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Reap rewards from pilot coating trials
To some, pilot-scale coating work is invaluable, and to others it seems like an unnecessary expense. Which is it? More and more, companies are leaning toward the invaluable side. I would like to support that view by discussing why it is invaluable and how to make pilot coating work pay off.
Pilot coating research work is one of four stages commonly used in the commercialization process for coated papers. The first stage employs a simple-hand or mechanical coater, and the second a more sophisticated high-speed mechanical laboratory coater. The third stage involves work on pilot-scale equipment, and the fourth is performed on commercial machines.
MAKING SUCCESS MORE LIKELY. Figures 1 and 2 both use the four stages as the framework for justifying pilot-scale coating work. Figure 1 illustrates two different points. One is that the amount of money involved (dollars at risk) increases dramatically as the work progresses from the first stage to the fourth stage, and the second is that the breadth of investigation (termed the number of test points) decreases dramatically as the work progresses through the stages.
Figure 2 provides more detail about the type of information that can be developed at each stage. As can be seen, pilot coater work more closely matches commercial coater work in terms of the quality of information that can be generated.
The two figures together illustrate that the outcome of conducting pilot-scale work is improved confidence in an optimized candidate coating system because of the quality and breadth of the investigation. The breadth and quality both work to reduce the risk of a commercial-scale trial.
FIVE PHASES ENSURE SUCCESS. Successful pilot work involves five phases: facility selection, trial design and planning, trial execution, testing, and analysis of results. All five are important, but the first two are vital. There are many pilot coating facilities in the world, and the capabilities of each varies dramatically. Five criteria to use when selecting a facility are: 1) process equipment available, 2) employee involvement, 3) daily output or productivity, 4) commitment to confidentiality; and 5) independence of management.
The goal is to select a highly productive facility (time is money) with the equipment that mimics an intended commercial installation (which may or may not exist) and an experienced, responsive staff able to provide guidance when needed. Evidence of respect for the confidentiality of all trial aspects is imperative. Occasionally, it proves advantageous to select an independent facility to enable a study that is free from external influences.
The trial design and planning phase is equally important. Trial planning starts with developing written scientific objective(s) with both qualitative and quantitative elements. Once the foundation is set, the design of experiments ensures success through simple yet sophisticated trial plans. The final phase of trial planning is the careful contemplation of execution details. Is makedown order or control of solids, viscosity, and water retention important? Might coating or base paper temperature or drying strategy play a role? Is there an allowance for moisture loss in the calender? Are sufficient resources devoted to the “killer result” or the one critical result—which may be an observation or lab test—that plays the major role in determining trial success? Successful planning is the foundation of smooth execution.
Far from being an unnecessary expense, pilot-scale coating work can be a valuable tool in the commercialization process.
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