Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

What is Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

A tablet and capsule inspection machine is a device that you can use to inspect damages on tablets and capsules.

Capsule inspection machine

What Types of Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machines are there?

There are basically two types of tablet and capsule inspection machines including:

· Manual tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine

Manual tablet and capsule inspection machine relies on the keen eye of the operator to identify faults on the machine.

It involves feeding the tablets and capsules from a chute onto a rotating conveyor belt.

The conveyor belt rotates the tablets and capsules through a 360 degrees’ angle allowing the operator proper and full inspection.

It also consists of a magnetic vibrator which assists in the elimination of the dust from the tablets and capsules.

Apart from that, the machine has two lamps and foot switches which gives the operators enough light to view any defects.

The foot switches also give the operators the chance to stop the movement of the conveyor belt whenever it is necessary.

The manual tablet and capsule inspection machine offers a rationale for diligence involving a reduction in capital cost.

You might experience problems in the inspection process such as:

i. Human beings are poor at inspecting the tablets as time goes by as attentiveness deteriorates.

ii. It is an expensive human resource nature which increases the overall cost of production.

iii. The production process may suffer due to inspection errors thus leading to the elimination of good tablets and capsules.

iv. The higher the number of people you use in the inspection procedure, the higher the chances of contamination.

· Automatic Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine

An automatic tablet and capsule inspection machine has a digital image recognition technology that assist in detecting errors on tablets and capsules.

It is a cost-effective, efficient and time-saving process that provides full inspection of tablets and capsules before elimination.

You can use the automatic tablet and capsule inspection machine to inspect the following aspects:

i. Size mismatch on tablets and capsules

ii. Staining and pucker on the tablets and capsules

iii. Breakage on the tablets and capsules

iv. Foreign objects on the surface of the tablets and capsules

v. Twining of the tablets and capsules.

You need to configure the machine and allow it to proceed with the inspection while you monitor from a distance.

The automatic machine depends on 2D and 3D cameras to assist in the inspection process of the tablets and capsules.

Which Industries use Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

You can use the tablet and capsule inspection machine in the following industries:

i. Pharmaceutical industry for the inspection and rejection of tablets and capsules

ii. Cosmetic industry for inspecting and rejecting beauty products in the form of tablets and capsules.

iii. Nutraceutical industry for inspecting and eliminating nutritional products with defects.

What are the Benefits of Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

You will experience the following benefits by using the tablet and capsule inspection machine.

• Highly accurate and consistent inspection.
• Automatic generation of reports on the inspection process.
• It allows you a simple and effective setting of the inspection parameters.
• It has a patent and stable conveyor that can transport the tablets and capsules at high speed.
• It has a comprehensive central user interface with a touch screen for proper monitoring of the operations.
• It is durable as manufacturers use very strong materials such as stainless steel in making the parts.
• It is easy to clean as you can simply dismantle and assemble the parts in a short time without tools.

Is Tablet Inspection Machine same as Capsule Inspection Machine?

Tablet inspection machine

Capsule inspection machine

No, a tablet inspection machine is not the same as capsule inspection machine.

Despite the difference, the machines have quite a lot in common including:

• Working principles as you can use either of the machines in inspecting and rejecting tablets and capsules.
• Some parts are common in both machines such as the conveyor system, vibrators, collection trays, hoppers and feeders.

What are the Components of Tablet Inspection and Rejection Machine?

The main parts of the tablet inspection and rejection machine include:

· Hopper

This is the part of the machine where you will feed the tablets into the machine for further inspection.

You can adjust the stainless steel hopper vertically for easier and proper manual or automatic feeding of tablets.

· Magnetic Vibrator

It is a perforated vibratory plate which is useful in the elimination of dust particles from the tablets.

You can easily adjust the vibration of the plate to enable proper elimination of dust and smooth falling of tablets.

· Conveyer Belt

This is stainless steel and PVC food grade belt that make up the main inspection unit of the machine.

It allows operators and cameras to pick up and eliminate defective tablets depending on the type of machine.

You can easily adjust the speed of the conveyor belt according to your requirements.

Apart from that, you can also remove and clean the conveyor belt before replacing it.

·  Motor

It consists of different speed drives that assist in the rotation of the conveyor belt.

You can easily and independently adjust the speed of the motor depending on your inspection requirements.

· Two Foot Switches

The two-foot switch allows the users to stop the movement of the conveyor belt during the inspection process.

· Discharge Chute

It allows the machine to smoothly and safely eject the tablets without causing any damages.

· Two Inspection Lamps

The inspection lamps provide enough illumination to facilitate the inspection process of the tablets.

You can easily inspect the lamps according to the inspection requirements.

· Rejection Tray

This is the point where the machine will deposit the tablets that have certain defects.

· Collector Drum

You will collect the tablets that have no defect from the collector drum after the inspection process.

· Control System

This is a microprocessor control unit that facilitate proper operation of the tablet inspection machine.

Most of the control systems have an HMI touch screen for easy programming and monitoring of operations.

Why is CGMP Compliance Critical for Tablet and Capsule Inspection Equipment?

Current good manufacturing practices are critical in maintaining proper manufacturing of the tablet and capsule inspection equipment.

It ensures that the equipment have proper designs, control and monitoring of the manufacturing facilities and processes.

cGMP protects the consumer from counterfeit products while maintain high health and hygiene standards.

What are the Critical Parts of Capsule Inspection and Rejection Machine?

The main parts of the capsule inspection machine include:

· Rotary Double Drum

It holds the capsules in a proper position using a vacuum system thus handling them with minimal risk of damages.

Apart from that, you can use it to acquire capsule images across the entire surface.

·  Inspection Windows

You will the vision system of the inspection window to observe the movement of capsules to different inspection stations.

· Conveyor Drive and Conveyor Belt

This is the part that transports capsules from one station to the next.

The size of the conveyor belt will vary depending on the size of the machine.

You can also adjust the speed of conveyor drive from the control panel.

· User Interface

This is the main display area that will allow you to monitor all the operations of the machine.

They have easy to use HMI complete with a PLC system.

· Power Supply System

This is the electrical unit that powers the operations of the capsule inspection machine.

It varies depending on the type of capsule inspection machine you are using such as 230v, 50 Hz AC power system.

· Roller Drive

The roller drive exposes the capsules at different angles by rotating them.

You can observe and inspect the capsules for any defects as the roller drive rotates.

· Conveyor Speed Regulator

This is the part of the machine that will regulate the speed of the conveyor belt according to your requirements.

· Illuminator

The machine has different types of illuminators in different forms that increases the visibility of the capsules during inspection.

· Vibrator

The vibrator shakes the capsules thus allowing them to turn and expose the sides of the capsules.

You can, therefore, have a proper view and inspection of the capsules.

· Hooper or Feed Hopper

This is the point of the machine where you can allow the capsules to move into the machine.

It assists the transfer of the capsules from the manufacturing unit straight to the inspection unit.

· Trays

These are the collection points for the accepted and rejected capsules.

You can also use them to transfer the capsules from one station to the next for further processing.

How does Tablet Inspection Work?

The tablet inspection machine works by going through the following steps:

Step One: Feeding the Tablet Inspection Machine

First, you will feed the tablets that you intend to inspect in the feeding hopper of the tablet inspection machine.

The tablets will then flow to the vibratory chute.

At this point, a perforated screen will remove coarse dust and chips that accompany the tablets from the container.

Step Two: Inspection Phase

The vibratory chute will direct the tablets to the rotating rollers.

The rotating rollers spin and move the tablets in front of the operator for a dependable all sided visual inspection.

In an automatic inspection machine, the cameras will capture the image of the tablets.

The images that the machine captures go through the system software for processing in a bid to derive helpful information.

It then comes up with the final results which it compares to the original dimensions of the tablets.

The machine has the capability of transmitting the results to a computer for further processing.

Apart from that, it sends the images to a database for record keeping.

Step Three: Interpretation of Results

This is the final stage where the machine interprets the results and determines the tablets that are good from the bad.

The machine eliminates the tablets with defects to the rejection tray while collecting the good tablets in another tray.

What is the Working Principle of Capsule Inspection and Rejection Machine?

The operation procedure of a capsule inspection and rejection machine goes through the following processes:

Step One: Preparation Stage

First, you need to do a thorough inspection of the machine and ensure that it is working well before switching it on.

Adjust the machine operations according to the inspection requirements that you desire on the control panel.

Allow the capsules to move into the feeding hopper and then to the vibratory chute.

At this stage, the vibratory chute will shake the perforated plated and eliminate any dust and coarse chips particles.

Step Two: Inspection Stage

The capsules will move on a conveyor belt and rotate on rotating rollers as the operator observes.

Modern automatic capsule inspection machine uses cameras that capture the capsule images.

It will transmit the images through special image analysis section to identify potential defects on the capsules.

Step Three: Capsule Sorting Stage

At this point, the machine will use the results from the analysis of the images to sort the capsules.

It will reject the capsules with defects and separate them in a different tray.

The perfect capsules will collect in a different tray where you will collect them for further processing.

What are the Common Defects in Capsules Filling Process?

You will see a lot of capsule defects during the capsule filling process.

The most common problems in the capsule filling process include:

Common defects on capsules

· Misshapen or Lumpy Capsules

This can be as a result of the condition under which you store or transport the capsules.

You should ensure that you maintain the temperatures between 15 and 30 degrees centigrade.

The relative humidity should also be between 40 and 65 percent.

You should be careful not to expose the capsules to direct heat or sunlight.

You should wait for a while before transferring capsules from high temperature environment to a lower one.

· Improper Rectification

This can be as a result of improper orientation of the capsules.

You should avoid using plastic materials in the filling process of the capsules as it might cause electrostatic charges.

Check the operating parameters and do proper adjustments.

· Failure to Separate

This might be as a result of a problem with the vacuum which have between 15 to 18 inches of mercury.

You should o proper adjustments between the cap and the body of the capsules.

Make sure that you check the filter bags and do proper cleaning periodically.

· Dented Capsules

This can be as a result of improper set up leading excess pressure application by the machine.

You should set the machine parameters appropriately to avoid such dents on capsules.

This will help reduce other issues such as over filling which ends up denting the capsules.

· Telescoping

This comes as a result of misalignment of the cap and the body leading to a split on the capsule body.

Make sure that all capsules are perfectly round and check the cap alignment and body bushings.

· Popping

This can be as a result of over filling or excess pressure or maybe a weak locking mechanism.

You can sort it by controlling the pressure and the filling parameters of the capsules.

· Brittleness

The capsules may lose a lot of moisture thus leading to the brittleness of the capsules.

Make sure that you use certain materials such as HPMC to avoid dehydration of the capsules.

You should also store the capsules away from hygroscopic materials.

What are the Common Tablet Defects during Compression?

The common problems that you may come across during tablet compression Include weight variation, friability, hardness, sticking, and tablet picking.

Apart from those, you may also experience defects such as capping, laminating, chipping, mottling and impression or double press.

Although there are numerous defects that you may encounter, the three most common problems are:

Common defects on tablets

· Capping or Laminating

It happens whenever a fracture occurs on the tablet thus leading to the separation of the tablet.

Capping occurs as a result of air entrapment in the powder materials in the compression stage.

It may also be as a results of failure of compression due to too much collection of powder fines.

You can sort this by having the right compression parameters and thoroughly mixing the powder materials.

· Hardness

This is the variation in hardness of the tablets where the tablet can either be too soft or too hard.

You can sort this by checking the tablet press before going through the upstream processes.

Apart from that, you need to control the weights and checking the scrapper blade and die fill.

· Picking or Sticking

This happens when the granules of formulation stick to the face of the press punch.

You can eliminate sticking by:

i. Adjusting the force of compression.

ii. Increasing the pressure of the tablet press

iii. Pre-compression and reducing the speed of the tablet press

iv. Polishing the face of the tablet press

v. Proper mixing of lubricant

How do you Specify Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

Whenever you consider purchasing tablet and capsule inspection machine you should look at the following specifications:

· Shape of the Tablet and Capsules

You should consider a tablet and capsule inspection machine that can handle different sizes of tablets and capsules.

Yu should consider checking the thickness of the tablets and capsules in the specification process.

·  Output

Consider a machine that can inspect a great number of tablets and capsules at one time thus increasing the output.

Most machines have the capability of inspecting 12,000 tablets and capsules in an hour.

· Feed Hopper

Depending on the size, the feed hopper a supply a varying number of tablets and capsules to the machine.

You should consider a machine that has a feed hopper that fits the capability of the inspection machine.

· Electrical Connection

The electrical connection will depend on the size of the tablet and capsule inspection machine.

It can either be 220V/50Hz single phase or 110V/60 Hz single phase.

· Power Inputs

You will look at the power input depending on the size of the tablet and capsule inspection machine you are looking for.

The most common input of power is 0.6 kw.

· Compressed Air

Most of the tablet and capsule inspection machine have air compression of 0.6Mpa and above.

The compressed air ratings will depend on the machine size including the number of tablets and capsules it can handle.

· Dimensions

The dimensions of the tablet and capsule inspection machine will determine the size of the machine in mm.

For instance, you can go for a machine with dimensions such as 1850 by 850 by 1315 mm.

· Weight

The size of the machine will determine the weight of the machine thus the bigger the machine, the heavier it is.

SaintyCo offer which Automatic Tablet and Capsule Inspection Systems?

SaintyCo offers two main types of tablet and capsule inspection machine which include:

• TI-500 Tablet Inspecting and Rejecting Machine
• I-500 Capsule Inspecting and Rejecting Machine

What is Mechanical Sorting of Tablets?

Mechanical sorting is the elimination of broken tablets and foreign materials of different sizes.

However, mechanical sorting is not capable of removing foreign objects with similar sizes of the products.

Why Invest in SaintyCo Tablet Inspection and Rejection Machine?

You should consider investing in SaintyCo tablet inspection and rejection machine due to the following reasons:

• The machine has a tablet turn over system that enables you to inspect 50 kg of tablets per hour.
• It consists of calibrated work lights and vacuum nozzles that allow you to inspect and sort the tablets.
• It eliminates the possibilities of causing abrasions or contaminations on the tablets.
• It has an integrated collection box for collecting tablet rejects within your reach.
• You can simply and easily dismantle the machine with very simple tools for proper cleaning processes.
• It has a venture suction system that eliminates the need of noisy external vacuum cleaners.
• It has an ergonomic design that eliminates fatigue on the operator of the machine.

What makes SaintyCo Capsule Inspection and Rejection Machine Unique?

The features that make SaintyCo capsule inspection and rejection machine unique include:

• You can adjust the inspection and rotation speed of the capsules infinitely as it has no blind areas and hidden corners.
• It is compliant to the FDA quality standards with products such as high density polymers.
• It also has lighting fixtures under the conveyor belt that illuminate the capsules from below.
• Apart from that, you can eliminate the defective capsules using a flexible handheld vacuum nozzle.
• Additionally, it has a foot pedal switch which stops the conveyor belt whenever it is necessary.
• You can also dismantle the parts easily for proper cleaning and maintenance.
• It has a compact venturi suction system that eliminates the need of a noisy external vacuum cleaner.
• The ergonomic design reduces the fatigue of the operators thus making it simpler to operate.

How do you Troubleshoot Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

Whenever you are using the tablet and capsule inspection machine you are likely to encounter the following issues:

i. Vibration or Abnormal Noise

You can sort this by greasing all the moving parts and tightening the loose joints to eliminate the noise

ii. Failure of Machine to Vibrate even after powering

This can be as a results of poor connection between the electric outlet and the plug.

Use appropriate electric instruments and connect any of the cables that are not linked.

iii. Dropping of tablets into vibratory dust collecting plate

This can be as a result of a loose discharge chute and feeding systems, or maybe a dislodged part.

You can sort it out by fastening the loose parts and adjusting the components that are dislodged.

iv. Motor Vibrates

Motor vibrates can be as a result of different reasons such as:

• Motor misaligned to load which you can correct by realigning the load.
• Load out of balance which you can sort by detaching and examining the motor to ensure the shaft is straight.
• Defective motor bearings which you can sort by replacing the noisy or rough bearings.

What are the Benefits of Visual Inspection in Tablet and Capsule Inspection Systems?

The benefits of visual inspection in tablet and capsule inspection system include:

i. It has very high production throughput 350,000 units in an hour

ii. It is accurate and rarely misses tablets or capsules with defects with a precision of up to 100 millimicrons.

iii. The machine has a double drum system that manipulates the tablets and capsules.

iv. Apart from that it has 6 to 8 cameras and 3 analyzers that acquire the image of the whole surface.

v. It is capable of analyzing the images in real time thus reducing the inspection time.

vi. It guarantees you of perfect results with 1005 reliability.

How do you Clean Tablet and Capsule Inspection Machine?

 Section of capsule inspection machine

You can clean the tablet and capsule inspection machine by going through the following processes:

First you will remove the “to be cleaned” mark and get rid of it after reading the instructions on it.

After that, you will detach the detachable parts and place them separately for cleaning purposes.

Using a lint free cloth and pure water, you can clean the conveyor belt and the hopper.

Make sure that the cleaning process is compliant to the quality assurance regulations.

Dry the parts with a lint free cloth before attaching the parts.

At the same time, you will clean the body of the machine using a lint free cloth.

Can you Integrate Capsule Inspection System with Capsule Filler Machine?

Yes, you can integrate the capsule inspection machine with the capsule filler machine.

The capsule inspection machine will automatically inspect the tablets from the capsule filler machine.

You will save on a lot of time in case you do so.

Can Tablet Inspection System work with Tablet Press Machine?

Yes, the tablet inspection system can work well with the tablet press machine.

It allows for automatic inspection of the tablets immediately after complete compression.