Capsule Making Equipment
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Mold the shells into shape with capsule manufacturing equipment
Capsule shells are composed of the body and the cap that closes the dosage. Capsule manufacturing equipment dips a series of steel pins into a drum filled with the base material. The wet molding pins move to the drying chamber to harden as they spin on their axis to ensure even distribution.
Once the shells are formed, they are stripped off the pins. But they are not yet finished for filling. The empty capsules must first be cut to the correct length and joined in a pre-lock position, ready for encapsulation.
Pair the API with the correct shell before the capsule filling process
Encapsulation technology lines up the capsule bodies on a bed of holders. A stainless steel dosage system pours the formula in the powder tray into the shells. The caps, aligned precisely in their holding section, are ready to be lowered onto the filled capsule bodies. The fins in the body enter the slits of the cap, locking them into position.
The encapsulated ingredients directly impact shell stability. Hygroscopic materials, for example, risk cracking the gelatin capsules. Capsule filling machines must account for the properties of the dosage formula and the materials, thickness, and shelf life of the shells.
Capsule production is either an automatic, semi-automatic or manual process. Manual capsule fillers are still used in smaller production facilities. However, for making large scale pharmaceutical capsules, automation is employed to maximize output and efficiency.
Control the water content in hard gelatin capsules to balance plasticity and containment
The first hard gelatin capsules were filled with pharmaceutical formulas in powder form. But one of the advantages of encapsulation is that it offers flexibility with a range of dosage solutions, from tablets to beads to micro-capsules.
This versatility means that the gelatin shells have to deliver stability. The gelatin mix must allow enough moisture content to create elasticity without altering the properties of the encapsulated APIs.
Insufficient drying temperature leads to undesirable air pockets in soft gelatin capsules
Soft gelatin capsules, also known as softgels, are suitable for non-aqueous solutions such as oil. The active pharmaceutical ingredients are dissolved or suspended into an oil-based form.
One of the challenges in producing softgel capsules is the formation of air bubbles in the gelatin base. This happens when the capsule manufacturing equipment fails to reach the right temperature during the drying stage, and air remains trapped in the mixture. These pockets of unreleased air weaken the structure of the capsule.
HPMC capsules are more suitable hygroscopic fillings
Hypromellose emerged as the plant-sourced alternative to gelatin. But HPMC capsules are less dependent on water content, making them a better solution for hygroscopic ingredients.
However, since Hypromellose has a higher oxygen permeability, the fill ingredients need anti-oxidant additives to compensate. HPMC capsules also require oxygen-resistant packaging, such as aluminum blister configurations.
Blister packs offer greater protection for pharmaceutical capsules
The packing solution depends on the type of capsule. Vitamin or food supplement capsules may be bottled in simple containers. However, a desiccant pouch helps to absorb moisture and maintain a controlled environment.
In the case of pharmaceutical capsules, the ingredients demand safer packaging. Blister packs are more secure and are more convenient for dosage control. Complete blister packaging solutions often include coding and die-cutting systems, but simple entry-level batch machines are also available.
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