Mixture Design for Optimal Formulations

The Recipe for Success

If you do product formulation, then standard factorial designs just don't work. You need mixture designs to experiment most effectively. When your work involves both changing the formulation and processing the product, mixture-process combined designs are the optimal tool for success. This comprehensive and interactive workshop will give you the skills you need to master formulation studies, from screening to optimization.

**Available via Distance Learning (DL) **

What if I don’t know whether I need this class?
We encourage you to read our free download, "A Primer on Mixture Design: What’s In It for Formulators?". This introductory text offers formulators modern insights into experimentation on formulations. Learn how mixture designs will meet your needs and produce better results than factorial designs.

“Software, documentation, help and presentations are uniformly excellent!” —Research Scientist, MIX Graduate

Ingredients for Efficient Experimentation

During the Mixture Design for Optimal Formulations workshop you will:

  • Discover what defines a mixture experiment
  • Set up simplex designs
  • Augment and evaluate design quality
  • Select appropriate mixture models
  • Generate contour plots in triangular space
  • Design for constrained mixture variables
  • Optimize product formulas
  • Combine mixture and process variables
  • Improve process understanding with mixture-amount and mixture-categoric designs
“Great class!” —Principal Scientist, MIX Graduate

Produce Contour Maps in Mixture Space

Stat-Ease software (Design-Expert® or Stat-Ease® 360) helps you practice designing and analyzing mixture experiments throughout the workshop. The software provides the power for the generation of optimal designs, as well as sophisticated graphical outputs such as trace plots. You will learn how these methods work and what to look for.

The Distance Learning version of this course will be run as four (4) half-day Zoom sessions - Monday - Thursday (9:00am - 12:30pm US Central Time) in the stated week.

Course contents subject to change.

Section 1 – Introduction to Mixtures

  • What makes a mixture?
  • Mixture (Scheffé) polynomials
  • Simplex-Lattice designs: Media

Section 2 – Constrained Mixtures, Simplex

  • Blocking a simplex design: Olive Oil
  • SImplex design: ABS pipe
    • Analysis and model reduction
    • Optimization

Section 3 – Constrained Mixtures, Non-Simplex

  • Sizing for precision
  • Constrained mixtures: Extreme vertices
  • Optimal point selection: Hydrophilic tablet
  • Transformations & equation only: Antiseptic

Section 4 – Multicomponent Linear Constraints

  • MLC primer
  • Group constraints: Fruit punch
  • Ratio constraints: Stability

Section 5 – Screening Components

  • Simplex: Gasoline additives
  • Non-simplex screening designs
    • Non-simplex screening exercise

Section 6 – Combining Mixture and Process Variables

  • Combined designs
    • Fish patties (background)
    • Fish patties (optimal design)

Section 7 – Special Mixture and Process Problems

  • KCV model: Combining mixture and process variables
    • Background
    • Example (3 Mixture +2 Process)
  • Mixture amount experiments: Ibuprofen
  • Mixtures with categoric factors: Composite material
  • Summary
    • DOE support & next steps

It will be assumed that all students have completed the following prerequisites. This knowledge is essential for success in the course.

Knowledge of basic statistics (mean and standard deviation), and exposure to simple comparative experiments (e.g. two-sample t-test) are recommended. To refresh these skills and review basic concepts and terminology, please take the online PreDOE course prior to the workshop. It takes 2-3 hours to complete. You can work at your own pace. Access to the PreDOE course will be provided with your registration materials.

If you do not complete the PreDOE, and are not familiar with Stat-Ease software, then please download a trial of Stat-Ease 360 software (if you do not already have access to it) and work through the first tutorial: One Factor - Bowling, found in the Help system.

PDHs: 12 (equals 1.2 CEUs)

The Distance Learning version of this course will be held via Zoom Meetings. You will need to download the Zoom Cloud Meeting app prior to the first session.

Recommended Texts and Software

Host this class at your company!

Request a quote today - call our Lead Client Specialist at 612.378.9449 or email workshops@statease.com.

Public Workshops

2025

Mixture Design for Optimal Formulations (DL)

Find the sweet spot and optimize your formulations by mastering mixture designs in this 1-week (4 half-day sessions) instructor-led online course. 9:00am - 12:30pm (USA Central Time)

Regular price $1155.

 

Online
February 18 - 21
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