Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Simutron’s Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing enable drug manufacturers to simulate powder, granule, and tablet behaviour using EDEM. Powered by advanced Discrete Element Method (DEM) technology, Simutron helps engineering and process teams optimise performance, reduce variability, and validate manufacturing processes before physical trials.
With this solution, you can:
- Optimise powder flow and feeder consistency
- Improve granulation and mixing uniformity
- Analyse tablet compaction and defect risk
- Enhance coating quality and reduce attrition
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Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Engineering-Driven Particle and Process Simulation
Pharmaceutical manufacturing involves highly sensitive particulate processes where powders and granules respond unpredictably to equipment geometry, compression forces, spray dynamics, and operating speeds. Variations in flow, packing, moisture interaction, or stress distribution can directly affect tablet quality, coating uniformity, and overall production reliability.
Simutron’s Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing use EDEM to simulate particle-level behaviour in a controlled digital environment. This enables engineering and formulation teams to analyse performance under realistic process conditions, reduce development uncertainty, and optimise equipment and operating parameters before committing to production.
Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Key Capabilities for Pharmaceutical Particle Simulation
1. Tablet Compaction
Tablet integrity depends on particle rearrangement, stress transfer, and density distribution during compression. EDEM enables detailed analysis of powder packing and internal stress evolution throughout the compaction cycle.
Engineering teams can:
Visualise stress distribution within compressed tablets
Identify density gradients and weak zones
Assess risk of cracking, lamination, and structural defects
Compare compression profiles and punch speeds
Improve compaction consistency before physical validation
This provides deeper insight into defect formation mechanisms.
2. Tablet Coating
Coating uniformity is influenced by tablet motion, spray exposure, and process conditions inside coating drums. EDEM models tablet movement dynamics and coating exposure patterns over time.
Teams can:
Evaluate coating thickness evolution
Study spray rate and spray pattern influence
Compare pan speed and fill level impact
Improve coating uniformity across batches
Reduce variability before scale-up
This supports more controlled and repeatable coating processes.
3. Spray-to-Tablet Liquid Transfer
Understanding how liquid droplets interact with moving tablets is critical for coating efficiency. EDEM supports modelling of spray–tablet interactions and residence time behaviour within spray zones.
Engineering teams can:
Analyse tablet residence time within spray regions
Evaluate liquid exposure consistency
Assess influence of drum geometry and rotation
Compare alternative spray configurations
Optimise liquid transfer efficiency
This improves coating performance while reducing material waste.
4. Tablet Coating - Attrition
Mechanical stress during coating can lead to chipping, breakage, and material loss. EDEM tracks particle–particle and particle–wall contact forces to assess attrition risk under varying conditions.
Teams can:
Identify high-impact zones within coating drums
Compare pan speeds and fill volumes
Evaluate tablet size influence on wear behaviour
Quantify collision intensity trends
Reduce breakage during processing
This helps maintain product integrity throughout coating cycles.
5. Material Model Calibration
Accurate simulation depends on calibrated material parameters. EDEM supports workflows for calibrating particle models against physical test data to achieve realistic bulk behaviour.
Using integrated tools such as:
Shear cell testing correlation
Yield locus validation
Design of Experiments optimisation
Machine learning-assisted parameter tuning
Teams can develop fit-for-purpose particulate models for pharmaceutical materials.
6. Multiscale Modelling Between DEM and PBM
Pharmaceutical processes often require linking particle-scale behaviour to population-level evolution. EDEM supports coupling with Population Balance Models (PBM) for processes such as granulation and breakage.
This enables:
Granule growth modelling
Breakage prediction
Size distribution evolution tracking
Mechanistic process understanding
Improved scale-up confidence
This bridges particle mechanics with full-process behaviour.
Why choose simutron
Expert solutions with unmatched support
Simutron partners with Simcenter to offer powerful, flexible solutions tailored to meet the demands of modern engineering. With advanced technology, dedicated support, and flexible licensing, we equip your team with the tools needed to innovate, optimise processes, and stay competitive.
Expert Support Team
Receive guidance from engineering experts to maximise your tools.
Multi-Disciplinary Solutions
Benefit from solutions in structural, fluid, EM, and data analysis
Get in touch with us
Interested in learning more about how Simutron can support your engineering goals? Fill out our contact form, and one of our experts will reach out.
Get in touch with us
Interested in learning more about how Simutron can support your engineering goals? Fill out our contact form, and one of our experts will reach out.