CASE STUDY | Scale Up Polymerisation

Ligar is an innovative company whose polymer technology is used for extracting molecules for either high value extracts or contaminant removal. Ligar is growing rapidly as opportunities for the application of their technology are identified, requiring them to upscale its manufacturing capability and bring it to market across the globe.

THE CHALLENGE

Ligar has developed a technology to remove contaminants from a product or waste stream and extract high value molecules for refinement. The technology creates Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) that can be used on an industrial scale.

This technology is a game changer. With a lot of products, they are only of value when they are in sufficient concentration to be useful. By singling out the molecules of value in a low concentration flow the MIPs absorb only what is wanted, leaving the undesirables to flow though. (An example of this is CBD from cannabinoid oil). Conversely, many production processes can leave contaminants either in the product or in the waste stream, both of which are undesirable. The MIPs can extract just what is unwanted, and leave the rest of the product unchanged. (An example of this is smoke taint in wine when fires around vineyards can leave a bad taste on the grapes which is transferred to the wine).

To move to an industrial scale, Ligar needed first to prove that their technology could be scaled up from lab scale to industrial scale.

Caliber Design was asked to look at Ligar’s current process and work with the chemists and process engineers to develop upscaled polymer production equipment. Chemists would scale up their process and work through any bugs, before committing to large scale manufacture.

THE SOLUTION

Caliber Design’s Project Engineer worked with all stakeholders, subcontractors and suppliers to first specify the equipment to meet everyone’s needs. From there the equipment was designed and manufactured locally to the required standards, then installed and commissioned on site. Throughout the testing and learning phase conducted by the chemists, Caliber’s Project Engineer was on hand to support and troubleshoot any issues discovered.

Thanks to a rigorous design and testing process, Ligar were able to commission a new piece of equipment that was built for their specific needs at a fraction of the cost of an off the shelf version.

Ligar saved and time money by being able to bring on skilled and experienced seconded resource when they needed it. This meant they didn’t have the hassle of recruiting a full time mechanical engineer inhouse to do the design.