the drawings, like reference numbers refer to like parts.

[0046] The system for continuously processing powdered products shown in FIG. 1 is a system for continuously producing solid dosage forms in a direct process. The system includes a feed and mix system 10 and a manufacturing machine 12. The manufacturing machine 12 may be a tablet press, such as a rotary tablet press, a capsule filler, a sachet filler, a granulator, or an extractor. The manufacturing machine 12 includes an inlet 14 connected to a hose 16 of a product conveying device that conveys the resulting mixture from the feed and mix system 10 to the inlet 14 of the manufacturing machine 12, where the resulting mixture is continuously processed into solid dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, or sachets. The resulting solid dosage forms are discharged through an outlet 18 of the manufacturing machine 12. The manufacturing machine 12 includes a manufacturing machine housing 20 with a window 22. The feeding and mixing system 10 includes a system housing 24 with two doors 26, which are open in FIG. 2 to allow visibility into the interior of the feeding and mixing system 10. The system shown in FIG. 1 is a one-floor arrangement in which the feed and mix system 10 and the manufacturing machine 12 are located at the same height, specifically at the same floor level.

[0047] 2 and 3 show six system inlets 28 through which different powder products can be introduced into the feeding and mixing system 10. The system inlets 28 lead to six automatic replenishment systems, each of which has a replenishment unit 30 including a horizontal replenishment screw. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the replenishment units 30 are arranged at a pitch angle relative to each other, so that the inlets of adjacent replenishment units 30 are spaced further apart than the inlets of the feeders 32 of the feeding and dosing device arranged below the automatic replenishment system. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the feeding and dosing devices, in particular the feeders 32, are arranged in a row, in particular along a horizontal straight line. Each feeding and dosing device, in particular the feeders 32, has an inlet 34 located between the respective replenishment units 30 and the feeder 32. Each feeding and dosing device, in particular the feeder 32, further has an outlet 36 for supplying the powder product, which is fed via the inlets 28 and the replenishment units 30 to a powder blender 38 of the powder mixing device. The powder blender 38 comprises a horizontal mixing tube in which mixing screws are disposed for mixing the different powder products into the desired product mixture. In the illustrated example, a funnel 40 is disposed between the feeders 32 and the powder blender 38, combining the product streams from four of the six feeders 32 into a single product stream that enters a first inlet 42 of the powder blender 38. The funnel 40 is equipped with a vibration device 41, which in the illustrated example is an ultrasonic vibration device 41, for vibrating the funnel 40. This improves the flowability of the powder product within the funnel 40. The powder blender 38 further comprises an inlet 44 through which powder streams from additional feeders 32 can be introduced into the powder blender 38, for example, via a vertical tube 58. A vent pipe 47 is provided at the end of the powder blender 38 opposite the inlet 42, which exhausts air into the processing area to equalize pressure. Another vent pipe 45 is provided for the funnel 40 and the feeder outlet. The powder blender 38 further includes an outlet 46 through which the resulting product mixture is delivered to a product conveying device 48, which conveys the resulting mixture via a hose 16 to the inlet 14 of the manufacturing machine 12 for further processing.

[0048] As can be seen particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, a separation wall 50 is provided within the system housing 24, separating the processing area, visible in FIGS. 2 and 3 on the left, from the technical area, not visible in FIGS. 2 but visible on the right in FIG. 3. This separation wall 50 may provide a containment or dust-tight separation between the processing area and the technical area, as described above. In the processing area, processing components of the automatic replenishment system, feeding and dosing devices, and powder mixing devices are arranged in direct contact with the powder product being processed. These processing components can be lightweight for easier manual installation and removal. In the technical area, the technical components of the automatic replenishment system, feeding and dosing devices, and powder mixing devices are arranged so as not to come into direct contact with the powder product. In this case, these technical components currently include an actuator 52 for operating the replenishment unit 30, an actuator 54 for operating the feeder 32, and an actuator 56 for operating the powder blender 38. The actuators 52, 54, 56 may be, for example, drive devices for driving the replenishment unit 30, the feeder 32, and the powder blender 38, respectively. The actuators 52, 54, 56 may, for example, comprise electric motors. The connections between the technical components, such as the actuators 52, 54, 56, and the processing components, such as the replenishment unit 30, the feeder 32, and the powder blender 38, are arranged through the separation wall 50 using through-wall technology. For easier installation and maintenance, these connections may be quick-release connections. While the system housing 24 provides a protective housing 24, the separation wall 50 ensures the separation of the processing area, where the powder product is handled, from the technical area, where the powder product must not be present. In this way, on the one hand, an essential containment of the processing area relative to the technical area is achieved, and on the other hand, containment from the environment is achieved via the protective housing 24. Furthermore, as generally described above, the housing 20 of the production machine 12 provides containment from the environment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10...Feed and Mix System 12…Manufacturing machine 14... Entrance to the manufacturing machine 16...Hose 18...Exit of the manufacturing machine 20... Manufacturing machine housing 22...Window 24…System Housing / Protective Housing 26...door 28...System entrance 30…Replacement unit 32...Feeder 34...Feeder entrance 36...Feeder outlet 38...Powder blender 40…Funnel 41...Vibration device 42, 44...Inlet of powder blender 46...Outlet of powder blender 45, 47...Ventilation pipes 48...Product conveying device 50…Separation wall 52...Refill unit actuator 54...Feeder actuator 56...Actuator for powder blender 58...Vertical tube

Claims

1. A feeding and mixing system (10) for a system for continuously processing powdered products, said feeding and mixing system (10) comprising at least two system inlets (28) for the powdered product and at least two feeding and dosing devices, each having an inlet (34) connected to the system inlets (28), and further comprising at least one powder mixing device, each having an outlet (36) connected to the inlets (42, 44) of said powder mixing device, said feeding and dosing devices being arranged in a row, said feeding and dosing devices being provided with a separation wall (50) separating a processing area from a technical area, said processing area comprising processing parts of said feeding and dosing devices, including feeders (32) of said feeding and dosing devices, and said technical area comprising technical parts of said feeding and dosing devices, including actuators (54) for actuating said feeders (32), said connection between said actuators (54) and said feeders (32) passing through said separation wall (50); Components in the technology area or processing area are accessible from the front and rear of the system; 10. The feeding and mixing system (10), characterized in that the system further comprises an automatic replenishment system for the feeder (32), wherein a replenishment unit (30) of the automatic replenishment system for automatically replenishing the feeder (32) with the powder product is located in the processing area, an actuator (52) for actuating the replenishment unit (30) is located in the technical area, and a connection between the actuator (52) and the replenishment unit (30) passes through the separation wall (50).

2. 2. The feeding and mixing system of claim 1, wherein the processing area is located within a protective housing (24).

3. 3. The feed and mix system of claim 2, wherein said separation wall (50) is part of said protective housing (24).

4. 2. The feeding and mixing system of claim 1, wherein the replenishment units (30) of the automatic replenishment system are each arranged above a feeder (32) of the feeding and dosing device, and each replenishment unit (30) comprises a horizontal replenishment screw.

5. 5. The feeding and mixing system according to claim 1, wherein a powder blender (38) of the powder mixing device is also arranged in the processing area, and at least one actuator (56) for actuating the powder blender (38) is also arranged in the technology area, and at least one connection between the actuator (56) and the powder blender (38) passes through the separation wall (50).

6. 6. A feeding and mixing system according to claim 1, further characterized in that drives, load cells, sensors, cables and / or electronic components of the feeding and dosing device and / or the powder mixing device are arranged in the technical area.

7. 7. The feeding and mixing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one funnel (40) or hopper is provided between the feeder (32) and the powder mixer, the at least one funnel (40) or hopper having a funnel or hopper inlet connected to at least two outlets (36) of the feeding and dosing device and an outlet connected to an inlet (42, 44) of the powder mixer.

8. 8. The feeding and mixing system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises at least two funnels (40) or hoppers, the at least two funnels (40) or hoppers having funnel or hopper inlets of different widths, the at least two funnels (40) or hoppers being arranged alternately or in combination between the feeding and dosing device and the powder mixing device.

9. 9. A feeding and mixing system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that at least one funnel (40) or hopper further comprises a vibrating device (41) for vibrating said at least one funnel (40) or hopper.

10. 10. A feeding and mixing system according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one funnel (40) or hopper is surface treated by blasting with a suspension comprising a liquid and abrasive particles.

11. 11. A feeding and mixing system according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one funnel (40) or hopper is surface treated by blasting or shot peening with a suspension comprising a liquid and a mixture of spherical and irregularly shaped abrasive particles.

12. 12. A feeding and mixing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the powder mixing device has more than one inlet (42, 44) and at least some of the outlets (36) of the feeding and dosing devices are connected to different inlets (42, 44) of the powder mixing device.

13. 13. A system for continuously processing a powder product, comprising the feed mixing system (10) of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the powder mixing device has an outlet (46) for a product mixture produced by the powder mixing device, the system further comprising a production machine (12), the production machine (12) having an inlet (14) connected to the outlet (46) of the powder mixing device, the production machine (12) having an outlet (18).

14. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein a product conveying device (48) is located at a connection between the outlet (46) of the powder mixer and the inlet (14) of the machine (12), and the product conveying device (48) continuously conveys the product mixture from the outlet (46) of the powder mixer to the inlet (14) of the machine (12).

15. 15. The system according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the continuous processing of powdered products is, in a direct process, the continuous production of solid dosage forms, the manufacturing machine (12) being provided for the continuous production of solid dosage forms from the product mixture, the manufacturing machine (12) being provided for the continuous production of solid dosage forms from the product mixture, and the outlet (18) of the manufacturing machine (12) being an outlet (18) for discharging the produced solid dosage forms.

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