Fine-size chemical-pharmaceutical containment and micronization systems – FPS

FPS, specialists in containment and micronization technologies

Italian excellence in the sector of fine size containment and micronization technologies for the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, FPS – Food and Pharma Systems is a brand well known to those in the field who attend fairs for this sector. In fact, over the past two years, FPS has intensified its participation in national and international trade fairs. The company’s two founders, Carlo Corsini and Giovanni Gianola tell us why: “With an investment policy strongly oriented toward research and development, in these years we have both strengthened our know-how and at the same time extended the geographic range of our commercial objectives, which are now global”. In this regard, we highlight the already confirmed participation of FPS at ACHEMA 2018 (11-15 June, Frankfurt am Main, DE), and at the next conferences on innovation in the field, High-Potency Api’s.

FPS, custom projects for the international pharmaceutical industry

Since its founding in 2002, FPS has forged partnerships with the major international pharmaceutical companies. Most recently, in 2017, the company from Fiorenzuola d’Arda (PC) exported its technology, supplying a highly containing integrated system for pharmaceutical applications. “The client – recalls Carlo Corsini – requested a solution appropriate for the micronization and packaging of the product, after filtering and drying. Our answer was a discharging system with drying filter, combined with a VTS and a micronizer mill, suitable for the handling of highly active substances (HPAPI)”. As this example suggests, as with the majority of FPS’projects, this technology was custom designed, consolidated and supplied.

FPS 2002-2017: 15 years of innovative technology

In a highly competitive field like the chemical-pharmaceutical sector, 15 years were sufficient for FPS to earn its place amongst the main Italian companies that design and produce containment systems and systems for micronization and fine milling. How does the company’s management explain this result? “This leadership position – affirms Giovanni Gianola – was reached thanks to the plus factors of our offerings: extreme flexibility, creation of ad hoc packages (conceived with the clients), possibility to combine the technologies of containment and micronization in a single service, technical support after the installation of our equipment and, in addition, training courses at the client’s headquarters. Add to this, of course, our continual investiment in innovation”. Let us sum up some of the most important technologies developed by FPS:

Evolution of the fluid jet mills

Not many years passed after the founding of FPS before they launched a new evolution in the technology of fluid jet mills:  spiral jet mills and “loop mills”. “These systems– explains Carlo Corsini –, still valid today, offer numerous advantages. Among these are the possibility to monitor the temperature of the process and the absence of contamination from metal. Additional, as they do not have moving parts, these are easily cleaned and do not require maintenance.”

PilotMill-Zero, PilotMill-1and LaboMill FPS

One of the most important subsequent steps was the launch of the PilotMill-Zero, a laboratory micronizer for R&D use, now the smallest on the market. “This machine– explains Gianola – represents the ideal solution for preliminary tests on small quantities (in the range of milligrams– minimum micronizable lot 10 mg) of new chemical entities. And the results of tests carried out at our test centre show that the recovered product has a yield of 95% (with a lot of 200 mg)”. Thus, along with the LaboMill and PilotMill-1 models, PilotMill-Zero completes the line micronizing systems designed specifically for pharmaceutical, laboratory uses and for R&D.

FPS: investments, certifications and human capital

As described, in the FPS production facility in Fiorenzuola d’Arda (PC), which today covers more than 5.000 sq. metres, there is a new test centre, the star feature of this site. “This is a controlled contamination environment– explains Corsini –, in which our clients may use a wide range of mills with special configurations to carry out individualized technical tests. Additionally, there are three ISO8 white rooms, dedicated to the execution of technical tests of micronization of brief and medium duration (from small quantities to large batches), while an dedicated isolator allows for the testing of highly active products”.

This is the technological setup of the FPD production site; equally important are the certifications obtained. These include the ISO 9001:2008 for the activities of design, production, installation and assistance for the equipment and systems for the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. To this will soon be added the OHSAS 18000 certification (in progress), proof that FPS is attentive to the safety and health of its employees. In fact, the employees are a fundamental asset of the company. In recent years, this human capital has grown to nearly double its original size, thanks to the entry into FPS of young university graduates who work side-by-side with more senior, experienced personnel.

Luca Cavera