EPSRC focuses on processing
15 Jan 2000
British universities and companies may be on the verge of finding new ways to accelerate process development, according to a new report from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
In a publication about the Innovative Manufacturing Initiative Responsive Processing framework, EPSRC looks at a series of projects currently underway within the process sector. The schemes are supported by the LINK scheme, through which the government co-funds joint projects between industry and academia, matching the funding put up by the industrial partner.
IMI projects currently underway include development of flexible production facilities, which could halve process development time and capital expenditure; the use of disposable elements within pharmaceuticals manufacture, to reduce cleaning overheads and downtime; and the application of process engineering modelling to brewing, which could both reduce costs and increase product diversity.
