Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/238663
d-Davidsonart_16-19_Masters 12/30/13 2:05 PM Page 19 January 2014 19 Tablets & Capsules Return on investment based on an efficiency report. Company E encountered various defects in its encapsulated product and asked for help. An inspection quickly revealed that the capsule-holding segments of the machine were excessively worn and needed replacement. A technical service engineer worked with the company's production team to create an efficiency report that showed that replacing the worn segments made financial sense. It was pretty straightforward: The financial impact of losses from defective products far exceeded the cost of replacing the segments. Once the team made the business case, managers could justify the cost and the parts were replaced. Conclusion No single piece of equipment suits every situation, and finding what will work best for your application requires you to consider the entire capsule filling undertaking, from formulation to production. It's the only way to ensure the efficient production of a high-quality product. Understand the different types of capsule filling systems and what type of fill each handles best. This ties into the FDA's Quality by Design initiative and is the best way to optimize the capsule filler to handle your formu- las. Next, determine the optimal setup. During early development, figure out how to combine the machine and each formula. That way you reduce future costs because your understanding of key operational factors will enable you to increase production, improve yields, and avoid downtime. As shown above, those improvements can give your company a significant financial boost. T&C John Davidson, a Six Sigma Black Belt, is manager of quality engineering services at Capsugel Americas, 535 N. Emerald Road, Greenwood, SC 29646. E-mail: john.davidson@capsugel.com. Davidson holds a BS in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. His duties include managing a team of quality and technical service engineers who work with pharmaceutical companies in North and Central America to improve their operational efficiency. SEE THE DIFF E DIFFERENCE FERENCE In Output and Cost with Ackley''s Multi-Lane Print and Inspection System Now you can do multi-lane imprinting nd visual inspection with pixel precision ngle single tablet rej rejection. All at speeds up to 300,000 products p hour with an adjustable 00 per and eliminates product breakage. sales@ackleymachine.com www.ackleymachine.com Why settle for less? y settle Call Ackley today at 856-234-3626 to y discuss your R&D and production needs.