by Achim Glockner, Glatt Binzen

From May 15-19, 2006, the Glatt group of companies did once again exhibit on the world-wide leading exhibition for chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological technology, like always, in hall 4, but this time on a joined booth of totally 630 m2, for providing sufficient space for the large number of exhibits. The open design of the booth did invite many international visitors. With 3800 exhibitors from 50 different countries the Achema was again bigger than ever before, although the total number of visitors was slightly less because of the shortening of the exhibition period by one day, which however resulted in a better quality of the contacts.
Glatt did present its products and services under the slogan ”connected by competence” on topical sections of the booth. We could notice a strong interest in all our exhibits, some of which were shown for the first time. The main section of the booth was towered by a state-of-the-art fluid bed granulator, type WSG Pro 300 in 12 bar explosion proof construction, surrounded by various processing equipment for the pharmaceutical industry, such as a newly designed pan coater, type GC Smart, combining efficiency and traditional Glatt product quality, a new SC Super Clean perforated drum, a traditional high shear granulator VG 65, but also a new type of unusual design, the TDG, conceived for efficient drying after granulation, optimal subsequent cleaning and the options for high shear pelletizing and single-pot processing with integrated solvent recovery. The new Glatt fully contained and modular laboratory sized tabletting line, comprising 6 modules from weighing, granulation, tabletting to coating was an exhibit of major interest. Glatt did also present the ”big brother” of the laboratory fluid bed unit ”Miniglatt”, the ”Midiglatt” and the successor of the well-known GPCG 1, the GPCG 2 with improved handling and better controls, on which regular bottom spray coating processes were demonstrated in cooperation with the company Degussa (Eudragit division).

Another topical section of the booth did focus on technology for the food, feed and fine chemical industries and the new continuous fluid bed systems ProCell 5 and ProCell 20, being laboratory respectively pilot units for efficient and economical agglomeration, spray granulation, coating, powder layering and encapsulation of very fine, very large, irregular shaped, sticky or temperature sensitive particles. Another new exhibit was the Glatt basket extruder, type GBE 600 for the production of compact, but easily dispersible extrudates.
The third topical section did present the various contract manufacturing and engineering services, the latter stretching from process technological factory design, general contracting, commissioning to staff training.

Glatt Pharmaceutical Services, a relatively young player in the field of contract formulation and product and process optimization, but looking back on vast experience in pharmaceutical technology when still operating as the Glatt application laboratory, did practically demonstrate their know-how by running a continuous pelletizing process (WSA), excelling by very dense, round and small pellets with a very high drug content and tight particle size distribution.

Who could be a better partner for the process technological industries, than a company that industrially and optimally uses all machines it builds, such feeding back professional know-how to the equipment designers and construction engineers?

We are confident that the Achema 2006 has helped to convey this message.

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