Dec Group R&D Center of Excellence helps improve process efficiency and regulatory compliance

Ecublens, Switzerland: – Powder handling and process containment specialist Dec Group has expanded its research and testing capabilities at its Swiss-based R&D Center of Excellence and in-house Testing facilities.

The Center, at Ecublens in Switzerland, is dedicated to improving process efficiency, productivity and safety, supporting Dec Group customers in their constant quest to meet operational and regulatory challenges.

It provides customers with the ability to test their products, or suitable test products, using the Center’s in-house test plants, with tests prepared and carried out by specialist skilled Dec Group technicians. Customers are able to observe all testing processes on-site. ​

From powder handling including powder characterization to SMEPAC testing and particle size analyses, Dec has a full range of facilities and equipment as well to support your needs.

The Center covers more than 2000m² and hosts a suite of state-of-the-art testing equipment to ensure innovation, high performance as well as regulatory compliance.

Dec R&D Centre functions

One of the Center’s most distinctive capabilities is the testing of powder conveying capacities and performance for very difficult materials including sticky substances, ultra-fine particles, etc.

Other R&D and Testing capacities include:

• Mixing and blending
• Sampling
• Open and highly contained micronization
• Particle size distribution analyses
• Clean in Place (CIP) and Sterilize in Place (SIP) solutions and performance
• Dosing/dispensing accuracy
• Microdosing (mg range) technologies
• High Containment SMEPAC Testing

Dec can also perform trials with customer products at the facilities of its subsidiaries in Poland, USA and China.

SMEPAC Testing

To demonstrate equipment containment performance, in line with the ISPE’s Standardized Measurement of Particulate Airborne Concentration (SMEPAC) guidelines, the R&D Center features its own testing cabin to carry out tests using lactose or other surrogate materials.

The installation includes all necessary equipment to complete containment verification testing including air sampling pump and IOM Sampler.

All samples taken including surface swab testing are sent to a NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) accredited laboratory for analytical testing.

About Dec Group

Dec (Dietrich Engineering Consultants) Group is a leading global provider of contained powder handling systems and is recognized as a world-leading expert in process containment technologies. It has been supplying the pharmaceutical, chemical, food and cosmetic industries for more than 30 years.

Headquartered near Lausanne, Switzerland, Dec Group has a global presence with subsidiaries and agents in more than 50 countries including subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, India, China and the USA.

In excess of 600 companies worldwide have successfully integrated more than 9,000 Dec systems into their production sites. These include a wide range of patented products that enhance safety, hygiene, containment, reliability and productivity in powder handling.

Dec offers innovative approaches across the range of powder handling and process containment applications, including transfer, micronizing/milling, bulk handling, sampling, blending, dosing, aseptic & fill-finish solutions, process isolators and advanced cleaning (CIP/SIP) features.

To learn more, visit: https://www.dec-group.net/

Resources

Click on Introduction to Dec Group to watch video.