Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1331851
Tablets & Capsules January/February 2021 13 as necessary. When searching for such equipment, it is good to look for machines that are as versatile as pos- sible. Typically, this means having a basic unit onto which researchers can add modules as needed to test the different capsule filling processes in the market. In general, these processes and process variations include the following: Powder filling a. Gravity feeding powder into the capsule with no tamping. b. Using tamping pins to create a dense powder slug for more weight. c. Dosator style—using vacuum to lift and deposit pow- der into the capsule. d. Dosator style—using vacuum and then tamping inside a vacuum tube to create a dense powder slug. Liquid filling a. Using a jacketed vessel with a mixer to keep the fill in a liquid state with solids in suspension. Oils can also be filled if compatible with the capsules. b. Using a volumetric piston pump to provide a high level of fill volume accuracy. c. Using special "liquid" capsules that are properly designed to prevent leaking of the liquid fill. After fill- ing, the capsules are sealed using a bander or capsule sealer to further prevent leakage. Tablet or minitablet filling a. Having an exact count of the number of tablets or minitablets placed into each capsule. b. Choosing the capsule size (such as EL, DB, or standard capsule sizes) that allows the required number of tab- lets or minitablets to fit in each capsule. c. Ensuring that the transfer mechanism and laser counter performance is precise and reproducible so that only one tablet falls into the transfer plate hole and transfers into the capsule at a time. Pellet filling a. Providing an accurate volume of pellets into each capsule. b. Having flexibility to provide a range of pellet volumes for different capsule sizes, which can be accomplished by using dosing valves of various volumes. Capsule-in-capsule a. Placing a smaller capsule into a larger capsule, some- times with powder or pellets. b. Performing a first run to fill the smaller capsules under one set of conditions then, with the filled smaller cap- sules loaded into the product hopper, feeding them into the larger empty capsules using a method similar to tablet filling with a plate with holes cut out in the shape of the small capsules as a transfer mechanism. Customized Fill Release in Gelatine Soft Capsules Revolutionary Release Fast release and reduced cross-linking Reliable Release Reduced cross-linking Standard Release Improved shelf-life and stability Release profile Enteric Release One-step-production of truly enteric capsules GELITA USA · Sioux City, IA · www.gelita.com · service.na@gelita.com bit.ly/3mVoIRA