Tablet coating machines are an essential element of pharma manufacturing plants in their oral dosage forms. They give the tablets the final physical and chemical shape before being packed in the packaging material. Coating machines are specifically designed to retain pharma product characteristics, physical shape and transfer product therapeutic effects optimally.
However, it is necessary to select a tablet coating machine realistically that is tailored to individual pharma organization to deliver the required drug properties optimally. Otherwise, tablet products will cause a total loss for the pharmaceutical manufacturing organization.
Before purchasing a coating machine, it is helpful to work with the machine supplier to identify the requirements. It can help you to work on alternative, If these are not available at the machine manufacturer.
What is a Tablet Coating Machine?
A tablet coating machine applies coating material to pharma drug tablets for various therapeutic requirements. The amount of coating material can be controlled depending on the product requirements. The coating machine has multiple sub-systems and components, such as heating and spraying, to aid the coating process. This is in addition to different operation parameters, such as pan speed and spray rate, that determine the final product characteristics, which can be controlled through the central operating panel.
Some essential components of a tablet coating machine include but are not limited to
Coating Pan: a metallic half-ellipsoidal container with a central opening. Tablets are placed in the pan and rotate at a fixed speed. It size depends on the capacity of the coating machine
Spraying Nozzles: They are placed in the pan opening to spray coating liquid inside the pan. Commonly, more than one nozzle sprays liquid to be coated.
Peristaltic Pump: A peristaltic pump is used to deliver the liquid to the spraying nozzles and defines the spray rate of the coating machine
Air Inlet and Exhaust: In a tablet coating machine, hot air enters and then leaves through the exhaust system 9 (for various purposes)
In a typical coating process, tablets (to be coated) are placed in the pan, which rotates at fixed speed. The spray gun continuously sprays the liquid on the tablets in the rotating pan. As the pan rotates, tablets tumble over others, enabling them to receive spraying liquid from all sides. The spray rate depends on the peristaltic pump speed and is adjusted according to the product requirement.
Hot air flows into the pan through the air inlet. Hot air is used to dry the tablets inside the pan of the sprayed liquid to ensure the protection of the sprayed liquid and the tablets. The air then flows out of the pan from the exhaust, which releases the air.
Quality and production continuously check the product and process during the operation to solve any issues that arise
After all liquid has been sprayed, the spray process is stopped, and the coating pan keeps rotating to cool down the tablets to ensure easy handling.
After cooling, the coating pan is stopped, and tablets are discharged for further processing.
What can go wrong if the correct coating machine is not selected
Let's discuss the disadvantages of choosing an incorrect coating machine.
Improper Tablet Characteristics
Selecting the suitable table coating machine is critical for the success of coating process. Otherwise, the final coated tablets will lack the necessary characteristics and result in a defective product.
Tablet defects, such as roughness, colour variation, and twining, are expected to result from improper machine selection. These tablet defects require re-processing, wasting critical resources and time.
In some cases, re-processing is impossible, and the pharma manufacturer is forced to discard or destroy the product.
Limitation in customizing spray options
The spraying function is an integral part of the coating machine, and drives the success of the entire coating process and influences the liquid being sprayed.
Improper machine selection will affect the sprayed liquid's droplet size and size distribution as it reaches...
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