An engineering center at Rutgers fosters continuous tableting

In the annals of napkin illustration, continuous drug tablet manufacturing may have only one entry: Fernando Muzzio’s 2003 depiction of a tableting line for Janet Woodcock, then head of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, at a restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The occasion was a meeting of the Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, a group of drug company engineers engaged in process design. “I took advantage of the fact that we were sharing a nice dinner to ask her why the FDA was not in support of continuous manufacturing,” recalls Muzzio, a chemical engineer.
“She looked at me and asked, ‘What’s continuous manufacturing?’ ” Muzzio grabbed a napkin and drew a quick schematic of belts and feeders, a blender, and a tablet press. “She asked me how big is this thing, and I said, ‘Well, it fits in this room.’ ”

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Comfort Systems USA Announces Acquisition

Business Wire | February 01, 2024

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. today announced that it has closed its previously announced transaction to acquire Summit Industrial Construction, LLC (“Summit”) headquartered in Houston, Texas. As previously disclosed, Summit is a specialty industrial mechanical contractor offering engineering, design-assist and turnkey, direct hire construction services of modular systems serving the advanced technology, power, and industrial sectors. Summit’s capabilities encompass a wide range of modular and site-based construction, including process piping, equipment setting, large pipe rack trestles, and related steel erection and specialty concrete work. Summit is a trusted supplier to some of the world’s largest advanced technology, power and industrial companies and is currently deployed on several major chip fabrication projects. Initially, Summit is expected to contribute annualized revenues of approximately $375 million to $400 million, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $35 million to $40 million. In light of the amortization expense, Summit is expected to make a neutral to slightly accretive contribution to earnings per share in 2024 and 2025. Brian Lane, Comfort Systems USA’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are delighted to announce the closing of our agreement to acquire Summit, an extremely capable provider of modular and other complex mechanical services. Summit brings a stellar reputation as a modular technology leader in growing end markets, including multiple ongoing and large semiconductor projects. We are happy to welcome Summit’s wonderful leadership team and excellent production and craft workers across many states, and we are confident Summit will continue to innovate and grow as a part of our network of world-class contracting companies. We are grateful that Summit has chosen to become part of Comfort Systems USA.”

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