Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1067339
12 January 2019 Tablets & Capsules P The cap tuck is one of the most common and challenging defects experienced by capsule filling machine operators. This article discusses the most common causes for cap tucks, along with actions to take when you encounter them. oorly joined hard-shell capsules are both visually unap- pealing and have the potential to leak. A leaking capsule will not have the appropriate fill weight, and its contents may spill onto other capsules, making them unpleasant for patients to ingest. One of the most common types of poorly joined capsules is a defect called the cap tuck. Cap tucks occur during the closing step of the cap- sule-filling process when the filled capsule body is pushed up into the cap. Instead of the smaller-diameter body sliding smoothly into the larger-diameter cap, the open (cut) edges of the body and cap collide, and a portion of the cut edge of the cap folds up under itself. Making cap tucks a thing of the past Stephen W. Lee CapsCanada capsule filling In some cases, fill material may become lodged between the cap and the body, causing the cap tuck. A cap tuck problem can result in hours of additional inspection time and a poor yield for the batch, so it's critical that machine operators quickly identify the cause and resolve the issue. Cap tucks are generally caused by one or more of the following factors: the filling-machine settings, the fill material, the quality of the powder slug, the condition of the filling-machine components, and the quality and design of the empty capsules. Filling-machine settings A capsule-filling machine closes the capsules by pushing the filled capsule body into the empty cap, while holding the cap in a fixed position. The machine component that holds the cap in position is commonly called the counter bearing. When setting up the machine for a product, an important machine adjustment is to establish a small gap between the bottom surface of the counter bearing and the