During the first phase of the project (M1-M18), the partners worked to achieve a consortium wide understanding of the end-users processes and requirements, review of the most relevant standards and regulatory needs and planning of the integration strategy (WP1). To this end, several consultations, interviews and questionnaires were held to the end-users to achieve a deep knowledge of their processes structure, quality requirements but most importantly, their expectations on the project developments. Based on this work, the partners focused on the development of the two novel analysers (ProG Granulometer and FPI-NIR sensor) and the Global Control Platform (PATBox) as well as hardware interfacing devices that would form the core of the ProPAT solution. To this end, all technology providers worked in close collaboration with end-users who provided their industrial requirements. The project´s first phase ended with initial versions of all the systems (ProG, FIP-NIR, PATBox, bespoke sensor hardware interface) delivered for pilot validation and pilot processes similar to the ones in the end-user facilities having been set up.
As such in the second phase, the development of the new low cost Granulometer (ProG-B) was concluded with advancements made over 6 versions to reach the final state and four devices are currently available. The development of FPI-NIR was concluded with the development and release of version v1.7 and fabrication of 4 units. The purchase of of the commercial sensors was concluded based on end-user process reuqirements while the bespoke sensor interface was delivered. At this stage it was possible to start developing the first Chemometric models and applying them to NIR raw data from polyester and pharma processes to predict sample properties and process end-point. Finally, all ProPAT elements were integrated and the system got ready for its first pilot trials. As such, scaled-down pilots of the industrial processes in MEGARA, GSK, MBN, and GM were successfully developed and installed in UNIVLEEDS and the whole system including the Global Control Platform, sensors, chemometric models and interfaces was installed and validated to TRL6 and were rendered ready for industrial validation.
In the third and final phase of the project (M37-M48), the pilot validation (WP6) was concluded. This work helped define the final setup for the industrial validation in the 4 use-cases. In the case of MEGARA (Polymerization process) ProPAT allowed real-time inline data (spectra) collection that were channeled to onsite PATBox deployment and enabled the adaptation and application of chemometrics and data fusion models for prediction of key production parameters and, crucially, of polymerization process end-point. In the case of MBN and GM, ProPAT enabled collection of particle-size and airflow data and their fusion with PLC parameters to develop models for the prediction of particle size relying only on input from airflow sensors and PLC parameters. In the case of GSK, ProPAT was installed in a replica of GSK´s fluidized bed dryer at LEEDS facilities where the results were channeled in local deployment of PATBox which enabled the adaptation and application of chemometric models that predicted water content and therefore were able to identify the end-point of the drying process in real-time and with high accuracy.
Business planning, commercial assessment and environmental assessment activities conducted on the basis of the data collected during industrial validation concluded with specific business plans for the commercialization of the system as a whole and/or the separate technologies while clear environmental and (socio)economic benefits were identified in all use cases.
