Development of a high-fidelity digital twin using the discrete element method for a continuous direct compression process. Part 1. Calibration workflow

In this work, a high-fidelity digital twin was developed to support the design and testing of control strategies for drug product manufacturing via direct compression. The high-fidelity digital twin platform was based on typical pharmaceutical equipment, materials, and direct compression continuous processes. The paper describes in detail the material characterization, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) model and the DEM model parameter calibration approach and provides a comparison of the system’s response to the experimental results for stepwise changes in the API concentration at the mixer inlet. A calibration method for a cohesive DEM contact model parameter estimation was introduced. To assure a correct prediction for a wide range of processes, the calibration approach contained four characterization experiments using different stress states and different measurement principles, namely the bulk density test, compression with elastic recovery, the shear cell, and the rotating drum. To demonstrate the sensitivity of the DEM contact parameters to the process response, two powder characterization data sets with different powder flowability were applied. The results showed that the calibration method could differentiate between the different material batches of the same blend and that small-scale material characterization tests could be used to predict the residence time distribution in a continuous manufacturing process.