The seminar series hosted by Romaco Kilian and Innojet in partnership with JRS kicked off with two fully booked – and thoroughly successful – events in September and November 2016. More than 130 representatives of the German and Swiss pharmaceutical industries accepted Romaco Kilian’s invitation to the two-day hands-on seminars in Cologne, where Kilian, Innojet and JRS presented their technologies for granulating, tableting and coating pharmaceutical solids with a well-balanced mix of theory and practice. The participants were divided into five small groups and accompanied on their tour of the seven demo stations by their respective seminar leaders. Trainers from Kilian, Innojet and JRS awaited them at the various tableting and processing machines with a wealth of valuable information. The theoretical briefing was followed by live demonstrations and a lively discussion round.

A successful mix

Kilian’s KTP 420X rotary press was on show along with the STYL’ONE tableting robot, which is capable of simulating the process parameters of standard tablet presses. Innojet explained its VENTILUS^® V 2.5 and AIRCOATER^® A 025 processing machines with the aid of coating trials covering everything from micro particles to caplets. At some of the stations, JRS described the use and action of its pharmaceutical excipients for manufacturing tablets and coatings. There was also ample time for questions and a chance to share experiences with the Romaco and JRS experts.

The visit to KiTech, Romaco Kilian’s test laboratory which is specially intended for Kilian customers wishing to conduct test series, included a brief run-down of the extensive service portfolio. Amongst other things, KiTech offers powder analyses, compression tests, product optimisation, advice on scale-ups and a broad range of training and qualification opportunities. While visiting the Romaco Kilian production and assembly shops, the guests were able to sneak a peek behind the scenes of this seasoned tablet press manufacturer. A quiz trail prepared by the JRS team helped break the ice. The aim was to guess the flow properties of different powders, for example, or the Pantone colour of a coating. In one very original hands-on compression test, the participants had to compress a tablet to a defined hardness by hitting it vigorously with a hammer. The target they were attempting to achieve was 150 N (newtons).

“The launch of the Romaco Kilian and Innojet seminar series in partnership with JRS was an unqualified success”, emphasised Jörg Pieper, Managing Director of Romaco Kilian GmbH. “We were overwhelmed by the huge demand, and the interesting mix of theoretical and practical items on the agenda was highly praised by participants.” The next events are already in the pipeline: in 2017, the seminar series will additionally target Romaco’s international pharmaceutical accounts with sessions in English and German.