The expansion of a manufacturing plant can be, in turns, exciting and frustrating. While any new construction is often fraught with setbacks and mishaps, manufacturing plant expansion in the pharmaceutical space must be handled with particular care. Beyond the physical building, contractors must keep the rigorous regulatory compliance required for pharmaceutical production at the front of mind. To that end, a pharmaceutical engineer must be consulted continuously through the planning and execution of a manufacturing plant expansion.
Retaining an expert in the practical implementation of pharmaceutical equipment and an intimate understanding of the regulatory conditions required for cGMP is crucial to executing a plant expansion project. Additionally, building contractors benefit from the quotidian expertise pharmaceutical engineers bring concerning the day-to-day operation of a plant.
What Expertise Do Consulting Pharmaceutical Engineers Have?
To understand the value-add of a pharmaceutical engineer to a manufacturing plant expansion, it's important to grasp what a pharmaceutical engineer does! Simply put, pharmaceutical engineers are involved in every facet of pharmaceutical manufacturing, including
- Optimizing manufacturing processes
- Discovering and synthesizing new medications
- Designing and operating machinery
- Conceptualizing product presentation
- Building and using manufacturing facilities
Additionally, pharmaceutical engineers bring expertise in
- Quality assurance & control
- Bioprocess engineering
- Pharmaceutical process development & optimization
- Clean and sanitary design practices
- Facilities engineering services
- Process development
- Sterile manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical automation
With their educational background encompassing aspects of chemical, biomedical, and industrial engineering, plus pharmaceutical science, pharmaceutical engineers are uniquely qualified to consult on manufacturing plant builds and expansions.
What Will A Pharmaceutical Engineer Bring to Your Manufacturing Plant Expansion Project?
Although a manufacturing plant may appear relatively unremarkable on the outside, the interior is a web of intricate systems and processes carefully designed for maximal efficiency, profitability, and above all, safety. Pharmaceutical plants must use state-of-the-art equipment, processes, and software to guarantee that their products are compliant and safe. Expert pharmaceutical engineers should be on hand to consult on all systems and processes, not only to ensure regulatory compliance, but also to apply their industrial knowledge to the systems and machinery themselves.
IP protections and intense competition within the pharmaceutical industry present a unique challenge for construction firms working on manufacturing plant expansion: most people have never seen the inside of a pharmaceutical plant. Corporate espionage in the pharma industry is real, and security and access to plants are intensely restricted. Fortunately, consulting pharmaceutical engineers are among the few people who can move freely between plants, companies, and production sites. This “inside” experience is invaluable and is critical to efficiently designing and organizing a manufacturing plant expansion.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant Expansion Requires Engineering Consultation
Managing the expansion of a manufacturing plant requires an all-hands-on-deck mentality that draws on the expertise of contractors, suppliers, designers, engineers, and technicians. Contractor capabilities, manufacturing processes, and the preservation of existing systems and machinery must weave together seamlessly to complete a manufacturing plant expansion timeously. Without the specific knowledge of the complex, sensitive requirements of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, a plant expansion is doomed. Having a pharmaceutical engineer consulting on your project will ensure that rigorous standards are maintained and an expansion’s organization is handled thoughtfully and methodically.
Engaging the experts at Bothwell Engineering for plant builds and expansions is the best way to ensure your project runs smoothly. Our nimble, deeply knowledgeable team of chemical and pharmaceutical engineers have decades of experience in biotechnology, compliance, project management, facility startup, and cGMP manufacturing. Contact us today to discuss the potential of your next project.
