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High-Shear Mixer
High-Shear Mixer

High-shear mixer granulator

Pharma-Granulat

Process robustness and high efficiency are the main requirements for high-quality granulation in a high-shear mixer. Our technology is based on the unique Gentlewing impeller. The high-shear mixer granulator provides perfect mixing in short time and allows for a wide process window in terms of e.g. tip speed, filling level and mixing duration. At the same time, wall caking and product residues are minimized. The equipment’s intelligent features facilitate safe product transfer via a wet mill into the fluid bed, avoiding operator intervention. For older, already registered formulations, a traditional 3-blade impeller is available.

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Key benefits

Achieve higher yields
A smart design prevents wall caking and clogging and enables controlled discharging for robust and secure processes.
High batch variability
The position, geometry of the mixing tools and operating modes allow filling levels between 20 and 80 %.
Go for a full service
Whether you need formulation support, rental equipment, or a service agreement – we take your molecules to production.

High-shear mixer technology & features

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Gentlewing: Convincing mixing and granulation results

The Hüttlin Gentlewing is designed to achieve superior mixing and granulation results. The impeller’s shape matches the contour of the mixing container, while its angled blades ensure forced high-shear mixing of the product.
The prolonged blades further avoid wall caking, resulting in a higher yield.

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Gentlewing or 3-blade impeller: you have the choice!

You have the option to choose between the innovative Gentlewing impeller and a traditional 3-blade impeller for older formulations, which are already registered with this technology.

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Top or bottom drive: we offer total flexibility

Our technology is available in a top (HTG) or bottom drive (HBG) execution.
Both share the same geometry, resulting in no process difference between top and bottom drive, achieving consistent high-quality results. The Gentlewing’s design and the vertical chopper support a high batch variability of 20 – 80 %.

Automatic end point detection

Besides time and current measurement, we can additionally offer torque measurement to determine the end point of granulation as a validatable end point value.

Choose your preferred charging option

Depending on your products’ characteristics and your plant’s layout, you can choose between different charging options: pneumatically by continuous or intermittent vacuum or alternatively by gravity filling. Especially for critical products, intermittent vacuum drastically reduces the filter load during charging.

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Closed process for the highest safety

In both our top and bottom drive executions, the Gentlewing and chopper shafts are equipped with a purged sealing system. The product container’s lid features an inflatable seal as well as an interlocking device to avoid cross-contamination. It further ensures product and operator safety.

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Efficient pharma wall installation

The wall installation enables a true separation of the GMP and technical area, reducing the required space in the pharma room. All drives and supply lines are accessible via the technical area for time-efficient and safe maintenance.

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All benefits in a single pot

The Hüttlin single pot combines all benefits of the leak-tight top-drive concept with a smart, efficient energy transfer via heated bowl, lid, filter housing and shaft, as well as an optimized vacuum system with optional solvent recovery. This concept meets the highest requirements regarding process times, product quality and handling.

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Cleaning – automated and efficient

Efficiency is one of the main benefits of our cleaning systems. Depending on your requirements, you can flexibly choose either our basic automated cleaning system or the advanced automated UltraClean technology. Thanks to its in-place cleaning, the UltraClean stainless-steel filter significantly reduces cleaning times and ensures reproducible results.

Are you looking for a small R&D tabletop mixer?

Mycromix granulates small amounts of products. Due to interchangeable bowls of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 liters, you can process a wide range of batch sizes. Mycromix features the same unique Gentlewing impeller and vertical chopper as our production-scale high-shear mixers. Mycromix is available with various options, such as preparation for organic solvents, heating/cooling jackets or a 3-blade impeller. In case you are seeking to expand your R&D capabilities, our Solidlab 1 and Solidlab 2 Plus fluid beds for drying perfectly complement the Mycromix table-top solution.

Unlike most other solutions in the market, the Solidlab 1 comes with our PROVICON control system featuring open recipe creation and management for a time-saving product development.

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Use case scenarios

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Outstanding granule quality

Whether you compress granules into tablets or fill them into capsules or sachets, e.g. for nutraceuticals – our high-shear mixer means outstanding quality for any dosage form.

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Tablets at their best

Outstanding granule properties like smooth flowability and an ideal particle size distribution result in excellent compression characteristics– even at very low API concentration, e.g. for cancer therapy.

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Easy effervescence

Effervescent tablets support easy oral administration, but prove challenging in terms of production. Our sophisticated single pot system is perfectly suited to produce granules for highly stable effervescent tablets.

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Yes we capsule

Granules, pellets, and mini tablets are perfectly suited for fixed-dose or personalized combination capsules, e.g. anti-infective drugs. Our fluid bed granulators ensure optimum quality of the individual components.

Technical data of our high shear mixer

starting from 
g of product
more than 
kg batch size
from 20 to 
% usable container volume
Technical data overview
  Mycromix Pilotmix HTG HBG GranuLean
Product container volume (l) 0.5 – 10 25 – 150 300 – 1,800 150 – 1,200 150 – 1,200
Batch range (kg) 0.1 – 3.5 2.5 – 60 30 – 720 15 – 480 15 – 480
At a density of (kg/l) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Service Agreements
Service Agreements

Find out more about our Service Agreements here.

Digital Solutions
Digital Solutions

Find out more about Digital Solutions here.

Maintenance
Maintenance

Find out more about Maintenance here.

Technical Support
Technical Support

Find out more about Technical Support here.

Modernizations
Modernizations

Find out more about Modernizations here.

Training
Training

Find out more about our Training here.

Expert Services
Expert Services

Find out more about our Expert Services here.

Why choose a Syntegon high-shear mixer?

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About us


Oral solid dosage forms (OSD) are our specialty: in the course of our long business history, we have been supporting countless industry players across the globe and sharing our rich expertise in high-shear mixing. As an innovation-driven company, we are far from maintaining the status quo: over the last few years, we have been actively pursuing new ways to advance OSD manufacturing. Download our selection of brochures to find out more.

 
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years of expertise
 
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installed base worldwide
 
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OSD: Many facets – one partner

Oral solid dose (OSD) manufacturing is a demanding endeavor. There is no better partner to tackle those tasks with than Syntegon. Our OSD services and process technology will make your production a rock-solid success. Find out more in this video.

High-shear mixer downloads

High-shear mixer brochure
High-shear mixer brochure

R&D brochure mixer
R&D brochure mixer

Containment Brochure
Containment Brochure

Industry requirements and containment solutions for OSD forms

GranuLean
GranuLean

Pharma Solid
Pharma Solid

Hüttlin Services
Hüttlin Services

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Related technologies

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Fluid bed
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Tablet coating
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Tablet compression
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Capsule filling
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Pharma services (Solid)
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Nutrition and health services
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VFFS of powder and granules
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Continuous manufacturing

Frequently asked questions

Granulation is a core step for the production of OSD (oral solid dosage) products, mostly tablets and capsules.

Granules can be applied directly in sachets, be compressed to tablets, or filled into capsules.

The process step of granulation leads to:

  • Improved flowability
  • Narrow particle size distribution
  • Homogeneous distribution of API and excipients
  • Reduction of segregation
  • Increased bulk density
  • Improved compactability
  • Reduction of incoming material variation

There are several granulation methods available, including: Dry granulation with e. g. a roller compactor, and wet granulation in e. g. a high-shear mixer or a fluid bed processor (spray granulation). Each option offers benefits and limitations that need to be considered when selecting the optimal solution.

Dry granulation with e. g. a roller compactor does not require binding agents and drying. Powders are compressed into a ribbon and then milled into granules (de-agglomeration). However, dry granulation is not suitable for all types of recipes. Moreover, the characteristics of the starting materials must meet very narrow specifications to achieve consistent end results. This can pose additional challenges in terms of starting material sourcing during the life cycle of a drug product.

In a wet granulation process with e. g. a high-shear mixer, different powders are mixed to achieve a homogeneous blend. In the next step, a binder liquid is sprayed into the mixture which leads to the formation of liquid bridges between the particles. The impeller mixes the wet mass and forms granules by introducing shear force into the material. Additionally, a chopper is used to reduce oversized lumps into smaller pieces. High shear forces achieve a beneficial increase in granule density. The right endpoint of this process step can be determined e. g. by torque measurement, a method that allows for highly precise and repeatable results. At the end of the wet granulation process, the product is discharged from the high-shear container, sized in a wet mill, and dried e. g. in a fluid bed.

Spray granulation in a fluid bed processor starts by mixing the different powders until a homogeneous mixture is achieved. Spray guns then add the granulation liquid to the fluidized mixture. From a design perspective, the spray nozzles can be arranged in different ways (top, tangential, bottom). To achieve high density and a narrow particle size distribution it is beneficial to spray in the area where particles have the highest kinetic energy, i. e. directly above the air distribution plate that is positioned at the bottom of the fluid bed vessel. A controlled spray rate as well as stable droplet sizes via controlled spray parameters are essential to achieve repeatable results.

Drying of the granules already starts during the spraying step via the conditioned process air. The end of the drying step can be determined very precisely, e. g. by humidity measurements of the exhaust air.

Another key element of spray granulation is to keep the conditioned air in a consistent range of temperature, humidity, and mass flow to achieve repeatable results - independently from regional and seasonal fluctuations in the outside air drawn in.

To achieve repeatable granulation results in a high-shear mixer, here are some factors that need to be considered, including:

  • Peripheral speed of the impeller
  • Duration of each process step
  • Amount of liquid

A high-shear mixer is a machine to produce granules using a wet granulation process:

  • Step 1: Charging of the excipients and API
  • Step 2: Before adding liquids, an impeller mixes the excipients and API until a homogeneous mixture is achieved
  • Step 3: Adding of liquids to bind excipients and API. Liquids are either water-based liquids, organic solvents or a binding agent
  • Step 4: The impeller mixes the wet mass and forms granules
  • Step 5: Densifying of the agglomerates
  • Step 6: Discharge with integrated wet mill and pneumatic transfer into fluid bed processor for drying

Depending on the position of the driving shaft, one can distinguish between bottom-drive and top-drive technology high-shear mixers. Each design offers its advantages. The bottom-drive design has a fixed bowl and lid for easy container access. Top-drive high-shear mixers, in contrast, are equipped with a movable bowl and a fixed lid, which makes them fully accessible for cleaning validation.

 

 

Top Drive Bottom Drive High Shear Mixer
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