The 5-Step Zaiput SOP Process
The 5-Step Zaiput SOP Process
Counter-Current Liquid Liquid extraction tuned to your unique process is the future of cannabinoid separations.
The ability to separate pure, high-quality compounds efficiently is the core business model of many processors. The Zaiput Liquid-Liquid Extraction (LLE) system stands out as the best, most cost effective means of achieving complex separations between two similar compounds such as different cannabinoids or even isomers of the same cannabinoid. Zaiput’s easy to operate, efficient equipment also serves to enable and streamline many simpler separations. In this blog we take you through the 5 step SOP process we adopt to determine and then scale your unique Zaiput separation system.
1. Discovery: Collaborative Analysis and Exploration
Before you can start using Zaiput, it's essential to establish the goals and specifications of your unique target process. Depending on what you’re separating, the system will be arranged differently, so to start both our teams work hand-in-hand to fully document your User Requirement Specifications including feed material composition, output composition and purity, and scale of operations. This first step is quick, but enables Zaiput’s engineers to fully understand your specific process goals and assemble a complete plan and of equipment and process optimization to meet these objectives. Once you confirm the project proposal, we move on to practical testing and development in step 2.
2. Process Development: Determining Your Solvent System
This is the most important step. Once we have your target compounds and other specifics, our Zaiput experts get to work, deploying proprietary CAO-LLE platform analysis. This is where the magic happens! Our primary goal is to rapidly identify the most effective solvent system for your specific separation needs. Zaiput and SciPhy teams use advanced modeling and testing on your feedstock at the Zaiput facility. Dozens of candidate LLE solvent combinations are rapidly run on your sample at micro scale then tested in real-time to generate Partitioning Coefficient data. Using the data gathered from this testing, a final solvent system is selected for practical testing on a multi-stage CC-LLE platform to size and optimize the Zaiput equipment for your business goals.
Any solvent system selected in this stage can be directly scaled from benchtop to industrial manufacturing simply by utilizing the right size separator system, no process modification is necessary. If you want to change key parameters in the future, like feedstocks or target processes, you can perform testing on the system yourself with remote support from Zaiput, or this step 2 can be quickly repeated to adjust for new variables.
3. Optimization: Fine-tuning for Precision
Every facility is unique, both in terms of scale and workflow. With the insights gained from the process development stage, we now focus on finalizing the equipment's dimensions and design to ensure it fits seamlessly into your space and is sized specifically to your process needs. We believe in selling you only the equipment you need for your process, saving you money by avoiding oversizing. Our engineers test the process selected in stage 2 on a multistage LLE platform at bench scale, taking samples and testing the outputs to determine with real-world data exactly how many stages you will need to achieve the output purity and volume your business case demands.
With this data in hand, the engineers assemble a final design and proposal including all the controls, instrumentation, pumps, separators, and all interconnecting piping to fully implement your process in your facility. These systems are fully modular, so if you choose to pursue more difficult separations in the future, it is simple to add additional stages of the same scale separators. Most frequently stages are connected using simple to install and quick to modify tubing or hosing that your operators can reconfigure with no specialty expertise required. If you are running multiple separations in your lab requiring different numbers of separators, it is possible to run multiple processes on the same platform simultaneously so long as the equipment is configured correctly.
4. Implementation: Bringing Zaiput to Life
Now that the system has been fine tuned to your needs and assembled, it's time to bring Zaiput to life in your facility. Depending on the scale of your system and sophistication of your staff, many Zaiput operators will be able to get going without any on-site assistance from our team; for businesses that desire more hands on help, or that buy larger units, our skilled technicians will take charge of assembling and integrating the complete Zaiput LLE system into your lab. Every component is double-checked to ensure optimal performance before shipment, and Zaiput hardware is easy to maintain with few moving parts.
5. Training & Ongoing Support: Ensuring Continued Success
Once the system is up and running, we're committed to supporting your team with any knowledge and skills needed to operate the Zaiput system confidently. Through comprehensive training sessions, we ensure that your team is well-versed with every facet of the operation. Our commitment doesn't end there. Whether you're looking to experiment with new separations, adapt to changes in feedstock, or face unforeseen challenges, our team remains a constant pillar of support. We offer an array of services on an ongoing basis to ensure your operations continue to thrive.
Conclusion: The Zaiput Path to Successful Scaled Separations
By choosing the Zaiput LLE system and collaborating with our experienced team, you're taking a significant step towards ensuring efficiency, purity, and scalability in your processes. We're here to assist, support, and guide every step of the way.