From best to better.
The recent history of Thomas Processing.
Thomas is part of IMA.
Going from best to even better may sound a little unusual, but recently acquired Thomas Processing LLC (formerly Thomas Engineering) was the first to develop an automatic tablet coating machine for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products in the 1960s. Since May 2021, Thomas is part of IMA, world leading manufacturer of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceuticals and other products.
Once a pioneer, always a pioneer.
In fact Thomas, with around 1500 machines installed worldwide, was the first company to launch a continuous coater in 1994, the FLEX CTC that handles up to 1000 kg/h. Being part of IMA Group has brought us the solidity of a major global concern, a partner to rely on and to share our pioneering spirit with. Since joining the group, we have launched the ACCELA CTC 500 whose capacity is 70% that of the FLEX CTC. Less than one year ago, this new continuous coating solution became the first of its kind destined to the production of antibiotics. Next year, we will be introducing another world premiere: a laboratory-scale coating system which can be supplied with both a biconical and cylindrical drum. With a capacity going from 8 to 75 liters, the version implementing the cylindrical drum is a highly effective answer to the needs of companies who will be defining parameters for scaled-up continuous coating processes. And there is more in the pipeline to keep us one step ahead, but we can’t reveal everything!
Benefits which cascade down to our customers.
Once a family-run business over a timespan of two generations, Thomas is now bolstered by a company whose international reputation and future-oriented vision have earned the respect of the pharmaceutical industry the world over. Resources have more than doubled to provide a reactive and highly competent team of service technicians across the USA. A wave of initiatives regarding quality control, certifications and ERP management control systems has reinforced the backbone of Thomas Processing’s quality standards. With very little changed in the organizational set up of the company, we are already witnessing the fruits of our product, process and service improvement strategies, all to the benefit of our customer base around the world.
Matching the market’s needs means anticipating the evolving scenario.
Apart from the innovative solutions we have built into the ACCELA CTC 500, the entire concept behind continuous coating pioneered by Thomas for 60 years, has a wealth of benefits. Starting from the reduced time and greater efficiency achieved with a continuous rather than a batch process, one of the most important benefits today concerns the amount of energy saved. Batch production consumes 3 times more energy in coating than a continuous process for the same output volume. In times when energy costs are soaring, companies adopting a continuous coating system will thrive on their effective competitive edge over batch production methods. Some companies are reluctant to take the step towards a new technology, but to be honest, we developed the first continuous tablet coater in 1993, launched in 1994. We’re here to advise, support you and grow your business the way you see it in the future. We’ve been doing it for decades. No doubt we can continue.
ACCELA CTC 500
The ACCELA CTC 500 extends the capabilities of the industry standard FLEX CTC. Equipped with an advanced design, the ACCELA CTC 500 provides pharmaceutical manufacturers with an improved good manufacturing process (GMP) that eliminates material waste and reprocessing during startup and shutdown. Thomas Processing’s ACCELA CTC 500 is the only coater on the market manufactured with an integrated wax addition system, fully WIP systems, reduces the equipment’s footprint, and streamlines the coating process.
