Novel technology for industrial Pressing, Washing and Drying in manufacturing of specialty compounds

Project Information

PWD

Grant agreement ID: 858898

DOI

10.3030/858898

Project closed

EC signature date 13 May 2019

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 30 November 2022

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 3 499 000,00

EU contribution

€ 2 449 300,00

Coordinated by

PWD INDUSTRIAL FILTRATION SRL
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - PWD (Novel technology for industrial Pressing, Washing and Drying in manufacturing of specialty compounds)

Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Below some of the main pain-points for the users that our technology can fully address:
1. Significant use of washing solvents
2. Long filtration/washing/drying cycle time becoming a manufacturing bottleneck
3. Heavy consumption of energy during operations
4. Loss of part of end-products
5. Risk of damage to end-products
6. Cumbersome installation and maintenance – lack of “ease-of-use”

The PWD project has been completed successfully with all the project objectives fully achieved:
1. Technology has been fully developed and reached the commercialisation readiness stage (TRL8)
2. It has been extensively tested with the University of Bologna and has been qualified as ready for friendly users testing
3. It has been extensively tested with 4 friendly users and with 6 different actual pharmaceutical products
4. Through testing activities, PWD technology confirmed the extensive benefits it can generate for the users
5. We identified additional IP rights: 2 trademarks and 4 patents for which the applications are being filled with the EPO
6. We have created significant traction with potential clients (testing activities planned with 20 potential clients and another 40 potential clients are engaged in pre-testing discussions with us)
7. We have featured in articles of the most prestigious newspapers/magazines in Italy (Il Sole24 Ore and La Repubblica) and featured on TV (SKY TV Business 24)
Finally, all the friendly users have considered testing highly successful and are interested to extend the testing activities to other products and start commercial discussions once the technology is commercially launched (Q2 2023)

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We have performed all planned activities in both technical and business areas and among others:
1. Technical activities
• Analyzed in detail the technical requirements that the scale-up that the PWD technology needs to fulfil to deliver on its promise and to maintain the long term competitive advantage
• Translated technical requirements into technical designs of the PWD filter/dryers
• Assured that technical designs follow the necessary market standards and regulations
• Leveraged several acclaimed research material
• Devised the most efficient supply chain structure for our equipment
• Developed manuals for PWD technology
• Produced the testing units of PWD filter/dryer and extensively tested them
• Performed extensive testing with 4 friendly users
• Improved the PWD technology to the stage where the technology reached commercial readiness stage (TRL8)
• Proved, through testing, all the benefits that we have claimed from the beginning of the project
• Entered 50+ important strategic partnerships with stakeholders
2. Business activities
• Secured patents on 8 European markets and extended its validity to July 2023
• Created persuasive PWD Industrial Filtration brand identity
• Developed communication and dissemination tools (including website) helping to create traction in communication efforts
• Started social media campaigns leading to growing follower base (ca. 1,000 on Linked-in) and reaching >100,000 impressions by now
• Developed comprehensive databases of events and key stakeholders
• Secured stand at CPhI Worldwide 2021 event in Milan and CPhI Worldwide 2022 event in Frankfurt to showcase our technology to potential users
• Communicated directly with >200 potential users/clients
• Created strong interest from 4 pharma companies to test the PWD technology on their products (act as friendly users)
• Created strong interest from 20+ pharma companies to test the PWD technology on their products after the project ends (we could not fit these companies into the project timeline)
• Created strong interest from 40+ pharma companies to engage in detailed technical discussions and start scheduling testing of their products
• Developed applications for new IPRs (2 trademarks and 4 patents) that will be filed with EPO in H1 2023

We have achieved many exploitable results with the most notable ones being:
• PWD filter/dryer designs have been finalised and can serve as designs for commercial units and for the discussions with potential clients
• We have established a strong supply chain structure allowing us to mitigate the global supply chain issues and always optimise manufacturing costs and lead-times
• Received all the certifications required for commercial exploitation (PED, ATEX etc.)
• Created strong relationship with >30 manufacturing partners helping to optimise costs and lead-times of production of commercial units
• We have extended current patents in 8 European countries till July 2023 and plan to keep extending them annually
• We have prepared applications for 2 new trademarks and 4 new patents that will create additional protection for our technology
• We have created a strong relationship with many strategic partners (research & academia, KOLs)
• Established direct communication with 200+ potential users across Europe and US
• Established close relationship with 4 friendly users
• Established close relationship with 20 potential clients with whom we are already planning testing activities
• Prepared summary of comparative test results which show great superiority of PWD technology vis-a-vis the state-of-the-art
• Prepared manuals for our technology
• Developed actual testing units (lab and pilot)
• Prepared summary of friendly user test results which show great superiority of PWD technology in processing their products
• Prepared roadmap for our technology
• Featured in articles of 2 most known and prestigious newspapers/magazines in Italy (Il Sole 24 Ore and La Repubblica)
• Featured in TV SKY Business 24 interview
• Developed compliance database and compliance monitoring process

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The novelty of the PWD solution, in comparison to the state-of-the-art, relates to 2 levels of innovation:
o Design innovation
- flexibility through a modular design where processing capacity can be reduced/increased depending on the production needs
- PWD is simpler as it does not involve use of agitators
- dynamic mechanical pressure of up to 6 bar offering better filtration/washing performance
- heating-up only the plates which directly contact the cake offering more efficient drying process
- further simplified by elimination of dust filters as there is no dust created during operations
- designed to create thin layers of the cake and without use of gasses, which eliminates risk of creation of cracks
- unbeatable “ease-of-use” due to its simpler design and much smaller dimensions
o Process innovation
- PWD eliminates “smoothing” of the cake step in the filtration/drying process.
- PWD combines drying cycle with discharging – simultaneous drying and discharging of the dry part of the cake.

All the potential benefits identified before the start of the project, became actual benefits as during the project we were able to validate and demonstrate level of benefits we can actually create:
a.) Reduction of processing times by >90%
b.) Reduction of use of washing solvents by >60%
c.) Reduction of use of industrial gases by >95%
d.) Reduction of use of energy by >90%
e.) Elimination of losses of end-product
f.) Full scalability of test results
g.) No degradation of the quality of product (no change to PSD)
h.) Ability to process the most difficult crystals that cannot be processed with the state-of-the-art in a viable way

PWD Industrial Filtration logo 2 (horizontal)

PWD Industrial Filtration logo