Peptide & Purification

Industrial Preparative HPLC — Dynamic Axial Compression (DAC)

Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey industrial preparative HPLC systems built on dynamic axial compression (DAC) columns for kilogram-scale purification of active pharmaceutical ingredients and peptides. A DAC column uses a hydraulic piston to keep the packed bed compressed at all times, so the stationary phase stays homogeneous and stable under high flow — the key to reproducible, scalable separations at production volume. Because these processes run large volumes of flammable organic solvents, Mechotech builds the system to EX-proof standards throughout, with fully automated valve control, forward/back/bypass wash modes, high-pressure safety valves and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant software. It is engineered as a complete process skid — DAC column, multi-solvent inlet, high-pressure pumps, detection, automatic fraction collection, slurry tank and auxiliaries — for commercial pharmaceutical, peptide and fine-chemical manufacturing.

A Mechotech industrial preparative HPLC system is centred on a dynamic axial compression column in which a hydraulic piston continuously compresses the packed bed, eliminating the voids and channelling that would otherwise degrade a large-diameter separation. A multi-solvent inlet manifold and high-pressure process pumps deliver precise isocratic or gradient mobile phases, while automated valves manage forward-flow separation, back-flush and bypass wash cycles so the column can be packed, run, cleaned and re-equilibrated under software control. A detector monitors the eluent and the automatic fraction collection system diverts each purified cut, with the entire sequence — packing, injection, collection and wash — coordinated by a 21 CFR Part 11 compliant control system providing audit trail and electronic signatures. Column inner diameter typically spans 300–1600 mm, product-contact parts are stainless steel, and the skid is completed with a slurry tank for column packing, high-pressure safety valves, EX-proof EXD IIB T4 / IP65 rated components and the pumps, tanks and utilities the process needs. Flow and throughput are configured to feed the upstream synthesis or fermentation stream.

Technical Specifications

Technology	Industrial preparative HPLC with dynamic axial compression (DAC)
Working Principle	Piston-compressed packed bed for stable large-diameter separation
Column Inner Diameter	~300–1600 mm (configurable)
Bed Compression	Hydraulic dynamic axial compression, constant bed pressure
Pumps	High-pressure process pumps with multi-solvent inlet manifold
Delivery Mode	Isocratic or gradient (configurable)
Wash Modes	Forward / back-flush / bypass (software-selectable)
Detection	UV / dual-wavelength process detector with preparative flow cell
Fraction Collection	Fully automated valve-based collection & recycle
Hazardous-Area Rating	EX-proof, EXD IIB T4 / IP65 (configurable to zone)
Column Packing	Slurry tank with slurry-pack and piston compression
Product-contact Material	Stainless steel and inert polymers (PEEK / PTFE)
Safety	High-pressure safety valves, pressure interlocks & alarms
Automation	21 CFR Part 11 software — audit trail & electronic signature
Output	Kilogram-scale high-purity API or peptide fraction

Plant Capacities

Column ID	Scale / Usage	Configuration	Rating
300 mm	Pilot / small production	DAC column, single high-pressure pump	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
450 mm	Small production	DAC column, multi-solvent inlet	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
600 mm	Production	DAC column, automated wash & collection	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
800 mm	Production	DAC column, twin high-pressure pumps	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
1000 mm	Large production	DAC skid, slurry tank & recycle	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
1200 mm	Industrial	DAC skid, full automation	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11
1600 mm	Industrial (large)	DAC skid, high-throughput train	EX-proof, 21 CFR Part 11

Column inner diameter is the primary scale-up lever; the DAC piston, high-pressure pumps, detection, wash valves, slurry tank and auxiliaries scale with it. Flow rate and throughput are not fixed — they are configured to feed the upstream synthesis or fermentation stream and the required cycle time. Larger and custom configurations on request.

Manufacturing Process

Column Packing (Slurry)

Stationary phase is slurried in the slurry tank and pumped into the column, then the hydraulic piston compresses the bed to a stable, homogeneous packing.

Dynamic Axial Compression

The piston holds the packed bed under constant compression throughout operation, keeping the bed uniform and preventing voids or channelling at high flow.

Feed Injection

The crude API or peptide feed is loaded onto the column head at production scale, with load volume matched to bed capacity and target purity.

High-Pressure Gradient Separation

High-pressure pumps and the multi-solvent inlet deliver a precise mobile phase so the target compound resolves from impurities across the large-diameter bed.

Detection & Automatic Fraction Collection

The detector tracks each eluting band and automated valves divert the purified cut, main fraction and recycle streams into their respective vessels.

Wash Cycles (Forward / Back / Bypass)

Software-controlled forward, back-flush and bypass wash modes strip strongly retained material and clean the flow path between runs.

Re-Equilibration & Cycling

The column is re-equilibrated to starting conditions and the cycle repeats automatically, sustaining high-throughput continuous purification.

Solvent Recovery & Product Workup

Collected fractions are concentrated and the mobile phase recovered for reuse, feeding the purified compound to downstream crystallisation or drying.

Applications

Kilogram-scale peptide purification and polishing
Commercial active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) purification
Generic and specialty pharmaceutical production chromatography
Fine-chemical and intermediate purification at process scale
Insulin, GLP-analogue and therapeutic-peptide manufacturing
Antibiotic and fermentation-product purification
Chiral and difficult-separation production polishing
High-value natural-product isolate manufacturing

Key Features

Dynamic Axial Compression (DAC) Column
A hydraulic piston keeps the packed bed compressed at all times, giving a stable, homogeneous column that scales analytical methods reliably to production diameter.
EX-Proof Design for Flammable Solvents
EXD IIB T4 / IP65 rated components and enclosures let the system safely handle large volumes of flammable organic mobile phases in a production environment.
Multi-Solvent Inlet & Wash Modes
A multi-solvent manifold with automated forward, back-flush and bypass wash cycles supports flexible gradients and thorough column cleaning between runs.
Fully Automated Valve Control & Collection
Packing, injection, fraction collection, wash and re-equilibration are sequenced automatically for reproducible, hands-off cyclic operation.
High-Pressure Safety & 21 CFR Part 11 Software
High-pressure safety valves protect the system while the control software provides audit trail and electronic signatures for regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Complete Process Skid
Supplied with slurry tank, high-pressure pumps, detection, tanks, valves and auxiliaries as a turnkey skid configured to feed the upstream process stream.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a dynamic axial compression (DAC) column?

A DAC column uses a hydraulic piston to keep the packed stationary-phase bed under constant compression during operation. This prevents the voids and channelling that develop in large-diameter beds, keeping the packing homogeneous and stable so that separations stay reproducible at production flow rates.

Why is DAC used for industrial-scale purification?

As column diameter grows, an uncompressed bed becomes unstable and separation efficiency drops. Dynamic axial compression maintains a uniform, well-packed bed regardless of scale, which is what allows an analytical method to be scaled up reliably to kilogram-scale production while preserving resolution and recovery.

Why does the system need an EX-proof design?

Production-scale chromatography moves large volumes of flammable organic solvents such as acetonitrile and methanol. Building the system to EX-proof standards — with EXD IIB T4 / IP65 rated components and enclosures — lets it operate safely in a hazardous-area production environment where those solvent vapours are present.

What column sizes and throughput are available?

Column inner diameter typically spans 300–1600 mm and is the main scale-up lever. Flow rate and throughput are not fixed values but are configured to feed the upstream synthesis or fermentation stream and to meet the required cycle time, with the pumps, wash valves and slurry tank scaled to match.

What are forward, back and bypass wash modes for?

They keep the column clean and productive between runs. Forward flow performs the separation, back-flush reverses flow to strip strongly retained material off the column head, and bypass wash cleans the flow path around the column. All three are software-selectable so the cycle can pack, run, clean and re-equilibrate automatically.

Is the system suitable for regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing?

Yes. The control software is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant, providing audit trail and electronic signatures, while high-pressure safety valves, pressure interlocks and alarms protect the process. The system is engineered for commercial API and peptide manufacturing under a pharmaceutical quality system.

Does Mechotech supply it as a turnkey skid?

Yes. Mechotech delivers the complete industrial preparative HPLC system as a process skid — DAC column, multi-solvent inlet, high-pressure pumps, detection, automatic fraction collection, slurry tank, safety and auxiliaries — with design, manufacture, installation, commissioning and validation support as one package.

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Industrial Preparative HPLC — Dynamic Axial Compression (DAC)