Artisan Industries maintains complete pilot plant capabilities to demonstrate its proprietary heat and mass transfer equipment and to obtain experimental data for designing process systems. Piloting is the best method for exploring complex heat and mass transfer problems, especially where the properties of the materials are not readily available. This is often the case with foodstuffs, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and waste streams.

Our pilot plant can be custom-assembled piece-by-piece to test any multiple-step process with your proprietary chemical, whether you need to pilot a new process or create a variation on an existing process. We can begin with bench-scale feasibility testing, then take your process all the way through pilot-scale production of larger quantities for further evaluation. We will solve the scale-up challenge for you by developing the data you need before you invest in your own pilot or manufacturing plant. The recent addition of a supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) will further enhance data accuracy.

 Unit Operations

The Artisan Pilot Plant is capable of piloting unit operations including:

Evaporation
Using the Artisan Rototherm^® horizontally agitated thin film processor.
Using the Artisan Evaporator/Stripper™.

Distillation
Using Artisan Dualflo^® trays or various high-efficiency packings.

Stripping
Using the Artisan Evaporator/Stripper^TM.
Using Artisan Dualflo^® trays or various high-efficiency packings.

Thin Film Reaction
Using the Artisan Rototherm^®.

 Operating Capabilities

High Vacuum and High Temperature
Artisan's pilot plant, like Artisan's process equipment, is especially suited for high vacuum and high temperature processing and is capable of operating at:

• Temperatures from 30 °F to 650 °F.
• Pressures from 0.1 torr to 50 psig.

• Tempered water to 250 °F
• Steam to 150 psig
• Hot Oil to 650 °F

Titration Analysis A Mettler DL18 Karl Fischer titrator is used to determine the amount of water present in lab samples.

Resolution: Trace amounts: PPM Large amounts: %H2O

System Pressures
Atmospheric Pressure to 0.1 mmHg absolute vacuum.

Throughputs
Feed rates to 100 pph with special provisions for up to 200 pph.

Low Residence Time
Artisan's Rototherm^® and Evaporator/Stripper^TM offer very low residence time, essential in the processing of heat-sensitive materials.

Low Pressure Drop
The Artisan Rototherm^® and Evaporator/Stripper^TM provide very low pressure drop, essential for high vacuum separations.

 SCADA

Artisan's pilot plant is equipped with an advanced real-time data acquisition and control system. It features graphical representations of the actual process system being tested. Intelligent field instruments interconnected to a dedicated computer provide for steady system control and data logging; both essential for successful pilot trials. The collected trial-run process data can then be analyzed for product results and subsequently used for system scale-up.

 Available Artisan Equipment

The Artisan pilot plant facilities offer a range of proprietary equipment including:

Artisan Rototherm^® Horizontally Agitated Thin Film Evaporator
1/4, 1, and 2 square foot stainless steel units.
more info...

Artisan Evaporator/Stripper^TM
13-stage stainless steel Evaporator/Stripper^TM modules which can be combined to achieve as many as 39 stages.
more info...

Artisan Dualflo^® Tray Column
4" diameter glass column with up to 15 trays.
more info...

Packed Columns
4" to 6" diameter stainless steel columns with up to 12 feet of packing. A variety of column packings are available with headspace to 40 theoretical plates.

 Utilities and Auxiliary Equipment

The Artisan Pilot Plant also offers a full complement of utility and auxiliary services such as:

• Steam or hot oil process heating
• Steam or hot oil process jacketing
• Sparge steam or nitrogen
• 20-gallon batch reactor
• Pumps, heat exchangers, product handling equipment, etc. to accommodate most piloting needs
• Full analytical capabilities available through qualified local laboratories
• Facilities for materials requiring refrigerated storage

 Support

Full Engineering Support
An experienced process engineer oversees every Artisan pilot plant program. This assures compliance with test objectives and smoothes the transition from pilot plant data to full-scale hardware.

Lab Scale to Production Systems
Artisan's pilot facilities are an integral part of the company's full range of engineering and manufacturing capabilities. A team of engineers will work with you to translate pilot plant data into a complete, custom-engineered chemical processing system ready for operation at your site.

Protection of Your Proprietary Information
Artisan recognizes and respects its customers' need to maintain confidentiality about data and programs. By company policy, Artisan does not divulge the names of pilot plant customers or discuss data taken during pilot testing. Written confidentiality agreements are also welcomed.

 More Information

If you would like a more information on our Pilot Plant services, please fill out this information request form.
Also available on our information request form is a free Pilot Plant Questionnaire.

If your needs are more immediate, you may phone Bob DiLoreto at 781.893.6800 x281 or fax him at 781.647.0143 or send email to rdiloreto@artisanind.com

©2008 Artisan Industries Inc. All rights reserved.