Shampoo and ice cream are complex fluids that currently require months of trial-and-error testing to get right, but a new modelling approach aims to predict their behaviour during manufacturing without building physical prototypes. The problem is that formulated products—everything from laundry detergent to moisturiser—are made from mixtures of polymers, surfactants, and particles that behave unpredictably when stirred, pumped, or heated. Manufacturers today rely on extensive physical experimentation to develop each new formulation, which slows innovation and limits how quickly products can reach shelves. This project combines computer modelling with targeted measurements of liquid properties to simulate how these fluids will flow and mix under real factory conditions. If successful, the approach could cut the time and cost of developing new consumer goods dramatically. A factory might one day test hundreds of virtual formulations in a day, then manufacture only the best candidates. The project also builds a demonstrator for "smart factories"—production lines that adjust processes in real time based on sensor data. For the UK’s process manufacturing sector, which produces everything from food to pharmaceuticals, this could mean faster product innovation and a stronger competitive position in global markets.
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This 5 year project aims to address the challenges in understanding, creating and scaling up manufacturing processes for formulated products with particular reference to those in fast moving consumer goods (home/personal care and food products). The main objective is to develop a new modelling approach which will be combined with experimental measurements of the liquid properties to describe these complex fluids and enable a significant reduction in the conventional physical experimentation required to develop new formulations. The methodologies developed will provide a detailed understanding of the behaviour of these liquids under process conditions which will facilitate the decision making process and accelerate the introduction of new, innovative products to the market optimised to deliver benefits to consumers, e.g. shiny hair or mouthfeel for ice cream. The project brings together a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Manchester, the University of Cambridge and Unilever who are a global leader in the research, process design and manufacture of formulated products. The project is also supported by Process Systems Enterprise Ltd.. A major outcome of the project will be a demonstrator of the Industry 4.0 concept which will enable smart factories to be realised in the process sector and thus allow the UK to remain at the forefront of manufacturing in this field.
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