Easy and reliable scale-Up: COSSMA

Due to high competition and cost pressure, it is becoming increasingly important in the cosmetics industry to develop highly effective products with a marketing-effective unique selling proposition. As a result, the production of an increasing number of products has to be implemented at an increasing pace, first in the pilot and then on the production scale.

Due to new regulatory regulations some ingredients may no longer be used. In addition, some substances are discussed controversially, what often causes them to be replaced.

Business opportunities and market expansion mean that production is no longer carried out at home and on familiar machines, but at new locations with other production facilities.

As a consequence, it is increasingly necessary to implement a faster and more systematic transfer from lab to production scale. Another goal is to reduce the costs of non-specific batches as far as possible. Increasing efficiency and the desire for sustainable production with the lowest possible use of energy and resources also form part of a contemporary strategy in product development.

Transfer from lab to production

With increasing cost and time pressure, it is becoming more important to transfer formulations and SOP from lab to production. This requires facts-based manufacturing specifications for homogeniser speed, shear-time duration, temperature profile and process strategy. The interface between laboratory, piloting and production is not only defined by different devices, but often goes hand in hand with the interface between departments. This makes it necessary to agree on a “common language” based on measurable facts.

Of course, the composition of the formulation must not change during the transfer from lab to production. As well, the measured quality parameters, such as viscosity, gloss, appearance, drop size distribution at laboratory batch and production batch (within certain tolerances) should be identical.

Consequently, it is also necessary that the individual steps required for making a product are maintained. Often, it is not obvious to those involved in companies how this can be ensured on a case-by-case basis. In fact, the questioning is more complex than commonly thought and physically, not all parameters are scalable 1:1.

Scale-down principle

Usually, the term scale-up is used in cosmetic production and is based on laboratory test parameters. Based on empirical data, necessary machine parameters are selected for the pilot and/or production plant. These include e.g. rotor speed, homogenising time and agitator speed. While the same temperatures are usually chosen, it should be noted that the warm-up and cooling times of production machines are usually longer compared to the lab.

It is necessary to know the performance of the own production machines and laboratory equipment. From known parameters such as speed and time, scalable mass-specific parameters must be derived. The technical limits of the production machines must be determined and should not be exceeded in the laboratory tests. Otherwise, there is a risk that the products may reach very good qualities in the laboratory but cannot be produced in the production. Scalable parameters facilitate the same product quality in the laboratory and production (scale-down approach).

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