Natoli donates new tablet press to university for continuous manufacturing research

Global provider of tablet compression tooling, Natoli Engineering Company, has donated a new NP-400 tablet press and related components to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, to strengthen the university’s continuous manufacturing research programme.

“This gift will be a huge benefit to our students,” said Marcial Gonzalez, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue. “It’s one thing to study processes in a classroom or do experiments at a workbench. But at Purdue, our students get the hands-on experience of working in an integrated continuous manufacturing pilot plant with state-of-the-art online sensors for monitoring and process control, as well as unit operations, such as powder feeders, blenders, roller compactors, granulators, extruders and now a top-of-the-line tablet press.”

The NP-400 tablet press — in addition to operating software and three sets of tooling — will be used at the university’s Center for Particulate Products and Processes (CP3), a centre that allows students to study, design and manufacture pharmaceutical tablets and other particulate products at an industrial scale. The new NP-400 will replace an older model Natoli tablet press that was part of the continuous tablet manufacturing pilot plant.

“Continuous manufacturing is an important focus for us,” revealed Gintaras Reklaitis, the Burton and Kathryn Gedge Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering. “Much of our work goes into developing and implementing best practices for continuous manufacturing, and through this work advancing the regulatory science that is important for the industry and the FDA. Partnering with a company like Natoli is helping us to do just that.”

“We are excited to see how the students and researchers at Purdue University will use this gift to establish industry best practices and propel advancements in continuous manufacturing,” commented Dale Natoli, president of Natoli Engineering. “As a member of C-SOPS (Center for Structured Organic Particulate Systems), which allows universities and industry leaders to work together to improve how pharmaceuticals are manufactured, Purdue is the ideal university with which to collaborate.”