Modular Emulsion Mixing System Helps CPG Company Launch New Product on Time

A leading CPG company partnered with EPIC to rapidly scale up a new antiperspirant formula using a Modular Emulsion Mixing System, overcoming corrosive chemistry, tight space constraints, and long-lead Hastelloy requirements. Through collaborative front-end engineering (FEE) and a modular design/build approach, EPIC delivered a turnkey process system on time, avoided facility expansion costs, and ensured the product launched successfully.

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Hygienic Process System Design

Project

Overview

  • Industry: Consumer Goods
  • Customer: Fortune 500
  • Location: USA
  • Customer Use Case: Batch Mixing / Emulsion

Customer’s

Challenge

A global CPG manufacturer received internal approval to commercialize a new antiperspirant formula – just months before a major brand re-launch. The company’s R&D group had already developed the innovative formula and making method, but scaling it to a full manufacturing process under such a compressed timeline brought several critical challenges: 

  • Condensed Timeline – The plant needed a fully functional process system before the re-launch window closed. Missing the deadline would jeopardize distribution schedules, marketing investments, and shelf placement. 
  • Tight Physical Footprint – The customer required the entire process plant to fit within an existing production area.  
  • Corrosive Chemistry Requiring Specialty Metallurgy – The new product’s chemistry becomes corrosive under high temperatures and pressure. Standard stainless steel would risk corrosion, heavy metal contamination, and compromised product quality. Metallurgy decisions had to be finalized during Front-End Engineering (FEE) to avoid rework. 
  • Long Lead Times for Hastelloy Equipment – Because Hastelloy is a specialty corrosion-resistant alloy, equipment sourcing typically involves long lead times—challenging for a project needing rapid turnaround. 

Together, these constraints created a high-stakes project where thoughtful Front-End Engineering (FEE), precision design, and accelerated execution would make the difference between a successful market launch and a costly delay. 

Epic

Solution

To meet the tight timeline and project complexity, the client partnered with EPIC Systems to complete process design, modular fabrication, installation, and startup. 

 

Collaborative Front-End Engineering 

During the FEE phase, EPIC’s process engineers worked side-by-side with the client’s R&D team to: 

  • Develop basic process flow diagrams (PFDs) 
  • Evaluate corrosion risks 
  • Select the correct metallurgy 
  • Define utilities, equipment requirements, and spatial constraints 

The team determined that Hastelloy was the only viable material capable of withstanding the process’s high temperature and corrosive conditions. Resolving this early prevented costly redesigns and supported immediate procurement of long-lead-time equipment. 

 

Engineering for a Tight Physical Footprint 

EPIC conducted on-site assessments to verify available floor space, tie-in points, and piping paths between the process area and the filler. The engineering team optimized equipment layout and piping routing to fit the entire multi-tank process system into the limited plant real estate—eliminating the need for plant expansion. 

 

Modular Design/Build to Achieve an Aggressive Schedule 

Given the launch deadline, a stick-built approach was not feasible. EPIC deployed its modular design/build methodology, allowing: 

  • Civil and utility work to occur simultaneously with fabrication 
  • The process plant to be built in EPIC’s controlled facility 
  • Faster installation and startup once modules arrived on site 

This parallel workflow compressed months of schedule compared to traditional construction. 

 

Turnkey Process Plant Execution 

EPIC’s project manager oversaw all design, fabrication, equipment sourcing, assembly, and installation. The final multi-tank batch manufacturing system included:  

  • Heat-jacketed melting and mixing tanks 
  • Hastelloy piping and process contact surfaces 
  • A proprietary water-based blending system 
  • Jacketed transfer piping to maintain fluidity to the filler 
  • Filler modifications to accommodate the corrosive formulation 

 

Throughout installation, EPIC maintained a strong on-site presence to support plant staff and ensure seamless integration. 

Project

Impact

  • Achieved an on-time system launch, enabling the new antiperspirant formula to hit the market before the brand re-launch deadline. 
  • Eliminated the need for costly facility expansion by engineering the entire process system into the client’s tight physical footprint. 
  • Protected product quality and prevented contamination risks through early metallurgy selection and the use of Hastelloy for corrosive processing conditions. 
  • Cut months from the schedule with a modular design/build approach that allowed civil work and system fabrication to occur simultaneously. 
  • Accelerated installation and commissioning, thanks to pre-assembled modules built and tested in EPIC’s controlled fabrication environment. 
  • Lowered future capital costs by designing process flexibility that supports increased production demand without requiring a new system or expanded capacity in the coming years. 

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