CPI in £18m Chariot Powder Processing Project

The project, funded by the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, has delivered and demonstrated multiple technologies to allow re-invention of supply chains for the powder industry. 

Led by global industry partner Procter & Gamble, the consortium involved high-profile academics from Leeds, Birmingham, Cranfield and Durham universities, UK-based firms International Innovative Technologies and Ajax, and CPI.

Chariot has developed powder processing technologies to profit a broad range of powder producing industries.

As a consequence of the project, a pipeline of growth for the broader UK industry is expected, with re-application and further commercialisation of the technologies that were developed within the consortium.

The equipment, open-access facilities and expertise developed during Chariot will continue to be made available to UK-based companies at CPI´s National Formulation Centre in Sedgefield, County Durham.

Companies active in developing powders and granules can use the powder mixing test bed on a commercial basis, or as part of CR&D activities, to develop new products and processing techniques.

In addition to the equipment developed in Chariot, CPI has made significant investment into process analytical technology-enabled wet granulation technologies and a packing and filling test bed, as well as extensive characterisation capability in particle size distribution, powder rheology, and surface properties.

The facilities and expertise have been established to enable companies to develop new products and techniques, as well as optimise processing, packing and filling activities, and ultimately increase productivity. 

At the universities, in addition to the academic breakthroughs, nine PhD students and 18 Post Doctoral Research Fellows have received highly valuable experience in the field of particle processing, with their academic training being part of this industry collaboration. 

The two SMEs in the consortium, International Innovative Technologies and Ajax, have been able to develop, demonstrate and commercialise innovative new equipment that is already finding its way into real world industrial settings, and will drive sales going forward.

“Chariot has been an exciting venture for Ajax. As an SME, we have benefited from the strong collaborative approach with the industrial and academic partners. In particular, a key understanding has been provided by Positron Emission Particle Tracking tests that revealed the key interactions and particle movements within the Ajax mixer to confirm its effectiveness for dry and wet mixing” said Simon Fields, senior technical engineer at Ajax. ​“We look forward to maintaining lasting relationships with the project partners, and in particular, supporting CPI as a provider of comprehensive test and development facilities for the powder processing industries.”

For Procter & Gamble, the project has successfully developed new particle technology approaches for novel powder product design, created new equipment that enables novel supply chains for powder products, and has unearthed new areas of science and understanding.

“Within Procter & Gamble, the Chariot project has been a novel approach to traditional research and development – but this has helped us work with different partners, to accelerate the innovation and find some out of the box ideas. Based on this experience, we will certainly be looking to leverage the capability Chariot has laid down, and approach future work in similar ways” said Clare Martin, section head for research and development at Procter & Gamble. ​“We are very happy that CPI is moving into the powders processing industry, and its facilities in Sedgefield will undoubtedly aid the powder processing industry in the UK, with its high level of expertise and unique possibilities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing.”

Dr Graeme Cruickshank, director of the National Formulation Centre at CPI, said: ​“We invite those who are looking for help in the development of powder formulations to visit us at the National Formulation Centre where we have a focus on helping companies meet their challenges by providing industry relevant expertise and facilities to solve real world problems. We’re proud to have successfully completed the Chariot project with our partners and look forward to enabling further innovation for organisations who develop powdered products”.

Notes to the Editor

About CPI

The Centre for Process Innovation is a UK-based technology innovation centre and is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The company uses applied knowledge in science and engineering combined with state of the art development facilities to enable its clients to develop, prove, prototype and scale up the next generation of products and processes.

Established to support the UK process manufacturing industry, CPI collaborates with universities, SMEs and large corporations to help overcome innovation challenges. Operating across a broad range of technologies, partners are supported at every stage; from concept to market; business support to technology development; and from scale up to supply chain intervention.

CPI consists of dedicated national innovation centres that support industrial biotechnology and biorefining, printable electronics, biologics and formulation. The centres enable advancements in major markets such as healthcare, electronics, food and drink, aerospace, automotive, materials, and energy. These world leading, digitally enabled and open access facilities are available for partners to get their products and processes to market quickly with minimal risk. Utilising strong networks, CPI brings together a range of partners in the delivery of innovation projects, with a common goal of strengthening the UK’s position in High Value Manufacturing.