Capsule Filler: The Ultimate Guide

If you are in the capsule filling industry, then it’s time to invest in high quality capsule filler machine.

Whether you’re doing it in small scale, R&D, research or mass production; you can choose from manual capsule filler to fully automatic capsule filler machine.

Moreover, whether you want to venture in micro dosing or low fill weight capsules, there’s a capsule filling capsule machine that meets exactly that requirement.

The best part?

Today’s capsule filler guide covers everything (from basic to advanced techniques) about capsule filling technology.

Read on to be an expert in capsule filling industry.

 Capsules

What is Capsule Filler?

Capsule fillers are machines that you can use in filling empty capsules with different substances such as nutrients or medicine.

You can either decide to get a personal capsule filler for use in filling your own capsules with medicine or nutrients.

Apart from that, you may purchase the industrial capsule filler which you can use in filling capsules on a large scale.

 Manual capsule filler machine

 Laboratory automatic capsule filling machine

Considerations in Capsule Filling Process

In the process of filling empty capsules, there are factors that you need to take into consideration.

The factors that you need to consider include:

Hard gelatin capsules content

· Types of Formulations to Fill in Capsules

You can enclose different types of formulations inside an empty capsule such as granules or blends, and coated pellets.

Additionally, you may enclose other dosage forms including tablets, smaller capsules, micro-tablets, and different combinations of these forms.

Powders, non-aqueous liquids, granules, and thermosetting formulations are also suitable formulations to fill in capsules.

Apart from that, you can enclose liquids on a condition that the capsule is not soluble in the formulation liquid.

Capsules with high moisture content have a tendency of losing the water content hence becoming brittle.

You can include ingredients such as plasticizers and Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to make the capsules resistant to dehydration.

Furthermore, you can opt for the capsules that have low moisture content.

Finally, you should not use fillers with reactive aldehydes as they will lead to cross-linking effect, especially on gelatin.

Cross-linking effect usually results in very low rates of capsule solubility.

· Sizes of Capsules and Fill Weight

You can decide on the right capsule size and fill weight depending on the formulation and the dose requirement.

With the information on the contentment formulation and dosage weight, you can easily determine the capsule size.

The density of the mixture to fill and the volume of the capsule will determine the overall weight of the capsule.

For instance, in granulate and powder mixtures, the tapped density can assist in determining the capsule size.

Bulk density of pellets and micro-pellets will also assist you in determining the respective capsule size and fill weight.

Capsule sizes

· Capsule Filling Purpose

Your choice for filling purposes such as commercial production or clinical production will affect the process of capsule filling.

Capsules that you will use in clinical production often have different dimensions and geometries from those of commercial production.

Implying that you might need different machine formats for clinical production and commercial production.

For instance, clinical productions are of a smaller batch size hence you might use a manual capsule filler.

Alternatively, you can decide to flush fill or hand fill the capsule using smaller machines such as precision powder dispensers.

On the other hand, commercial production will require faster and more automated capsule filling machines.

· Capsules Quality Compliance

Quality control

The process of capsule filling should also adhere to the capsule quality compliance regulations.

You have to institute the best filling practices that will ensure safety, quality, mitigate risks, and traceability of the ingredients.

Quality compliance of the capsule filling process begins right from the point of purchasing the capsule raw materials.

You will provide different certifications such as a certificate of analysis, and regulatory information on colorants.

Apart from that the raw materials and capsule filling process have to comply with the following quality standards:

i. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) requirements

ii. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including the vegetarian society requirements

iii. cGMP standard regulations

iv. International Standards Organization (ISO) requirements

v. United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)

vi. European Pharmacopoeia (PhEur)

vii. Japanese Pharmacopoeia

In short, capsules must meet high quality and compliance standards.

This should include all possible ingredients used in making and filling capsules.

· Capsules Storage Conditions

Your choice for the right storage conditions will vary according to the type of capsules you intend to fill.

You will store soft capsules in a humidity controlled environment to prevent the effect of too much moisture.

Fluctuations in humidity and temperature will force you to monitor and have a clear definition of the capsule storage conditions.

You should also remember that different capsules have different properties hence different capsule storage conditions.

· Capsule Filling Equipment

The capsule filling process will also depend on the type of capsule filling equipment of choice.

There are different types of capsule filling equipment that you can choose from.

These include:

i. Manual capsule filling machine

ii. Semi-automatic capsule filling machine

iii. Fully automatic capsule filling machine

Manual Capsule Filler Machine

A manual capsule filler machine is a device that you can employ in the manual filling of hard gelatin capsules.

Manual capsule filling machine

· Parts of Manual Capsule Filling Machine

Manual capsule filling machine consists of the following key parts:

i. Loading Tray

This is the part where you will place the empty capsules before filling them.

ii. Capsule Holes

This is the part where you will place the capsules and hold them in an upward position for proper filling.

iii. Locking Lever

This is the part that holds the body in place and separates them from the cap of the empty capsule.

iv. Handle

You will use the handle to control the locking lever in the process of separating the caps from the main body.

v. Caps Tray

After removing the caps from the body, you will set the caps aside on the caps tray

vi. Powder tray

This part contains the filling material and in this case, we will use powder as the filling material.

vii. Filler

The filler is the main part that will fill the empty capsules with the filling material.

viii. Guiding Nozzles

The guiding nozzles guide the powder straight into the body of the hard capsules.

ix. Tamper

This is the part that contains the powder compressor to assist in compressing the powder into the capsule.

x. Powder Compressor

This is a part of the tamper that does the actual compression of the powder into the capsule.

xi. Turning Knobs

The turning knobs adjust the tightness and direction of movement of the moving parts of the filler machine.

· Benefits of Manual Capsule Filling Machine

The main benefits of using the manual capsule filling machine include:

i. The initial cost of purchasing and installing the manual filling machine is low.

ii. It is smaller in size and you can easily place it on a bench and move it from place to place.

iii. It is the most economical machine that you can use in small scale filling of empty capsules.

iv. It is also very easy to operate thus you may not need to engage extra personnel in training.

v. You can easily dismantle the manual filling machine for routine cleaning and maintenance.

vi. It is safe since most of the operations are manual and do not involve high machinability.

vii. You will have to involve other machines such as the capsule polisher to complete the whole capsule filling process.

· Drawbacks of Manual Capsule Filler Equipment

As you will be using the manual capsule filler, you will notice drawbacks such as:

i. It is slow and can only fill few capsules at a time hence unsuitable for large scale capsule production.

ii. It is difficult to determine the amount of filling material that you will be filling in the empty capsules.

iii. You have to hire extra personnel to assist you in some of the manual operations involving the machine.

iv. Operating the machine is tedious and thus limits production to the time when manual human labor is active.

v. It is impossible to integrate the machine into a production line with other machines.

· How to Use Manual Capsule Filling Machines to Fill Capsules

To fill a capsule using a manual capsule machine, you should follow the following steps.

How manual capsule filler works

Step One: Preparing the Basic Ingredients

You will prepare the main ingredients by placing the empty capsules on the loading tray.

Place the loading tray with the empty capsules on the machine.

At the same time, you should prepare the filling material and place it on a tray.

In this case, we will fill the capsules with powder so we will place the powder on a powder tray.

Step Two: Locking the Capsules and Separating the Caps from the Body

Place the capsules in the capsule hole of the machine to hold them at the right angle for filling purposes.

After that, you will lock the capsules by pulling the lock lever forward.

Push the long handle down and the machine will lift the caps from the bodies.

Set the tray containing the caps aside

Push the locking lever back and the capsule bodies will drop down at come to the same level as the filling surface.

Step Three: Actual Filling Process

Place the powder tray on the filler of the machine and allow the powder to flow into the filler.

Through the guiding nozzles, the powder will flow into the empty capsules and fill it to the right level.

Move the extra powder on to the shelf of the powder tray.

After that, lower the tamper and lock it.

Turn the handle and allow the tamper to compress the powder into the capsules creating extra room for more powder.

Raise the tamper and place the additional powder into the capsule to fill it to the right quantity and size.

Step Four: Covering the Bodies of the Capsule

At this stage, you will return the tray that holds the caps back to the level of the body of the capsules.

Turn the left knob of the machine to the right and then lower the locking plate and engage the locks.

Hold the tamper handle and then push down on the long handle.

The machine will raise the bodies up into caps and locks them permanently.

Turn the capsule tray away from the machine and the capsule will fall away from the manual capsule filling machine.

Step Five: Checking the Quality of the Full Capsule

You can place the capsules in the capsule testing machine to test the quality in terms of size and weight.

The machine will automatically accept the good capsules and reject the rest.

The good capsules are now ready for packaging, storing and later transportation.

As you can see, the working principle of a manual capsule filler machine is simple and straightforward.

Semi-automatic Capsule Filling Machine

A semi-automatic capsule filling machine is a device that has manual and automatic parts for filling empty capsules.

Semi automatic capsule filler machine

· Benefits of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler Machine

The main benefits that you will experience by using a semi-automatic filling machine include:

i. You can use it to fill different types of fillers including powders, pellets, or granules.

ii. It provides automation up to a certain degree thus increasing the speed of production.

iii. You can use it for a considerably larger scale of production in comparison to the manual capsule filling machine.

iv. The initial cost of purchasing it is lower in comparison to a fully automatic capsule filling machine.

v. Using this machine eliminates almost all of the personnel you would employ when using the manual filling machine.

vi. The filling accuracy is higher than that of the manual filling machine.

vii. The machine adheres to the right manufacturing quality standards hence safe for use.

viii. The machine will automatically polish the capsules after filling.

ix. The operations of the machine do not emit large sound hence a peaceful working environment.

· Disadvantages of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filling Machine

The main disadvantages of using the semi-automatic capsule filling machine include:

i. You will have to hire more personnel as the machine is not fully automatic

ii. In comparison to the manual capsule filling machine, this machine is costly.

iii. It is not easy to dismantle some of the parts for routine maintenance.

iv. It is heavy, bigger in size than the manual capsule filling machine hence compromising on its portability.

v. Integrating it with other machines is still a huge challenge as it is not fully automatic.

vi. The scale of production is not at maximum since it experiences delays courtesy of human laxity.

vii. The automatic nature of the machine increases the safety as it has sensors that can detect any malfunction.

· Parts of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler Machine

The main parts of the semi-automatic capsule filling machine include:

i. PLC control system

It is the unit that you will use to key in the filling parameters of the semi-automatic filling machine.

 PLC Control Unit

ii. Filling Auger

This part controls the filling speed of the machine as it fills the pellets and the powders.

Filling unit

iii. Powder Hopper

It has a special design that assists in the dismantling and loading pf powder or filling material.

iv. Loading system

It is an automatic system that loads the filling material and empty capsules to the right position before filling commences.

v. Caps and Body tray

The tray is in two parts which can automatically separate the caps from the body of the capsules.

vi. Pneumatic system

This is the air compression drive that assists in pushing the filler material into the empty capsules.

vii. Filling Table

 Filling table

The filling table speed varies infinitely that allowing for a more accurate dosing.

viii. Electrical unit

This unit provides the machine with enough power that it requires for most of its operations.

ix. Dosing Disk

The dosing disk automatically adjusts the filling amount of the semi-automatic filling machine.

x. Transport system

It consists of the conveyer and the guiding rails that guide the capsules on to the right channels.

xi. Capsule opener and closure system

This part allows for a faster and more accurate rate of opening and closing capsules for filling purposes.

· Working Principle of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filling Machine

To operate a semi-automatic capsule filling machine, you have to go through the following steps:

Step One: Loading the Raw Material

First, you will check the condition of the machine before commencing any work on the machine.

If everything is okay, you will load the empty capsules and the filler materials into their respective hoppers.

Power on the machine and let the process begin.

At the PLC control system, you will program and key in the filling parameters of the machine and allow it to proceed.

Step Two: Removing the Caps from the Body

The empty capsules will move from the capsule hopper through the delivery system.

At this point, the machine aligns the capsules at a proper angle in a capsule round capsule tray.

The capsule tray is in two parts, which can hold the body and the caps.

The bottom part holds the body in position while the upper part holds the caps.

One in the capsule tray, you will manually remove the upper part of the capsule tray.

This will separate the caps from the body.

You will manually place the caps tray strategically awaiting a replacement.

The body of the empty capsule remain exposed and moves round on a conveyor system to the loading zone.

Step Three: Loading or Filling the Empty Capsules

With the body of the capsules at the right angle for filling, the machine initiates the filling process.

The filling machine will automatically move above the tray with empty bodies of the capsule.

The tray will rotate as the filling machine fills the empty capsule bodies.

The filling speed and quantity of the filling machine are accurate and under the control of dosing disk and filling auger.

As soon as all the capsules are full, the filling machine automatically retrieves back to the original position.

The tray with the full capsules also stops rotating.

Step Four: Replacing the Caps back to the Body

At this point, you will bring back the caps tray and place it over the body tray.

It will conveniently replace the caps back to the body of the capsules thus forming a complete full capsule.

Place the whole tray with the full capsules into the compression zone.

Using your leg, step on the pneumatic clutch which will trigger the compression zone.

At the same time, the compression zone press and lock the caps and the body.

After that, it releases the full capsules from the trays for further processing including polishing, packaging, and storage.

Fully Automatic Capsule Filler Machine

A fully automatic capsule filler machine depends on multi-position tamping and indexing motion to automatically fill empty capsules.

The main types of fully automatic capsule filling machine include:

1) Dosator Capsule Filling Machine

A dosator capsule filler machine employs the dosator principle in filling hard gelatin capsules.

Dosator capsule filling machine

· Advantages of Dosator Capsule Filler

The major advantages of using the dosator filling machine include:

i. You can use the automatic dosator capsule filling machine in low weight filling of capsules.

ii. The performance and output of the machine is predictable thus reducing anxiety and anticipation in the filling process.

iii. It also guarantees a very high production output thus allowing you to use it for large scale production.

iv. You can easily automate and integrate the machine with the existing production system.

v. The filling process of the dosator capsule filling machine is easy to scale.

vi. The production control is high hence increasing the level of precision and accuracy.

vii. The automatic dosator capsule filling machine does not require additional personnel as all the functions are automatic.

viii. It comes complete with automatic sensors that will detect any malfunction and stop the machine from damage.

ix. You can easily adjust the parts of the filling parts of the dosator separately.

x. The machine allows for a size changeover in accordance to the programming

· Disadvantages of Dosator Capsule Filler Machine

The major disadvantages of the dosator capsule filling machine include:

i. The original cost of purchasing and installing the machine is high in comparison to other capsule filling machines.

ii. You need to go through training on basic principles of operating, maintaining and cleaning a dosator capsule filling machine.

iii. The size and weight of the dosator capsule filling machine limits the ability to move the machine to different places.

· Parts of Dosator Capsule Filling Machine

The main parts of the automatic dosator filling machine include:

Dosator type capsule filler

i. Electrical system

This is the main source of power that the dosator capsule filler machine needs in order to operate.

ii. Powder bed

The powder bed is the main storage area for the powder which is the filling material.

iii. Dosator Plunger

The dosator plunger assists in compacting and locking the fill material such as powder into the dosator cavity.

iv. PLC control system

This is the main part where you will key in the main programming parameters.

It comes complete with a touch screen that allows you to monitor all the operations of the dosator filling machine.

v. Dosator cavity

The dosator cavity is the space where the capsule filling material will flow before the filling process begins.

vi. Dosator Pins

The dosator pins suck powder into the dosator and ejects the powder into the empty capsule.

vii. Automatic Lubrication System

It greases the moving parts of the dosator filling machine to reduce friction

viii. Pneumatic system

This is the pressure system that enables the sucking and ejection of powder from the dosator.

ix. Automatic Sensors

The sensors will sound an alarm and warn you of any danger or malfunction in the process of capsule filling.

x. Transport system

Consists of conveyors complete with guiding rails that assist in the transportation of capsules from one place to another.

xi. Capsule trays

This is the part that will contain all the empty capsules before the filling process.

It also assists in the opening and closing of the empty capsules before and after the filling process.

· Working Principle of Dosator Type Capsule Filling Machine

There are quite a number of automatic dosator filling machines in the market due to:

i. Expertise and experience of manufacturers hence a higher ability to produce sophisticated machines.

ii. Nature or behavior of filler materials thus allowing the development of different types of automatic dosator filling machines.

Dosator capsule filling machine

Here is a step by step guide on how the automatic dosator machine works.

Step One: Powering the Dosator Filling Machine

Switching on the automatic dosator filling machine powers it to operation mode.

The dosator moves to the powder bed.

It forces the power to flow through and fill the cavity at the tip of dosator.

The size of the cavity of the machine depends on the dosator plunger.

Step Two: Filling the Dosator Cavity

The filling material, in this case powder will flow into the dosator cavity.

The dosator plunger will compress the powder into the dosator cavity creating space for more powder.

As the dosator plunger compresses the powder, it locks it leaving and forms a slug.

As soon as the dosator cavity is full, the dosator will move away from the powder bed with the filling material.

Dosator filling process

Step Three: Doctoring the Dosator Tip

At this point, you will make sure that the tip of the free dosator is free of the filling powder.

You can clean it to get rid of the excess powder at the tip of the dosator by doctoring the tip.

Step Four: Opening of the Empty Capsules

As the dosator fills up with the powder, the machine also loads the capsule trays with the empty capsules.

The capsule trays move the empty capsules all the way to filling station.

The machine removes the caps and sets the bodies of the capsules in position ready for filling.

It has a vacuum system that will assist in separating the caps from the body of empty capsules.

Step Five: Actual Filling Process

The dosator then rotates and changes the position of the dosator pins.

The pin with the powder comes to the side where the empty capsule is.

The empty dosator rotates at the same time and faces the direction of the powder bed.

The dosator moves the pins simultaneously and plunges one side close to the empty capsule and the other into the powder.

The tip directly above the open capsules and injects the powder into the body of the capsule.

As that continues, the other tip collects the powder from the powder bed and the process continuous.

Step Six: Automatic Closing of the Capsules

The machine moves the full body of the capsules to the unit where the caps are waiting.

Through a continuous motion of the rotary turret, the machine will automatically replace the capsule caps.

It replaces and locks the caps to the capsules in readiness for sorting and polishing.

After that, you are free to pack and store the capsules under perfect storage conditions.

2) Tamping Pin Capsule Filling Machine

This is an automatic capsule filling machine that assists in filling empty capsules through the tamping pin technology.

Tamping pin capsule filling machine

i. Parts of Tamping in Capsule Filling Machine

The automatic tamping pin machine consists of the following parts:

• Tamping Pins

The number of tamping pins may vary but most machines usually have five tamping pins.

These are the main parts that fill and compress the powder into the empty capsules.

Tamping pins

• Dosing Disc or Dosing Pan

It has several holes on the surface that regulate the speed with which the machine fills the empty capsules.

• Tamping Plate

It controls the process of filling the empty capsules by moving the holes from one tamping pin to the next.

• Powder Bed or powder hopper

The powder bed is the main part that contains the filling material such as filling powder.

It also has level sensors that will detect the predetermined level of the filling material.

It uses the screw feeding mechanism to feed a capsule filling system with the filling material.

• Pneumatic System

The pneumatic system pushes the filling material into the empty capsules through a compression air jet.

• Mechanical Drive System

The mechanical drive system creates rotary, linear, and oscillatory motion responsible for the movement within the machine.

It has mechanical motors that assist in the movement of the conveyor system through gears.

• Lubrication Unit

It lubrication pistons that grease the moving parts to prevent them from wear and tear thus increasing machine durability.

• Electrical System

The electrical system provides enough power to the automatic tamping capsule filling machine.

• Capsule Hopper with level sensors

The capsule hopper is the part of the machine where you will pour empty capsule before the filling process begins.

The hoper comes complete with level sensors which will ensure the amount of empty capsules are at predetermined levels.

• Capsule feeding Unit

The capsule feeding unit allows perfect empty capsules to move from the capsule hopper to the filling unit.

• Rotary Turret

The rotary turret will remain closed and is responsible for the orientation of the empty capsules before filling.

It moves the full capsule body to the blocks containing caps and allows the excess powder back to the hopper.

• Vacuum Unit

Acts as the main connection between powder hopper and powder loading port and capsule hopper to the capsule loading port.

It separates the cap of the empty capsules from the body of the capsules ensuring no damage on the capsules.

• Capsule Filling System

This part comes complete with filling funnels and level sensors that will accurately fill the right quantity of powder.

Capsule filling system

It is responsible for releasing and cutting the supply of filling material in the capsule filling machine.

• PLC Control System complete with a touch screen

This is the main control unit of the machine where you will program the machine accordingly.

The touchscreen gives you a platform which you will muse in monitoring the operations of the machine.

• Automatic loading devices

The machine has two automatic loading devices for capsules and powder that will automatically fill the capsule and powder hopper.

• Interlock Safety Door

The safety door increases the safety of the machine as it can automatically stop when you open the doors.

It has a connection to the protection switch and ensures that nobody can have access to the moving parts.

ii. Benefits of Tamping in Capsule Filler Machine

The benefits that you will enjoy from using the tamping pin capsule filler machine include:

• The machines are simple and easy to operate, clean and maintain at very low costs.
• It has adjustable and flexible settings that will improve the levels of capsule filling and production.
• Most parts of the machine are enclosed tightly thus preventing the entry of dust and other foreign materials.
• Since the filling process is automatic, the machine saves time and energy through a fast filling process.
• The machine also comes with automatic sensors that will warn you of any imminent danger in the machine operations.

The sensors will also assist in the predetermination of the filling levels in different hoppers.

• It has different parts that will maintain the integrity of the capsules leading to minimal or no damages on capsules.
• The filling process is precise and accurate leading to proper filling levels of all the capsules.
• You can easily integrate the machine properly with other machines for a complete encapsulation process.
• The machine is also compliant to the right quality standards such as CE and cGMP that ensures high quality standards.

iii. Drawback of Tamping Pin Capsule Filling Machine

The disadvantages that you will experience by using the tamping pin capsule filling machine include:

• The machine is expensive and will cost you a lot of money in the initial stages of purchasing and installation.
• You need to create enough floor space that will fit the machine since it is big and covers a lot of space.
• The weight and size of the machine also limits you from moving it from one place to another.
• You cannot use the machine in filling other forms of filling materials such as liquids, semisolids, and suspensions.

iv. Working Principle of Tamping Capsule Filler

Basically, the working principles of an automatic tamping pin capsule filler machine depend on the following steps:

Step One: Refraction of the Capsule for Proper Orientation

First, you will load the empty capsules into the tamping pin capsule hopper using the automatic loading device.

At the same time, you will add the powder into the powder bed through the automatic loading device for powders.

After a thorough inspection of the machine to ensure it works perfectly, you will power it on.

At this stage, the main process involves proper refraction of the capsules to orient them perfectly in readiness for filling.

The process begins with the empty capsules moving from the capsule hopper through the vacuum system.

Step Two: Opening the Empty Capsules

The vacuum system is also responsible for separating the caps from the body of the empty capsules.

Since the empty capsules are in the right angle from the automatic orientation, it moves to the filling stage.

The caps will move to a different location where they will await completion of the filling process of the body.

Step Three: Actual Filling Process of the Empty Capsules

Once at the filling station, the dosing disc begins rotating continuously in a circular manner depending on the set speed.

The dosing plate rotates under the powder hopper and allows the powder to flow directly into every hole.

The tamping pins then compress and compacts the powder into the hole creating more space in the hole.

After that, the hole rotates and more powder flows into the hole and a second tamping pin compresses it.

The process continues with further filling and tamping until the hole reaches the last tamping number five.

The machine will then release the compact powder through the dosing plate and into the body of the empty capsule.

To ensure the filling process is consistent and smooth, the machine has to scrap off the excess powder.

After that, the body of the capsules are now full and it moves to the next stage.

Step Four: Covering or Sealing the Capsules

At this point, the rotary turret will move the full body of the capsules to the block that contains the capsule caps.

The rotary turret also ensures that the excess pellets and powders move back to the filling material hopper.

The machine employs a continuous motion in closing action of the capsules where it places the caps on the body.

Step Five: Ejecting the Full Capsules

Once the capsules are complete with the body, filling material (powder) and caps in place the machine automatically ejects.

It can either go through the capsule polishing machine with a sorter and metal detectors.

At this stage, the machine will sort the capsules out and eliminate the capsules with any form of defect.

As you can see, the working principle of tamping pin capsule filling machine is not that complicated.

The defect can be in the form of weight, size, broken capsules or any other undesired capsules in the system.

At the same time, the polishing machine will polish the capsules and ensure that they are in perfect condition.

You can pack the capsules appropriately and store them in readiness for distribution.

3) Softgel Capsule Filler Machine

This is an electromechanical device that you can use in the hermetic filling of soft gelatin shells with different materials.

The filling materials in Softgel encapsulation machinecan either be in a semisolid, suspension or liquid state.

Softgel Encapsulation Machine

· Advantages of Softgel Encapsulation Machine

You should use the Softgel encapsulation machine because of the following advantages:

i. It produces Softgel capsules that are easy to swallow especially for the people who find difficulty in swallowing tablets.

ii. The machine will ensure that active ingredients within the Softgel capsules are stable and therefore increasing the shelf life.

iii. It creates a hermetic seal that is airtight, waterproof and free from external environmental influences.

iv. It is the only machine that can fill capsules with semisolid, liquid or suspension filling materials.

v. The machine can produce different capsule sizes with different flexible shapes.

vi. It also guarantees efficiency and accuracy in the dosing of soft gelatin capsules.

vii. You have the freedom of having a custom encapsulation machine and also integrate it with other machines.

viii. You will not need extra personnel to assist in the encapsulation process as the machines are fully automatic.

ix. The encapsulation rate is very high therefore making the machine suitable for large scale production.

· Disadvantages of Softgel Encapsulation Machine

The demerits of using the soft gelatin encapsulation machine include:

i. The machine limits you to filling special types of filling materials such as liquids, semisolids, and suspensions.

ii. The cost of purchasing the machine is high and you will have to pay higher for its installation.

iii. The machine is not portable and once you install it, moving it around becomes a great challenge.

· Parts of Softgel Encapsulation Equipment

The soft gelatin encapsulation machine consists of the following parts:

Parts of Softgel encapsulation machine

• Medicine hopper or the Product Material tank

This is a stainless steel container that holds the filling material that you wish to encapsulate in a Softgel capsule.

It should have a proper design that will allow the filling materials to seamlessly flow into the material feeding pump.

• Material Feeding Pump

The material feeding pump sucks the filling material from the medicine hopper and injects it into the injection wedge.

It is directly below the product material tank and above the injection wedge thus making the process smooth and efficient.

• Injection Wedge

The injection wedge heats the web while injecting the filling material to the web as it moves to the die cavity.

The injection wedge may have special features depending on the type of machine.

Some of the unique features you may find on an injection wedge include:

i. Water or electric heating system

ii. Sensors that coordinate the motion of the injection wedge.

iii. Shut off valve systems that will close the web tube

iv. Ability to move up and down

• Gelatin Melting and Mixing Tank

This is a stainless steel tank where you will mix and heat all the gelatin ingredients to a suitable temperature.

It consists of triple wall jackets, clamps, and steel valves that assist in the process of gelatin preparation.

In the process of looking for a good gelatin melting and mixing tank, you should consider the following:

i. Types of material for the tank such as stainless steel

ii. Power rating of the tank

iii. Dimensions in terms of weight and size

iv. Capacity of the tank

v. The working temperatures of the tank

vi. Gelatin Spreader Box

This is the place where the machine holds molten gelatin and spreads it into a thin film.

Most of the machine have two spreader boxes on the right and the left side of the machine.

• Cooling Drum

In a Softgel encapsulation machine, you will find two cooling drums with one on the right and the left side.

Cooling drums are in constant motion in the direction of the web as it cools and solidifies the gelatin web.

There are three main cooling mechanisms that the cooling drum adopts and they include:

i. Cooling fans that help in curing the gelatin web in readiness for encapsulation.

ii. Cool water rotating within the system and cools the web

iii. Refrigeration system to maintain the temperatures of the gelatin skin wheel.

You should consider the weight and dimensions, refrigeration capacity and power consumption in choosing a suitable cooling drum.

• Lubrication System

The lubrication system consists of oil rolls and at least three lubrication rollers.

The rollers will ensure that the ribbon is tight enough when it reaches the tooling system.

Apart from that, the lubrication rollers apply lubricants on both sides of the web to protect it from breaking.

• Tooling System

The tooling system consists of two die rollers to assist in the encapsulation process of the soft gelatin capsules.

Apart from that, there are other processes that take place in the tooling system including:

i. Shaping of capsules

ii. Continuous feeding of the gelatin ribbons and subsequent filling

iii. Hermetical sealing of the full capsules

iv. Cutting of the capsules from the soft gelatin ribbon.

The tooling system also contains the stripper rollers and die roll brushes.

The stripper rollers will remove any capsules that may stick on the soft gelatin web.

The die roll brushes removes any of the capsules that may get stuck on the die rolls.

• Discharge Chute

The complete gelatin capsules leave the encapsulation machine through the discharge chute on to a conveyor belt.

• Conveyor belt

The conveyor belt moves the capsules from the encapsulation stage to other stations for further processing.

• Control Panel

You will engage this unit to assist in the programming, controlling and monitoring of the encapsulation process.

• Drying System

The system consists of a tumble dryer and drying trays which assist in removing excess moisture from the capsules.

· How to Fill Softgel Capsule with Encapsulation Machine

The soft gelatin encapsulation process follows the following steps:

Step One: Preparation of Gelatin

First, you need to have the right gelatin formulation which usually consists of gelatin, plasticizers, opacifiers and water.

The gelatin forms the main shell of the capsule and it has to be strong with the right formulations.

Mix all the ingredients in the melting tank for thorough blending, heating and stirring to form a thick syrup.

The thick syrup then flows through the spreader box, cooling drum, and die roller system.

In each of these stages, the machine will work in accordance with the programming parameters from the control unit.

Step Two: Preparation of the Filling Material

The filling material can either be in the form of a liquid, suspension or a semisolid.

It can take the form of an oil base depending on the capsule requirements.

In this process, you may need to use a hammer mill, fluid bed dryers or granulators and a processing tank.

Mix all the ingredients in the processing tank and thoroughly heat and stir to form a homogenous filling material.

The filling material will then flow to the injection wedge from the filling material hopper.

Step Three: Actual Soft Gelatin Encapsulation Process

This is the stage where the soft gelatin and the filling material come together.

The two soft gelatin ribbons move to the rotating die roller system and create a very unique capsule shape.

As that continues, the machine also feeds the gelatin ribbons with the filling material within the die rolls.

The gelatin ribbon encapsulates the filling material and forms a complete capsule.

The shape of the capsules will depend on the die roll cavities.

After that, the machine will cut the soft gelatin capsules into individual pieces.

The brush and the stripper rolls remove the capsules that may stick on the die rolls and gelatin web respectively.

The capsules will then move from the machine through the discharge chute on a conveyor belt for further processing.

Step Four: Further Processing

The Softgel capsules will go through the process of drying, cleaning, and sorting.

First, the conveyor belt moves the soft gelatin capsules to the tumble dryer.

After that, you will load the soft gelatin capsule on tumble trays and straight to the drying tunnels.

You will allow them to stay for a while depending on the drying parameters.

After which you will move the dry soft gelatin capsules to the sorting machine to check on the capsule quality.

The machine will automatically reject capsules with defects and allow the perfect capsules to proceed tp packaging and storage.

Capsule Filler Quality Verification and Compliance

All capsule filling machines should adhere to particular quality standards to guarantee optimal performance and safety of the machine.

Whenever you are shopping for a capsule filling machine, it has to conform to the following quality standards.

Automatic capsule filling machine

· cGMP Quality Standards Compliance

cGMP quality compliance dictates that all the materials in use for making capsule filling machines have to have high quality.

This is the reason why most of the capsule filling machines have stainless steel as the main manufacturing material.

cGMP also ensures that the capsule filling machines are:

• Hygienic with a lot of ease in cleaning and maintenance.
• Good dust handling capability thus reducing the possibility of environmental pollution.
• Features modern safety considerations
• All the materials for the joints, parts and main structure are compliant to the FDA regulations

i. Environmental Compliance Regulations

The machine has to adhere to all the environmental regulations such as:

• Producing low noise during the capsule filling process.
• Cost effective and stable cooling system
• Low amount of waste that would otherwise pollute the environment and increase the cost of production.

To ensure that the capsule filling machine is of the right quality, you can take it through a validation process.

The validation process of equipment goes through:

· Design Qualification

There has to be a document that proves that the design of the machine adheres to manufacturing quality standards.

· Installation Qualification

The installation process has to go through a documented procedure and adhere to manufacturers recommendations.

· Operation Qualification

You will look at a document that will verify the system or equipment performance within a particular target range.

· Performance Qualification

You need to have a documented verification that the system operates under particular routine production conditions.

You need to make sure that the operation is reliable, reproducible, and in a state of control.

Apart from these, whenever you are buying capsule filler machine, it is important to consider the following:

• Factory acceptable test capsule filler machine (FAT capsule filler machine)
• Capsule filler user requirement specification (Capsule filler URS)

Conclusion

It is very important to have a complete plan on why you want to purchase a capsule filler machine.

This includes type of capsule filler machine that you need, mode of operation and the budget you are working on.

With that in mind, I guarantee you will have the best experience handling capsule filling machines with the best results.

For any inquiries about capsule filler machine, contact us today for free consultations.

Capsule Filler: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

1. What is Capsule Filler?

A capsule filler is a mechanical device that you can use for pharmaceutical or industrial applications of filling empty capsules.

2. What is Capsule Filler Machine used for?

You can use a capsule filler to perform the following purposes:

• To fill hard and soft gelatin capsules of different sizes with granules, powders, liquids or semi-solid substances.
• Opening and closing the hard gelatin capsules.
• Sealing the soft gelatin capsules through the process of encapsulation.

3. Capsule Filler Equipment is made from which Material?

Capsule filler equipment are made of different materials depending on the type of capsule filling machine.

There are two main types of capsule filler machine which include manual capsule filler and automatic capsule filler.

The main material that you can use in making the manual capsule filler machine is plastic.

The automatic capsule filler is, however, made out of stainless steel.

Capsule filler

4. Which Types of Capsules are there?

There are two main types of capsule filler machine.

This includes the manual capsule filler machine and the automatic capsule filler machine.

Under these categories you will realize that there are other types of capsule filler machines.

There are two main types of automatic capsule filler machines which include:

• Soft gelatin capsule filling machine
• Hard gelatin capsule filler machine

Softgel encapsulation machine

 Hard gelatin capsule filling machine

Looking further into the working principles, you will realize that the hard gelatin capsule filler machines are of different types.

The two main types of hard gelatin capsule fillers include:

• Tamping pin capsule filling machine
• Dosator capsule filling machine

Apart from that, we have the semi-automatic capsule filler.

The machine will require you to perform some of the function while the others are automatic.

5. What are the Main Parts of Capsule Filler Machine?

Parts of capsule filling machine varies according to machine type and design.

In this case, you will learn about the parts of the soft gelatin capsule filler and the hard gelatin capsule filler.

Parts of Softgel Capsule Filler Machine

 Parts of Softgel encapsulation machine

The main parts of the soft gelatin capsule filler machine include:

· Hopper or Material Tank

This is a stainless steel container that will hold the filling material that you intend to put in a soft gelatin.

· Materials Pump

The material pump will suck the filling materials from the material tank and direct to the injection wedge.

It has a return pipe that allows the excess filling materials to flow back into the material tank or hopper.

· Injection Wedge

This part is responsible for heating soft gelatin or web and injection of the fill materials.

It consists of sensors that regulate temperature, coordinate motion, and shut off or open valves.

· Gelatin Melting Tank

This is the place where you will mix all the ingredients that you need to make the soft gelatin capsule.

It will not only mix, but heat and melt the ingredients to make the type of mixture that you desire.

· Spreader Box

This part is responsible for spreading the gelatin that has been molten from the gelatin melting tank to form thin films.

· Cooling Drum

The cooling drum will cool the gelatin web as it awaits to go through the encapsulation process.

It is in rotating motion.

Normally, it is in the direction in which the gelatin web moves.

· Lubrication Rollers

The lubrication rollers are responsible for tightening the web of gelatin by applying lubricant oil on both sides of the web.

· Tooling System

You can identify the tooling system as the heart of the Softgel encapsulation machine.

It has two die rollers which rotate at constant speed.

Apart from that, it has die cavities in the shape of the soft gelatin capsule that you intend to make.

It is available in different custom designs that will fit your encapsulation requirements.

· Discharge Chute

This is the part of the machine that will receive all the soft gelatin capsules after the process of encapsulation.

It will guide the soft gelatin capsules out of the encapsulation machine for further processes.

· Mangle Rollers

The mangle rollers are responsible for pulling the soft gelatin web from the main tooling system of the machine.

· Control Panel

This is a touchscreen human machine interface panel or system for controlling and monitoring different functions of the machine.

· Drying Systems

The drying system is responsible for eliminating excess moisture from the soft gelatin capsules.

Parts of Hard Gelatin Capsule Filler Machine

The main parts of the hard gelatin capsule filler machine include:

Hard gelatin capsule filling machine

· Control Panel

This a touchscreen human machine interface where you will control all the necessary parameters of filling the hard gelatin capsules.

Most of the control panels are PLC systems.

· Vacuum Loader

The pair of vacuum loaders on the side of the capsules and the side of the filling material (powder).

It makes sure that the capsules and the powder enter the right powder without interruptions.

· Electrical Components Cabinet

It consists of pneumatic, electrical and mechanical parts that work together to drive the operations of the machine.

The cabinet protects the electrical system and the other parts from interference of external factors such as dust.

· Capsule Loading Ports

This is the main capsule feeding system that will hold the capsules in preparation for the filling process.

It ensures that the capsules remain intact during the process of feeding them into the machine for filling.

It consists of a sensor that will control all the operations including blocking of damaged capsules.

It also orients the capsules in the right position in preparation for filling.

· Pellets Loading Ports

This is the part that will load the filling materials which can either be powder or pellets into the empty capsules.

It also has the filling system that will fill the filling materials precisely into the hard gelatin capsules.

· Tooling Systems

The type of tooling system will depend on the type of hard gelatin capsule filler machine that you are using.

Despite the type of hard gelatin capsule filler machine, here are the main components of the tooling system.

i. Dosing Disc that controls the weight and dosing of the filling materials.

ii. Turret which is responsible for transporting capsules through different dosing stations.

iii. Turn Table that prevents the entry of dust into the mechanical parts of the hard gelatin capsule fillers.

6. What Formulations can you Fill in Capsules?

In principle, you can fill any form of formulation in a capsule but that will depend on the type of capsule.

In case of hard gelatin capsules, you will be able to fill the following formulations:

• Blends of different granules
• Coated Pellets
• Powder forms of formulations
• Liquids provided the capsule is gelatin or has a plasticizer

Apart from that, you can enclose other dosage forms such as tablets,smaller capsules, micro-tablets, and different combinations of these forms

On the other hand, you can fill soft gelatin capsules using liquids and semi-solid substances such as emulsions.

The capsule must not be soluble to the filling liquid in case you are filling the capsule with liquids.

In other cases, you can find capsules with non-aqueous solutions and thermosetting formulations.

You should avoid filling materials with reactive aldehydes as that may lead to a cross-linking effect.

7. Which Industries use Capsule Filling Machine?

You can use the capsule filler machine in different industries such as:

• Chemical industry for filling different types of chemicals in capsules
• Pharmaceutical industry for filling different medication formulations into capsules.
• Cosmetics Industry for filling different cosmetic formulations into different sizes of capsules.
• Food Industry for filling food supplements and rations into capsules
• Animal food industry

8. Capsule Filler Machine Must Conform to which Quality Standards?

Whenever you are purchasing a capsule filler machine you have to make sure that it conforms to the following standards:

• CE quality standards
• Current Good manufacturing practices (cGMP) quality Standards
• ISO certification quality standards

Apart from that, you have to make sure that you adhere to the right quality standards in the filling process.

The quality standards certification requirements that you have to adhere to include:

• Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) requirements
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including the vegetarian society requirements
• International Standards Organization (ISO) requirements
• United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)
• European Pharmacopoeia (PhEur)
• Japanese Pharmacopoeia

9. What Affects Efficiency of Capsule Filling Process?

There are different factors that can affect the efficiency of your capsule filling process.

The main factors include:

· Type of Machine

The type of machine in terms level of automation will affect the efficiency of the machine.

Manual capsule filling machine are slower in comparison to the automatic capsule filler machines.

Apart from that, manual capsule filling machine require more man power than that of automatic capsule filler machines.

· Dimensions of the Capsule

Dimensions in this case revolves around the size of the capsules and the weight of the capsule.

The bigger and heavier the capsule, the higher the rate of work for the capsule filler machine.

This will affect the efficiency of the process as it will take more time to fill the larger sizes of capsules.

· Level of Maintenance

If you maintain a machine well, it will be more efficient in the filling process as it will reduce the machine down time.

A machine that undergoes poor maintenance is inefficient as it is prone to damages that increases the machine down time.

· Working Environment

You should use the machine in a proper environment that keeps it away from possible damages.

This will increase the efficiency of the machine as it will reduce damages on the machine hence less downtime.

· Speed of the Machine

Automatic capsule fillers tend to be more efficient as they can fill numerous tablets in a short time.

The slower the machine, the less efficient the machine will be.

· Types of Formulations

You may enclose different types of formulations within the capsule.

The type of formulation to fill will affect the efficiency in terms of speed of filling the formulations.

· Density and Size of the Filler

Denser and bigger fillers pose a greater challenge in the filling process thus reducing the efficiency of the filling process.

10. What is Softgel Capsule Filling Machine?

A Softgel capsule filling machine is an automatic machine that you can use in filling different formulations into Softgel capsules.

In most cases, you will fill the soft gelatin capsules with liquid or semi-liquid substances.

11. How do Softgel Encapsulation Equipment compare to Standard Capsule Fillers?

Softgel encapsulation equipment are automatic capsule fillers in comparison to the standard capsule fillers which are manual.

You can use the Softgel encapsulation machine in the encapsulation of soft gel capsules which is not possible on standard capsule fillers.

Standard capsule fillers are capable of filling hard gelatin capsules.

You will need electrical system to assist in the operation of the Softgel encapsulation machine.

Standard capsule fillers, on the other hand, will depend on human power to assist in most of the operations.

Using standard capsule fillers is more time consuming but the machine is cheaper in comparison to the Softgel encapsulation machine.

12. How do you Fill Softgel Capsules?

The working principle of soft gelatin encapsulation machine goes through the following guidelines.

The process basically involves preparation of gelatin, preparation of fill materials and the actual encapsulation process.

After that, you will pass the soft gelatin capsules through other processes such as drying, polishing, and printing.

 Softgel encapsulation process

Step One: Preparation Stage

First you will collect all the ingredients for making gelatin and mix them in the gelatin melting tank.

As soon as you power the machine on, the gelatin mixing tank will heat and mix the ingredients thoroughly.

It will form a uniform mixture of molten gelatin or molten syrup.

You will then allow the syrup to flow to the spreader box which will spread the syrup on the cooling drum.

The cooling drum will cool the hot syrup and lead to the formation of a flat syrup you can refer to as a ribbon.

At the same time, you will prepare the filling material and pour the filling material into the hopper or material tank.

As soon as the gelatin and the filling materials are ready, the machine will begin the process of encapsulation.

Step Two: Actual Encapsulation Process

At this stage, the machine will push the ribbon through tooling system.

As that continues, the lubrication system will apply lubricant oil on both sides of the ribbon and tighten the ribbon.

You should note that ate very point, there will be two ribbons coming from opposite sides.

As that happens, the fill material will move from the hopper into the injection wedge.

It will go through tubes with the help of a force from the injection pump.

The two rollers will, therefore, feed the gelatin ribbons into the die system.

The ribbon from the left and the ribbon from the right will meet at the rotating die system.

The injection wedge will release the filling material at the same time and meet the ribbons at one particular place.

As the two dies rotate, it will cut and then hermetically seal the gelatin ribbons thus forming Softgel capsules.

Step Three: Further Processing

After the encapsulation process, you have to pass the soft gelatin capsules through other processes.

This includes:

i. Drying the soft gelatin capsules to remove excess moisture from the capsules.

ii. Sorting the capsules to eliminate the ones that have defects.

iii. Printing the capsules for easy identification

iv. Polishing the capsules to remove any form of impurity that may remain on the surface of the capsules.

13. How does Hard Gelatin Capsule Filler compare to Softgel Encapsulation Machine?

Hard gelatin capsule fillers and Softgel encapsulation machines are both automatic machines.

You will notice the difference between the two machines through the working principles and the fill materials.

In Softgel encapsulation process, the machine usually makes the outer shell and fills it at the same time.

Hard gelatin capsules, on the other hand, will depend on empty capsules that had previously been made.

The main filling material in Softgel encapsulation machine can either be a liquid or a semi-liquid.

Hard gelatin encapsulation machine can fill powders, pellets, granules and on very rare occasions liquids or semi-liquids.

The Softgel encapsulation machine depends on one particular working principle in filling the soft gelatin capsules.

Hard gelatin capsules are of two types which have two separate working principles.

14. What is Manual Capsule Filler?

A manual capsule filling machine is an encapsulation machine that depends heavily on the assistance of human labor.

It consists of a number of holes which hold the capsules during the process of filling.

Most of the operations of the manual capsule filler require human assistance to complete successfully.

15. How does Manual Capsule Filling Machine work?

In case you need to fill capsules manually, you will go through the following steps:

Step One: Preparation Stage

First, you need to collect all the necessary equipment and ingredients that you will need for the process.

Some of the things that you will need include a manual capsule filler, empty capsules and the filling formulations.

At the same time, you need to choose the size of empty capsules you need for the project.

In many cases, size 0 is the best and most common sizeas it holds the standard amount of filler at 500 mg.

You should choose the manual capsule filling machine depending on the size of the capsule that you intend to fill.

Step Two: Putting Capsules in the Manual Capsule Filler

At this point, you will place the cap sheet of the machine on a flat surface and then place a capsule filler sheet on it.

To fix it in the right place, you will need a stainless steel screw.

After that, you will pour the right number of capsule tops on the encapsulation sheet.

You should consider pouring capsule tops that are slightly more than the number of holes on the manual capsule filler.

Shake the capsule filler machine slightly to ensure that the capsule fit into the holes.

Remember to cover the gaps in the encapsulation sheets that will prevent the capsule tops from falling off.

Remove the excess capsules before removing the encapsulation sheet.

After that, you will place the cap sheet aside and then repeat the same procedure for the bottom sheet.

Step Three: Filling the Empty Capsules with Filling Material

You will pour the filling material over the holes that contain the empty capsules after removing the caps.

Spread the filler into the bottom of each capsule using the plastic cards that comes with the manual capsule filler.

Compact the fillers using the tamper that comes with the manual capsule filler.

Repeat the filling process after tampering to fill the right amount of filling material into the capsule.

Step Four: Covering the Capsules

First, you need to place the middle sheet of the manual capsule filler on the filled capsule sheet.

Remember to secure it with stainless steel screw pins to avoid unnecessary movement of the capsules.

After that, you turn the cap sheet carefully before fixing it to the bottom section.

As soon as the caps are in place, you will press the top of the manual capsule filler to secure the caps in place.

Remove the top of the manual capsule filler and then remove the finished capsule.

16. What are the Benefits of Manual Capsule Filler?

You will realize the following benefits by using the manual capsule filler machine.

• It has a very simple design and is easy operate
• It is very hygienic as the type of material it uses meets the current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) requirements.
• The machine is more precise and accurate since the features reduces the wastage of powder.
• It is strong and durable because it uses proper materials such as stainless steel.
• It is cost efficient especially if you are producing on a lower scale.

17. Are there Drawbacks of Manual Capsule Filling Machine?

Yes, there are drawbacks of manual capsule filling machines.

Some of the drawbacks of manual capsule filling machine include:

• The manual capsule filling machine is slow and you cannot use it to produce at a large scale.
• Manual capsule filling machine requires a lot of man power so you have to do a lot of things on your own.
• Apart from that, there is a possibility of causing injury to the operator during the filling process of the capsules.
• It also tends to allow a lot of room for human error thus reducing the accuracy of the machine.
• Using the manual capsule filler consumes a lot of time and you will end up tired at the end of the day.

18. How does Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler compare to Fully Automatic Capsule Filling Machine?

Fully automatic capsule filling machine depends on a fully automatic system where all the operations are automatic.

In this case all you have to do is program the machine and monitor the operations of the machine from the control panel.

The semi-automatic capsule filling machine depends on an automatic system and human assistance.

You will need to do part of the work on your own and let the machine do the rest.

Apart from that, a fully automatic capsule filler works at a higher speed in comparison to the semi-automatic capsule filler.

19. How does Semi-Automatic Capsule Filling Machine Work?

A semi-automatic capsule filling machine works by going through the following steps.

Step One: Loading Capsule into the Hopper

First you need to make sure that the machine is clean and in proper working conditions.

After that you will collect the empty capsules and pour them into the hopper of the semi-automatic capsule fillers.

The hoppers have the capacity of taking any size of capsule ranging from 00 to 5.

At the same time, you will load filling material preferably powder into another hopper or the filling material hopper.

The material tank or hopper is a hopper driven by a corkscrew and allows a constant fill of every capsule.

Step Two: Filling Capsules into Loading Ring

You will make use of a vacuum sucker that will sort out and fill the empty capsules individually into the loading rings.

The loading rings can accommodate empty capsules of size 00 to 5 depending on the size you intend to fill.

The loading rings will hold the empty capsules in place and allow you to remove the caps.

You will use the same vacuum to assist in removing the caps off the empty capsules.

After that, you will release the body of the capsules from the loading rings and they will fall into the filling part.

Step Three: Actual Filling Process

Once the loading rings are in the filling position together with the body of the capsules, begin the filling process.

Turn on the machine so that it can fill the filling materials into the empty capsules.

The filler will slide across the empty capsules as it releases the filling material.

At the same time, the capsules will rotate below it as they receive the filling materials.

The corkscrew will force the filling material into the empty capsules ensuring that all capsules are of equal weight and size.

Step Four: Covering the Filled Capsules

You will place the two loading rings together and then place it into the sealing section of the capsule filler machine.

After proper alignment, you will close the guard and use air pressure in sealing the capsules.

After that, you will release the completely filled capsules from the rings for further processing.

20. Are there Disadvantages of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler Machine?

Yes, there are disadvantages of the Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler Machines.

The drawbacks include:

• It requires a lot of manpower to assist in the capsule filling process in comparison to automatic capsule filler machines.
• It has a limited capacity of production of about 15,000 capsules per hour which offers no room for improvement.
• The machine is costly in comparison to the manual capsule filler machine
• You will have a hard time dismantling some of the parts for routine maintenance.
• It is heavier and bigger in size thus making its portability a huge challenge in comparison to manual capsule fillers.
• Since it is not fully automatic, you will have a great challenge when it comes to integration with other machines.
• It cannot have maximum production scale due to laxity that you will experience due to human interventions.

21. What are the Benefits of Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler?

Semi-automatic capsule filling machine

The benefits that you will experience by using the Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler include:

• Since it is not fully automatic, it does not have a lot of technical specifications thus more affordable cost.
• It is small in size thus increasing its portability and it also covers a small area during installation process.
• The material requirement of the machine is low during the filling process.
• It can effectively fill any type of filling materials including powders and filling materials.
• It consumes very little energy and produces low noise.
• It is easy to operate and maintain the semi-automatic capsule filler machine.

22. What is the Advantages of Fully Automatic Capsule Filler?

A fully automatic capsule filler machine has the following advantages:

• Fully automatic capsule fillet machines comply fully to the quality standards such as CE and cGMP quality standards.
• The machine will guarantee a precise and accurate dosing of the empty capsules that uses % stage tamping technology.
• It has an unlimited capsule filling capabilities such as ability to fill different types of products at high speed.
• Fully automatic capsule filler machines have a simple user interface making it simple and easy to operate.
• The design of the fully automatic capsule filler machine ensures low cost of maintenance and less demanding maintenance operations.
• The machine has a flexible or adaptable setting system that you can adjust to fit the filling requirements.
• You can be sure of safety whenever you use a fully automatic capsule filler machine.

It has sensors that will ensure that the machine automatically stops in case of a problem with the machine.

• The machine features more advanced form of technology that will ensure efficiency and reliability.
• It has proper data security system that will guarantee you a return for the money you will spend on purchasing the machine.

23. What is the difference between Dosator Capsule Filler and Tamping Pin Capsule Filler?

Most pharmaceutical capsule fillers are based on the dosator or thumping pin principle of operation.

You may have problems deciding on the type of machine that you need.

It is, therefore, important to understand the similarities and differences in the two capsule filler.

The similarities between the dosator capsule filler and the tamping pin capsule filler are:

• In both tamping pin and dosator capsule filler, the filling material or powder has to change into slug.

Bothe machines have pistons that exert enough pressure on the powder or filling material turning it into slug.

• You can be sure of high and accurate rates of production since both machines have automatic capsule filling capabilities.
• You can use both tamping and dosator capsule fillers to fill capsules with filling materials such as pellets and powders.
• The machines have the capability of adjusting depending on the type of capsule size it is filling.

Both machines are, therefore, capable of filling different sizes of capsules.

The major differences between the tamping pin and dosator capsule fillers include:

• You can use the dosator machine for micro-dosing of capsules in powder filling applications

It comes in handy when you want to fill very small capsules such as that of the dry powder inhalers.

You cannot perform the function with any other type of machine except the dosator capsule filler.

• The tamping pin technology is only important for the automatic capsule fillers

The system will guarantee a high level of accuracy thus more preferable in making automatic capsule fillers.

• Both machines have different working principles in the process of filling different types of capsules.

The tamping pin capsule fillers have several pins and a dosing disc with several holes on the surface.

The dosator capsule filler has one dosator and one pin and small holes on the tip of the dosator.

24. Are there Disadvantages of Fully Automatic Capsule Filler Machine?

Yes, there are disadvantages of the fully automatic capsule filler machine.

The main ones include:

• Fully automatic capsule filler machines require a high amount of capital for the initial purchase and installation.

You will need to spend a lot of money to design, fabricate, transport and finally install the machine.

• You will have to spend more on the maintenance of the machine in comparison to a manual capsule filler.
• It provides a low degree of flexibility in terms of possible products in comparison to the manual capsule filler.
• It is prone to failure in case of any problem thus derailing the whole process of production.

It is not foolproof and you have to take care of the machine by maintaining the parts and carefully programming it.

• You might need to go through proper training before operating the machine which increases the initial cost of the machine.

25. SaintyCo offers which Support Equipment for Capsule Filling Industry?

Support equipment are the devices that you will need to prepare the material in readiness for capsule filling.

You will also need the support equipment to assist you in the processing of capsules after filling.

The support equipment that you will need for the capsule filling industry include:

• Accessories for Preparation of Materials Ready for Encapsulation

Some of the machine that you will need to prepare materials in readiness for encapsulation include:

i. High Shear Granulator Mixer Machine

You will need this machine to assist in granulating, mixing, humidifying and homogenizing of materials.

This the machine that prepares the materials that you will need in the filling process.

ii. Hammer mill

You will need the hammer mill to help in grinding, crushing, shredding, milling and pulverizing materials in readiness for encapsulation.

iii. Vibro Sifter

You will use the vibro sifter to assist in grading of the materials before the actual process of encapsulation.

iv. Bins and Drums

You will use the bins and drums for storage or mixing purposes.

v. Fluid Bed Processors

This includes different types of machines such as fluid bed granulators and fluid bed dryers.

You will use these machine to dry, coat, and mix different materials without exerting shear force on individual particles.

• Equipment for Capsule Processing after filling process

The support equipment that you will need after filling the capsules include:

i. Drying Systems

The main drying materials that you can use include the drying trays and the tumble dryers.

You will need the drying systems to assist in the elimination of excess moisture from the capsules.

ii. Capsule Sorting Machine

You will need the machine to remove the capsules that do not meet the right standards.

iii. Capsule Polishing Machine

The capsule polishing machine will assist you in cleaning and removing the materials on the surface of the capsules.

iv. Capsule Printing Machine

You will use the capsule printing machine to give the capsules a unique identity for proper identification purposes.

v. Capsule Packaging Machine

The capsule packaging machine will assist you in the process of packing the capsules into various packages.

26. Why should you buy SaintyCo Capsule Fillers?

You should consider buying SaintyCo capsule fillers because of the following reasons:

 Capsule filling process

· Compact Design

It has a stainless steel frame with a compact design that will guarantee a safe and exemplary performance.

The stainless steel keeps the machine free of corrosion thus increasing the life span of the machine.

The compact design also makes it dependable, adaptable and reliable.

· Quiet Operations

The design of SaintyCo capsule fillers guarantees quiet operations due to different innovations and technological advancements.

For instance, SaintyCo replaced the hydraulic rod with a new unique rotation mechanism

· Guarantees Safety

It has an interlocking system that will ensure that the technicians operating the machines are safe.

It has a protection switch that will automatically switch off once the door of the encapsulater is open.

· Ensures Accuracy and Precision

It has an advanced capsule and powder feeding design that will guarantee an accurate and precise operation.

It reduces the probability of wasting powder and the rejection of capsules.

To improve the accuracy of the machine, SaintyCo capsule fillers have the following features:

i. Adjustable and uniform powder filling systems

ii. Inclined angle feeding structure and multi-curved adjustable powder block for even powder distribution.

iii. Smooth speed of flow during the process of feeding

iv. Intermittently running precision roller gear box

v. Enlarged design of dosing disc that will ensure a uniform flow.

vi. A 3D control element

· LCD Touchscreen Interface

The machine features an interface or control panel that is easy to use with a human machine interface.

You can configure and monitor all the operations of the machine from the control panel.

· Easy to Clean and Maintain

It has a modular design that increases the ease of assembling and disassembling the machine.

This makes it quite simple to clean and maintain the machine.

· Lubrication System to Prevent Wear and Tear

The machine has a lubrication system that will grease the moving parts and prevent them from wearing and tearing.

It ensures the continence of the machine in the areas where you cannot reach easily unless you disassemble the machine.

· High production Capacity

It has a unique design that will guarantee a high capacity of production usually 450,000 capsules in an hour.

· Improved Productivity and Operation

All the machines from SaintyCo are automatic thus improving the productivity and level of operation.

You can run the machines from a distance without intervening after programming it.

· Compact Vacuum Systems

It has a vacuum system that will enhance reliability and performance of the capsule filler machine.

Some of the vacuum systems that are available on the machine include:

i. Capsule separator

ii. Cleaning equipment

iii. Capsule positioning

iv. Switch mechanism

v. Vacuum pump

• Quality Standards Compliant

The design and the specifications conform to the cGMP and CE manufacturing quality standards.

27. How does Dosator Capsule Filler Work?

The following is a step by step guide on how the dosator machine works.

Dosator capsule filling machine

Step One: Powering the Machine

First, you need to prepare all the ingredients that you need for the filling of the capsules.

After that, you will ensure that the machine is functioning properly before powering it on.

The dosator will automatically move to the powder bed.

It will force the powder to flow through and fill the tip of the dosator which has a cavity.

The dosator plunger will determine the size of the cavity at the tip of the dosator.

Step Two: Filling of the Dosator cavity

The powder will flow into the dosator cavity.

It has a plunger that will compress the powder in the dosator cavity and create more space for more filling material.

During the compression process the powder is locked and in the end forms a slug.

The dosator will move from the powder bed as soon as the dosator cavity is full.

Step Three: Doctoring Dosator Tip

This is the point where you will ensure that the tip of the dosator does not have any powder residues.

You can do this by doctoring the tip in an effort to remove the excess powder from the tip.

Step Four; Opening the Empty Capsules

During the filling process of the powder into the dosator, the machine loads the empty capsules in the empty trays.

The capsule trays will move the filling capsules to the filling station.

The machine will separate the caps from the bodies after which it positions it in readiness for filling purposes.

The vacuum system of the dosator filler machine assists in the process of separating the caps from the body.

Step Five: Actual Filling Process

The machine will rotate and change the position of the dosator pins.

The pin of the dosator will move to the point where the dosator pin is.

At the same time, the empty dosator will move to the side of the powder bed.

The simultaneous movement of the dosator pins plunges one side into the powder and the other close to the capsule.

The tip above the empty capsule injects the powder into the empty capsules while the other dosator collects powder.

Step Six: Automatic Closing of the Capsule

The machine will move the body with the powder to the station where the caps are waiting.

Through the movement of the turret, the machine will replace the capsule caps automatically.

It will place and lock the capsules in place as it awaits other processes such as polishing and later packaging.

Dosator capsule filling process

28. How does Tamping Pin Capsule Filler Work?

The working principles of the tamping pin capsule filler machine will go through the following steps:

Step One: Refraction of Capsules for Proper Orientation

First, you need to load the empty capsules into the capsule hopper of the tamping pin capsule fiuller machine.

At the same time, remember to add enough amount of powder into the powder bed using the automatic powder filler.

Power on the machine after doing a thorough inspection that ensures the machine is in proper working condition.

At this point, refraction of the capsules occurs in a bid to orient them in readiness for filling purposes.

The empty capsules will move from the empty hopper straight to the vacuum system.

Step Two: Opening of Empty Capsule

The vacuum system of the machine will remove the caps of the empty capsules from the body.

The capsules will move to the filling stage because the orientation for filling them is perfect.

The machine will move the caps to a different location awaiting the completion of the filling process.

Step Three: Actual Filling Process

The dosing disc will rotate continuously depending on the rotating speed that you had set.

As it rotates over the powder bed, the powder will flow into every hole.

With the help of the tamping pin, the machine creates more space by tamping and compressing the powder.

With enough room for more powder, the dosing disc will continue rotating until it fills to capacity.

After that, the machine releases the slug into the empty capsule through the dosing plate.

It will scrap off the excess powder to ensure that the body of the empty capsule is full.

Step Four: Sealing or Covering the Capsules

The rotary turret of the tamping capsule filler moves the full body of the capsules to the next stage.

This is the point where the machine will cover the body of the capsules with the caps.

The excess powder or filling materials also move back to the hopper of the filling material.

Through continuous motion, the machine is able to cover the body with the caps before discharging it.

Step Five: Ejecting the Capsule

You will allow the capsules to move to the next stage for polishing and later packaging of the capsules.

Tamping pin capsule filling machine

29. When should you Choose either Dosator or Tamping Pin Capsule Filling Machine?

You will use the dosator capsule filler machine when you are filling a capsule of very small size.

For instance, in a situation where you want to fill capsules in the dry powder inhaler.

The capsules in the dry powder inhaler often contains about 200 milligrams or less of the filling material.

No matter the size of the capsule, you have to make sure that it has the right size of the filling material.

You will use the dosator capsule filling machine for such applications.

It has a smaller size or diameter of the nozzle which can fit the diameter of the smaller capsules.

30. How many Capsules Sizes are there?

You are free to decide on the size of capsules that you need depending on the dose requirement as well as the formulation.

With information on the formulation of the content and weight of dosage, you will be able to determine the size of the capsules.

Approximately, you will find capsule sizes starting from 000 to 5 where 000 is the largest and 5 the smallest.

Typically, the size chart has 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.

Capsules sizes

31. What is Micro-dosing in Capsule Filling Process?

Micro-dosing is the process through which the capsule filler machine fills capsules with small doses of filling material.

Unlike the norm of filling capsules with doses that run through several hundred milligrams, micro dosing is different.

Micro dosing involves dosing capsules with fill material doses of below 15 milligrams per capsules.

You will need a special equipment for micro dosing and the best material is the dosator capsule filler machine.

 Micro dosing

32. How does the Dosing Disc Affect Capsule Material Formulation, Capsule Sizes and Tooling Component?

Dosing disc will determine the size of capsules you will use during the filling process.

Besides, it will determine whether to use dosator and tamping pin tooling system.

More importantly, it will determine the capsule filling speed.

33. Are there New Innovations and Technologies in Capsule Filling Industry?

Yes, there are new innovations and technologies in the capsule filling industry.

Most of the innovations focus on increasing safety of the machine and user, as well as the productivity.

Technology that Improves Performance, Productivity and Efficiency

Some of the new innovations and technologies that improve performance, productivity and efficiency include:

i. Colored touchscreen human machine interface panel that allows for easy control of the system and management of production.

The machines basically have a PLC system that will boost the level of production.

ii. Enclosed dosing, moving, and electrical system for consistent and efficient process of capsule filling.

iii. Vacuum cleaning system for fast and easy cleaning process.

iv. Automatic lubrication system that applies enough lubricant oil on the moving parts to prevent wear and tear.

This will also increase the service life span of the capsule filler machine.

v. Variable frequency drive system for easy control of speed of motor and the machine.

Technology that Improves the Safety of the User and the Machine

Some of the safety technologies installed in the capsule filler machines include:

i. Use of transparent solid polycarbonate sheets to enclose the dosing station.

These doors have interlocks that you cannot open especially when the machine is on.

The technology also includes door check sensors which will automatically stop operations when the door is open.

ii. Alarm systems that will go off in case of low capsule and powder levels.

iii. It also has an emergency switch which you will use to stop the machine in case of emergencies.

34. Does SaintyCo help in making Capsule Filler User Requirement Specifications?

Yes, SaintyCo helps in making Capsule filler user requirement specifications.

You will work together with SaintyCo teams of design engineers who will assist you in specifying the user requirement specifications.

These are the specifications that SaintyCo will follow when making your custom capsule filler.

The user requirement specifications should have the following:

 Capsule filler urs

· Introduction

This is the part where you will introduce yourself and the type of equipment that you need.

· Overview

In this section you will describe the following factors:

i. The person who is going to use the equipment

ii. Capacity of the equipment that you need.

iii. Space availability for the equipment at the facility where you will install the machine.

You have to leave enough space for operating the equipment as well as for the installation of the equipment.

iv. Accuracy of the equipment that you require.

v. Cleaning requirements of the capsule filler machine which include the specifications on how you will clean the equipment.

vi. Specific requirements of the equipment such as the quality of the stainless steel and specific equipment requirements.

This includes specifications such as speed of equipment, number of revolutions in a minute and number of baffles.

· Operational Requirements of the Capsule Filler Machine

This section should include the following:

i. All the functional technical requirements

ii. Operational requirements of the machine

iii. Control system specifications such as interfaces, needs, and forms of output such as USB.

iv. Power requirements in terms of voltage and power including automatic or manual starts.

v. Safety including the safety guards including MCB trips in case of an overload or short circuiting.

· Compatibility and Support of the Capsule filler machine

This includes compatibility of the machine with factors such as:

i. Utilities that indicate the type of power supply that you need to use for the equipment

ii. Availability of limitations in terms of time

iii. Supporting documents such as the operational manual, parts, warranty, spare parts and circuit diagrams.

• Abbreviations where you will list all the abbreviations that you use in the document
• References

This includes the references to certain reference manuals and regulatory guidelines.

35. How does FAT, IQ and OQ Capsule Filler Documents Compare?

Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) is a series of inspections and tests that the capsule filler machine supplier will conduct.

The supplier will complete the test on the capsule filler before allowing the machine to leave the factory.

The aim of conducting a FAT is to ascertain that the machine has no issues or problems before shipping.

The FAT tests that you will conduct on a machine will depend on the type of machine you intend to test.

FAT document of capsule filler machines will consist of dynamic review and static review.

An installation qualification document will certify that the process of installation has gone through successfully.

IQ is a protocol for testing the installation procedure as per the instructions and specification of the machine supplier.

You will receive an IQ document that has been written in accordance to the plan of validation.

Operational Qualification (OQ) is a testing protocol that will challenge the document the machine properly.

OQ study design will identify a range of KPIV variables that will prove the capsule filler machine meets predetermined acceptable specifications.

The testing protocol requires a statistical software package such as Minitab in the determination of capsule filler machine process capabilities.

You will receive an OQ document that has been written in accordance to the plan of validation.

36. Does SaintyCo help in Installation, and Commissioning of Capsule Filler Machines?

Yes, SaintyCo will assist you in the process of installation and commissioning of the capsule filler machine.

You will have to put in a request after which SaintyCo will send a technician who will take care of the installation process.

The technician will also train you and your partners or operators on the installation process.

After that, you will commission the capsule filler machine together in accordance to the instruction from SaintyCo technician.

The technician will validate the installation qualifications (IQ) as well as the operational qualification (OQ) of the capsule filler machine.

Finally, the technician will provide the IQ and OQ documents that prove installation and commissioning of machine is in order.

37. How do you Troubleshoot SaintyCo Capsule Filler?

You may encounter problems with the machine during the process of capsule filling.

To address this, you need to troubleshoot the machine to identify the problem and solve it.

Some of the problems and the solutions that you might experience include:

 Capsule filling machine

Inability of Capsules to Flow into Magazine

This problem can be as a result of the following reasons:

i. A slow operational speed of the machine

You can sort this out by ensuring that the operation speed is in accordance to the speed recommendation of the manufacturer.

Ideally you should maintain an operation speed of 60 spm.

ii. Damaged capsules preventing the flow of other capsules into the magazine

You can sort this by passing a cord from the exit point of the magazine to push the magazine up.

This will force the capsules with damages out of the machine thus allowing the right capsules to flow.

iii. Incorrect positioning of baffle plate

You will sort the problem out by positioning the baffle plate well.

This will allow the capsules to flow freely from the hopper to the reservoir.

iv. Damaged Magazine that will prevent the flow of capsules into it.

The solution to this problem is smoothening and aligning the magazine in a position that allows capsule to flow.

Damaging of Capsules During Loading Process

This is as a result of incorrect alignment of the rectifier block together with the bushes.

The solution to the problem is proper alignment by using an alignment gauge in the alignment process.

Lack of Capsules Going through to the Rectifier Block

The problem can be as a result of the following:

i. Improper alignment of the magazine with the rectifier block

Using an alignment gauge, you can rectify the alignment in line with the rectifier block.

ii. Improper storage conditions of storing the capsules

The storage conditions might have imbalanced moisture and temperature conditions.

For instance, the storage conditions might lead to the capsules sticking on one another.

You can sort it out through proper maintenance of the storage conditions according to instruction from manufacturer.

Loss of Caps during the Transfer Process

You may experience the loss of caps due to the following reasons:

i. High vacuum pressure

Adjust the throttle value that will reduce the high vacuum pressure.

Ensure that you do not reduce it to a point where the caps do not separate from the body of the capsules.

ii. Non-alignment of body cap and bush

Ensure that the cap and the body bush are in proper alignment.

You can use the alignment gauge to increase the alignment accuracy.

Failure of Capsules to Separate

It can be as a result of insufficient or low vacuum pressure that is not proper to remove the caps.

You need to ensure that you have the right vacuum pressure in place.

Apart from that, the problem might be as a result of leaking filters.

You should inspect the vacuum pumps and make sure that there are no leakages especially of the filters.

Additionally, the problem can be as a result of worn out bushes which fail to clean.

To solve this problem, you need to replace the bushes to enable proper cleaning.

Failure to achieve Targeted Weights

In case the machine fails to reach the target weight, the problems may be among the following:

i. Insufficient slug binding leading to powder loss before delivery to the capsules

You need to make sure that the slug binding is correct and in proper condition.

ii. Sticky or hygroscopic powder

You should check on the tamping pins to rectify the problem.

iii. Insufficient flow of powder to the disc cavity due to inadequate product flow

Push the powder using a flap to areas where the concentration of powder is low ensuring you have proper flow.

38. Does SaintyCo offer Technical Support for Capsule Filler Machines?

Yes, SaintyCo offers technical support for capsule filer machines.

During the process of purchasing the machine you need to request for technical support from the machine supplier.

SaintyCo will provide you with the following technical support systems:

• Installation and commissioning of the capsule filler machine

You will receive a technician from the company who will work on the installation and commissioning process.

• Repair, Maintenance and Troubleshooting the capsule filler machine

SaintyCo will assist in the training of operators who will do routine maintenance and repair of the machine.

You can also troubleshoot the machine by following the technical guide that SaintyCo will provide.

You should also be aware of the procedure with which you can get support from SaintyCo.

This includes contacting them directly or having the contacts of the regional representative in your area.

39. Which Capsule Filler Equipment Does SaintyCo offer?

SaintyCo offers some of the best capsule filler equipment such as:

• AdvantaFill CF-75 Capsule Filling Machine
• AdvantaFill CF-90 Capsule Filling Machine
• MagnaFill CF-150 Capsule Filling Machine
• MagnaFill CF-210 Capsule Filling Machine
• MagnaFill CF- 300 Capsule Filling Machine
• MagnaFill CF – 450 Capsule filling Machine
• Z Series Dosator Capsule Filling Machine
• ProCap II Laboratory Capsule Filling Machine
• PrimaFill CF-12 Capsule Filling Machine
• PrimaFill CF-25 Capsule Filling Machine
• PrimaFill CF-50 Capsule Filling Machine
• SF-25 Semi-Automatic Capsule Filling Machine
• SF-V25 Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler
• Two-Piece Hard Capsules Liquid Filling and Band Sealing Line

40. How do you Clean Capsule Filling Machine?

Capsules

Cleaning of the capsule filler machine is an important procedure that goes through the following procedure:

Step One: Cleaning the Outer Parts of the Machine

You need to clean the outside part of the capsule filler machine on a regular basis especially after the following:

i. After long period of operating the machine

ii. During the process of changing fill material

iii. After being in an idle state for a long time

This is general procedure involving the cleaning of the outer part of the machine in contact with powder or dust.

Step Two: Cleaning Greasy Stains

You have to make sure that you clean the greasy stains on the capsule filler after every 500 hours of operation.

First, you have to do a thorough inspection of the mechanical driving section of the capsule filler machine.

You need to confirm the possibility of wear and tear and use the lubricants that the manufacturer will recommend.

Step 3: Cleaning the Vacuum System

The automatic capsule filler uses the vacuum system for a number of functions so it is prone to get dirty.

To increase the reliability of the system, you have to clean the vacuum system after a period of 200 hours.

You have to remember that some parts of the machine are inaccessible, so you have to do the following:

i. Stop the machine from operation and live it idle for a while to let it cool down.

ii. After that, you will dismantle the parts using a few tools and the clean it thoroughly.

iii. After that, assemble the parts once again and test the machine before resuming full operations.

41. What are the Ingredients of Capsules?

There are two main types of capsules which include the hard gelatin capsules and the soft gelatin capsules.

The main ingredients in the hard and soft gelatin capsules include:

Capsules ingredients

• Aqueous solutions of gelling agents such as animal protein mainly gelatin or plant polysaccharides and their derivatives such as carrageenan.
• Plasticizers such as sorbitol or glycerin that reduces capsule hardness
• Coloring agents
• Preservatives
• Disintegrants
• Surface treatments
• Lubricants

42. How does Gelatin Capsules compare to Vegetable Capsules?

Gelatin capsules are made out of aqueous solutions of gelling agents from animal products such as gelatin.

It is mainly for use with the people who do not mind eating animal products.

Vegetable capsules, on the other hand, are made out of plant polysaccharides or derivatives of plant polysaccharides such as carrageenan.

It is for the people who do not consume animal products and may be following a strict vegetarian diet or religious rules.

43. What are Delayed Release Capsules

Delayed release capsules are the type of capsules that have special ingredients or enteric coatings that will defy acidic conditions.

The capsules will not dissolve in the stomach where the conditions are more acidic and move to the duodenum.

At the duodenum, the conditions are more conducive for the absorption of the delayed release capsules.

It will, therefore, disintegrate and release the contents when the conditions are right.

You can use it to target specific areas in the body as long as the conditions match the disintegration properties.

 Acid resistant – Photo credits: INNOVIX LABS

44. How do you Choose Suitable Capsule Filler Machine?

You should choose a suitable capsule filler machine using the following selection criteria:

• Production Capacity of the Capsule Filler Machine

You should consider purchasing a machine which has a slightly higher production need in comparison to your requirements.

This will provide you with the room for easy expansion of the production capacity.

• Types of Capsules that you intend to fill

Capsules are available in different shapes and sizes as well as in different types of materials.

So, you have to be positive about the type of capsules that you intend to fill.

• Power Requirements

You have to choose the capsule filler machine in terms of power requirements in terms of voltage and consumption capacity.

Power requirements will determine the cost at which you will purchase the machine.

• Weight and Dimensions of the Capsule Filler Machine

You will have to determine the size of the capsule filler machine that you need in terms of height, length and width.

It will help in the determination of the shipping space as well as the installation space.

Apart from that, you have to make sure that the machine is stainless steel material for durability.

45. Which Capsule Filler is Suitable for Liquid and Sticky Powders?

Softgel encapsulation machine

In case you want to fill liquid and sticky powders, you will use a Softgel encapsulation machine.

It is capable of filling and encapsulating liquids and sticky powders appropriately.

Apart from that, you can also use a manual capsule filling machine.

It is capable of filling various supplements such as non-aqueous liquids and sticky powders.

46. Can you use one Type of Capsule Filler for all Capsule Sizes?

Yes, you can use one type of capsule filler for all capsule sizes.

The capsule filler has an adjustable system that is capable of accommodating all sizes of capsules.

47. What is Capsules Fill Weight?

The capsule fill weight is the total weight of the filling material that you need to fill into an empty capsule.

The weight will depend on the density of the powder that you intend to fill in the empty capsules.

Some powders are much denser than others thus increasing the total capsule fill weight.

Apart from that, the capsule fill weight will also depend on the fineness of the powder.

48. Can Capsule Filling Machines Fill Pellets and Tablets?

Yes, you can use a capsule filling machine to fill tablets and pellets.

Tablets and pellets are part of the filling material that you can fill in empty capsules using a capsule filler machine.