Discover precision mixing to boost yields and profits
In pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing, scaling up from the lab to the plant is a high-stakes transition. It’s where precision meets production—and where poor mixing can quietly sabotage yield, quality, and profitability.
That’s why Tridiagonal’s MixIT was created to radically change the game. This Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) powered mixing analysis tool, built specifically for stirred tank reactors, helps process engineers move beyond rules of thumb to precision-driven scale-up.
The hidden cost of poor mixing
For process engineers, mixing is a business-critical variable, not just a mechanical step. When mixing fails during scale-up, the consequences ripple across operations:
- Lost resources: Failed scale-ups demand re-validation, burning through raw materials, extending reaction cycles, and wasting production time.
- Quality risks: Wider particle size distribu tions, residual solvents, or phase separation can compromise product integrity. In pharma, even trace impurities can trigger full batch rejection.
- Reaction sensitivity: Fast, competitive reactions (e.g., oxidation, nitration) are especially vulnerable. Poor mixing can lead to unwanted impurities, undesired polymorphs, and compliance risks.
Why traditional scale-up methods fall short
Many engineers rely on oversimplified heuristics that ignore fluid dynamics:
Method | Limitation |
Constant tip speed | Only works for geometrically similar systems; ignores power and mixing time |
Constant power/volume | Depends on accurate power numbers, which vary with geometry and impeller type |
Empirical correlations | Often unreliable or geometry-specific; data is hard to source |
These shortcuts frequently lead to mismatched conditions, failed batches, and costly troubleshooting.
Precision mixing for real-world scale-up
HAH Software is the UK consulting and deployment partner for Tridiagonal’s MixIT, which delivers actionab le insight for stirred tank reactors.
- Accurate predictions: Simulates velocity profiles, energy dissipation, shear rates, and solid suspension behaviour.
- Right-first-time scale-up: Enables seamless transfer between lab, pilot, and production scales.
- Real-world accuracy: Calculates power numbers based on impeller immersion, reactor occupancy, and other overlooked factors.
Real results, real ROI
MixIT isn’t just a simulation tool—it’s a profitability engine:
- Process transfer: A plant facing RPM limits avoided productivity loss by increasing impeller blade diameter, as recommended by MixIT.
- Batch recovery: MixIT identified the correct micro-mixing time after a failed batch due to low reactor occupancy—saving weeks of downtime.
- Yield boost: In an API extraction process, optimizing agitator design and RPM improved yield by 2%, halved water washes, and shortened cycle time.
- Food industry win: MixIT helped redesign impeller systems and flavour addition points for yoghurt production—cutting mixing time by 1.75x and saving millions annually.
The Tridiagonal solution is already being successfully used by market leaders including Bayer, AbbVie, Janssen (J&J), Bristol Myerts Squibb and Novartis.
Final thoughts
Mixing scale-up is a strategic opportunity—not a guessing game. With Tridiagonal MixIT, engineers gain the insight to protect quality, reduce waste, and unlock profitability. In a sector where every batch counts, good mixing doesn’t just make product—it makes business sense.