New SMB separation units ease process scale-up

US company Universal Pharma Technologies (UPT) has introduced two new SMB chromatography units specifically designed for the pharmaceutical industry. The benchtop Discovery provides early gram-quantity separations for the lab, while the Explorer produces separations in kilograms for pilot plant and small-scale commercial production. Both Discovery and Explorer use UPT's newly enhanced modelling and control software.

Using HPLC separation data, UPT's Optimizer modelling program lets chemists determine the most favourable SMB starting conditions and then optimise process parameters. Important aspects like solvent utilisation and overall productivity can be determined sooner and with greater accuracy, says UPT, and even process methods and economics can be evaluated at the earliest development stage.

The Discovery accommodates 4-8 analytical-scale columns. In addition to process data, it produces grams of product using very small feed quantities. The Explorer also utilises 4-8 pilot-scale columns. It is mobile and suitable for operation in laboratories and pilot plants. The Explorer can produce kilograms of a pure chiral single enantiomer for clinical testing.