xPAT collects, analyses and manages processes and the data they generate, providing a comprehensive PAT package, according to ABB.
This could be of assistance to manufacturers seeking to implement PAT to improve the quality and safety of their products.
Thomas Buijs, ABB product marketing manager, said: “xPAT delivers the ease of use and integration benefits resident in the 800xA architecture to provide the industry’s most complete and easy to use PAT solution.
“It provides our customers with the power to significantly improve their overall process, streamline their development and release schedule, and achieve QbD.”
The software takes data gathered by analytical instruments, analyses it to asses the state of the process and feeds this information to a control system.
xPAT is a windows-based system and can be used in conjunction with ABB’s other tools or those made by other companies.
QbD driving software growth
The International Conference on Harmonization’s (ICH) creation of the QbD model and subsequent promotion by the US Food and Drug Administration has led to the proliferation of software solutions.
Conformia, Performance Fluid Dynamics and Blue Reference have all made efforts to improve their products or expand their reach in the past six months making the market increasingly competitive.
xPAT was showcased at the International Foundation of Process Analytical Chemistry (IFPAC) forum in Baltimore, US this week, where the industry gathered to discuss developments in the field.