Spinout company sets sights on global market
A spinout company based on world class research in particle science has been launched by Techtran Group, the commercialisation partner of the University of Leeds in the UK.
A spinout company based on world class research in particle science has been launched by Techtran Group, the commercialisation partner of the University of Leeds in the UK.
Software and consultancy business Structure Vision is a technical that has developed software to model and simulate accurately the behaviour of particulate materials, such as powders, tablets and other granular materials, within packed structures.
The DigiPac software produces accurate 3D models of the particle structures and can simulate the environmental and physical conditions at a microscopic level. Further software modules allow detailed 'what if' analyses to model a variety of industrial or manufacturing conditions - such as gas permeability, heat transfer, force distribution and flow dynamics - and the effect these have on the overall process. The software is also scalable and can be used to model a variety of different particulates, such as large catalyst packings found within petrochemical refining, down to ultra-small powders used in pharmaceutical drug development.
The company is based on the research of Professor Richard Williams, a leading expert in colloid technology and particle science at the University's Institute of Particle Science & Engineering in the School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering. 'The beauty of DigiPac is that it lets the client visualise processes that take place often at a microscopic level,' Professor Williams explains. 'It saves time and money by enabling 'virtual' problem solving and performance enhancement of industrial processes that we usually don't see because they take place inside machinery.'
Structure Vision's target market is widespread across several industrial sectors but will initially target the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. It has already secured a number of revenue-generating contracts from leading multinational players.
'The University of Leeds is widely recognised as a world class centre of excellence for particle research,' said John McArthur, investment manager at Techtran Group, and commercial director of Structure Vision. 'In a growing industrial marketplace where over 70% of the raw materials are particulate in nature, it is no surprise that Structure Vision has achieved significant success in a very short period of time and we are very excited by the potential for this business.'