Revolutionary QbCon® 1 continuous granulation solution to star at INTERPHEX 2025 in New York

Ennigerloh, Germany – World-respected builder of advanced systems for pharma production, L.B. Bohle, will showcase its pioneering truly continuous granulation and drying system, QbCon®1, at the high prestige INTERPHEX pharma expo in New York.

The Expo will mark the debut of QbCon®1 for the North American market, appearing as the centerpiece exhibit on the L.B. Bohle stand at Booth 1519A at New York City’s Javits Center, alongside a range of the company’s other leading-edge pharma process solutions, including the BRC 100 dry granulator.

Truly continuous operation

The stand display will feature technical overviews of its QbCon®1, a three-in-one module providing continuous raw material dosing, twin-screw wet granulation and drying in one compact, mobile machine. The machine’s patented continuous drying process guarantees flow from raw material to dried granulation in a closed, truly continuous operation for improved product quality, increased flexibility and enhanced operator safety.

The QbCon®1 can handle throughputs from as little as 500 grammes up to 2.5 kilograms per hour (and double this for some products). This makes it suitable for applications ranging from R&D phases involving exceedingly small quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients through to efficient scale-up to commercial-level batches. QbCon®1 configurations for high-containment applications up to OEB 5 also are available.

Overcoming filter block

Drying capabilities in pharmaceutical applications have historically been limited to semi- or quasi-continuous units operating on a per-batch basis. The main obstacle has been that many units in this category are prone to filter blocking, a drawback that can necessitate untenably frequent interruptions, cleaning or filter replacement.

L.B. Bohle has overcome this problem with the novel QbCon®1 filter cleaning technique that keeps the filter surface for the exhaust air permanently clear. Each of the QbCon®1’s three critical process parameters – dosing, granulation and drying – remain constant throughout processing runs. Among other benefits, this setup significantly minimizes the number of granules in the exhaust air filters, due to the extremely low fluidization of granules in the dryer. This results in filters completely free of product residue during cleaning.

Such technical advances allow the machine to meet the primary pharma sector quality requirements for continuous manufacturing. These include:

• Short residence times for granules in the dryer, with simultaneous narrow residence time distribution – i.e. “plug flow” with extremely low back-mixing of particles
• Traceability of all excipients and active ingredients in a continuous process
• Uniform, reproducible drying of all granule particles, regardless of varying sizes
• Exhaust air filters with lengthy lifespans, substantially mitigating drying process interruptions or filter changes

Integrated control system

Operations for all three process stages are controlled via a single, integrated HMI system. For plug and play convenience, assembly and disassembly can be completed nearly tool-free in less than 10 minutes, as can wash-in-place (WIP) cleaning with water or detergent solutions.

The QbCon®1 also can be outfitted for data acquisition systems, yielding detailed process insights for optimised performance.

The QbCon®1’s drying has proven so effective that some processed granules showed moisture content below that of the initial raw material. The machine’s truly continuous operation also yields consistent granule size distribution, a further critical aspect of optimised pharmaceutical processing.

About L.B. Bohle

Founded in 1981, L.B. Bohle Maschinen und Verfahren GmbH (L.B. Bohle) has established a worldwide reputation as a producer and supplier of advanced systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing, based on a track record of technological innovation and continuous improvement.

Based at Ennigerloh in Northwest Germany, L.B. Bohle operates worldwide, offering advanced solutions for every aspect of oral solid dose (OSD) and nutraceutical tablet production, including weighing & dosing, grinding & sieving, blending, tablet coating, sorting, handling systems, cleaning and containment, process monitoring and continuous manufacturing.

The company’s guiding vision is one of technological innovation in the production of pharmaceutical solids. This supports a core mission to deliver maximum product efficiency increases for its customers, through continuous development and product innovations that not only increase quality and efficiency but also strengthen competitive edge and sustainability.

To these ends, L.B. Bohle offers both complete production lines and solutions for individual production steps, focusing on rapid development and production of sophisticated, pragmatic, and customized applications.

The company operates development and manufacturing facilities at its home base at Ennigerloh and at Sassenberg, both in North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, it has sales and service subsidiaries in the USA (Warminster, PA) in India (headquarter in Ahmedabad and Innovation Centre in Hyderabad), and in Switzerland (Reiden). It is also represented by more than 40 qualified sales partners worldwide, having become a globally recognized brand.

Further information at: www.lbbohle.com or www.continuous-manufacturing.com or www.coating-tablets.com

About INTERPHEX 2025

Over more than four decades, America’s International Pharmaceutical Expo (INTERPHEX or IPX) has become established as one of the world’s leading single source events for biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and processing solutions and technologies.

The 45th INTERPHEX Expo will showcase the full range of state-of-the-art solutions needed for cost-effective product development and manufacture, including equipment, accessories and technologies while offering networking and peer-to-peer sharing opportunities, presentations and interactive demonstrations.

INTERPHEX 2025 is a three-day event opening April 1, once again at the Javits Center in New York City. The event is sponsored by the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA).

IPX is organized by organized by Reed Exhibitions with more information at: http://www.interphex.com

Resources

Click on Continuous Manufacturing: Machines and Processes to find out more about QbCon® technology.
Click on QbCon® 1 in action to see video.
Click on L.B. Bohle Events to book a meeting with the stand team at INTERPHEX 2025.
Visit Bohle  Technology Center and Service Center virtually in a 360° tour.