Saltigo expands without interrupting production

Saltigo GmbH (Langenfeld; www.saltigo.com) , a wholly owned subsidiary of specialty chemicals group Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, both Germany; www.lanxess.com), has demonstrated its wide-ranging expertise in the fields of synthesis optimization and process development. The global specialist for exclusive custom synthesis has succeeded in increasing capacity for an active ingredient precursor for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer without needing to halt or interrupt the production process in any way. The project involved raising the output of a plant in Leverkusen from 30 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) a year to an urgently required 50 m.t./yr — under ongoing production. Carsten Hesse, head of manufacturing strategy in the Pharma business line, says:  “It was absolutely essential to maintain reliable supplies of the product for our customer during the expansion phase. Because this project involved a complex, multi-step synthesis with very tight specifications and high quality requirements, it needed exceedingly accurate planning. The new connections and the re-routing of the apparatus were prepared so precisely that the output of the overall chain was not interrupted.” The measures led to process and plant optimization…