Table-top Laboratory-scale Plants

There are central embracing characteristics for the engineering approach deployed during the development of the following basic plant concepts. Examples are presented of plants with a uniform appearance, standardized pitch dimensions, interfaces, etc., either as closed systems or as open systems with interfaces to other suppliers. This strategy is completely different from the hybrid plant concepts. 

Many manufacturers, e.g. Cellular Process Chemistry, CPC GmbH, Mainz, Microglas Chemtec, Mainz, Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik and the Fraunhofer initiative FAMOS [17-22], are currently working on miniaturized reaction systems. Most of these systems are available on the market or can be purchased on request Common to all is the endeavor to provide complete systems equipped with a chemical environment which allows one to perform certain chemical reactions without any additional equipment. Changeable parts and optional deliverable equipment open up a way to have a flexible chemical laboratory on the desk. Each manufacturer addresses different customers, i.e. chemical research, pharmaceutical drug synthesis or education. 

One major disadvantage of these systems is that it is nearly impossible to replace parts from one manufacturer with those from another. Hence all of these systems are isolated applications. 

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Clinical supply manufacturing operations are those areas involved in the manufacture of Phase I-IV clinical trial materials, and may include laboratory (or table-top) scale activities, operations performed in a pilot plant (with batch sizes generally larger than lab scale, but smaller than commercial scale), clinical supplies produced in facilities manufacturing commercially approved products, as well as clinical supplies produced at contract manufacturing sitesJ ... 

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