Basic Principles of Continuous Manufacturing

Continuous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry is an emerging technology, although it is widely practiced in industries such as petrochemical, bulk chemical, foods, and mineral processing. This chapter briefly discusses the characteristics of continuous manufacturing at the conceptual level, first, in its generic form, viewing the process as a unitary system, and then as a system composed of multiple manufacturing unit operations. Key requirements for implementing an effective continuous process are reviewed, while aspects specific to pharmaceutical applications are highlighted. The advantages and limitations of continuous manufacturing are discussed and compared to the advantages and limitations of the batch operating mode, which has been the mainstay of the pharmaceutical industry. Perspectives on advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing in the Industry 4.0 era are discussed.