Granulation — AI for particle size, moisture and yield
AI Autopilot controls moisture, binder addition, spray pattern and drum rotation across pharmaceutical, fertilizer and food granulation lines — maximizing in-spec granules on the first pass and cutting recycle.
Overview
Granulation sits between formulation and packaging. Out-of-spec granules recycle — and recycle is a direct hit on yield, throughput, and quality consistency. Every percentage point of first-pass yield is meaningful in high-volume lines.
Moisture is the single most important variable. Operators manage it visually and by feel. That works at one temperature and one feedstock; it breaks down under seasonal shifts.
BrainiAll AI Autopilot fuses NIR moisture readings, drum camera imagery, exhaust humidity, and load-cell data to predict granule size distribution in near real time. It adjusts spray, binder, and drum rotation before out-of-spec product is formed.
What Autopilot does
Continuous, multi-variable control — not single-loop PID. Advisory-layer architecture keeps safety untouched.
Real-time PSD prediction
Camera + NIR fusion estimates granule size distribution continuously.
Moisture control
Spray / binder dosing adjusts automatically to hold target moisture envelope.
First-pass yield maximization
Cuts fines and oversize that would otherwise go to recycle.
GMP / FDA traceability
All parameter adjustments logged with batch record — audit-ready for pharma.
Recipe self-learning
Each batch refines the next without rewriting the master recipe.
Variables continuously tuned
The AI reads every sensor on the circuit and solves the optimal setpoint combination in real time.
- Binder / water additionPrimary driver of agglomeration.
- Drum rotation speed (RPM)Residence time and bed dynamics.
- Feed rate (t/h)Sets load.
- Exhaust temperature / humidityDrying rate signal.
- Bed moisture (NIR)Online quality proxy.
A fertilizer granulation line producing 500 kt/y with an 8% recycle rate wastes the energy and labor of moving 40 kt of finished product through the loop again. A 3% first-pass yield uplift equates to approximately 12 kt/y of "free" production.
