In December 2018 the Matcon team attended PMEC 2018, exhibiting alongside other IDEX Material Processing Technologies, comprising The Fitzpatrick Company, Microfluidics International Corporation and Quadro Engineering Corp. This year’s Exhibition, held in Delhi promised to cover the latest trends and innovations across the pharmaceutical industry. Following the event, we gathered the views of Matcon's Pharmaceutical Business Line Director Richard Lockwood to learn more about PMEC 2018, the innovations and hot topics.
What was the focus on your stand this year?
Matcon once again showcased our powder and tablet IBCs, although slightly differently this year, we were able to have our powder IBC mounted on a discharge station. This allowed us to not only highlight the benefits of the Cone Valve but we could explain how we can provide a dust free powder transfer.
What were the main role functions of the people attending PMEC?
We had the opportunity to meet with a wide cross section of people, R&D, Production, Engineering and Purchasing. One thing that was notably different from previous years was the number of people from companies was reduced, I suspect this is due to the relocation to Delhi and the additional logistical complexity.
What were the common topics being discussed at PMEC 2018?
Having had a number of years of rapid growth we were talking to our existing customers about how we can further increase the efficiencies in their units, for those yet to invest in a new plant we were having the same discussions as previous years, how can IBC Blending and Cone Valve technology increase flexibility in production, yield the highest efficiencies and prevent problems associated with poor flowing products.
Did your stand visitors have any common challenges?
A common challenge faced by people we spoke to is how to make the step from traditional butterfly valve technology to our Cone Valve technologies. Pharmaceutical companies widely accept butterfly valves and an entire industry has grown around ancillary equipment to support their use, the fact that Matcon can offer large 3500 litre IBCs intended to feed process equipment leads to a lot of questions – fortunately as a solution provider, not just equipment manufacturer we are able to work with clients to solve their problems, giving them the confidence they need to invest.
As an annual exhibitor at PMEC how did 2018 compare to previous years?
This year’s event was in a new location so was new to everybody, the show felt quieter than previous years but the conversations we had were of the same if not higher quality.
What is next for Matcon in India?
Our team will be contacting everybody who visited the booth and ensure they receive all the supporting material they require and where necessary carry out the visits and reviews requested. Personally, I plan to travel to India in January and expect that a good part of my visit will be reconnecting with people we met on the stand at PMEC.