Cream Manufacturing Equipment
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Raise the API content to 99%
Pharmaceutical creams are mostly used to treat skin issues such as rashes, stings, or fungal infections. Unlike cosmetic creams, medicated creams penetrate the epidermis and target cells in the lower layers of the skin.
Pharmaceutical creams must contain 99% pure active ingredients. However, APIs are applied in lower concentrations than in other formulations like tablets.
Mix the water and oil phases to produce a stable emulsion
The preparation of oil and water phases involves different cream manufacturing equipment. Oils are extracted and purified from biological materials using extraction technology. Water is filtered from contaminants and distilled.
The two come together in specialized mixing systems that suspend the liquids into an emulsion. A finer droplet renders a more stable emulsion and a smoother cream consistency.
Disperse the drugs and additives in the liquids before emulsification
The oil phase can be either a mineral oil or a silicone, enriched with emollients and lubricants. If the additives are in wax form, heating equipment is used to melt them into the oil base.
Excipients such as binders, thickeners, and stabilizers help the two phases to emulsify. But these agents are dispersed into the water phase. Active ingredients are dispersed into both phases depending on their reactive properties.
Use high-shear mixing equipment to prevent lumps
Not all mixing technologies are suitable for manufacturing pharmaceutical creams. The mechanism needs to incorporate the drugs (typically in powder form) into the emulsion droplets. Failing to combine the materials homogeneously causes agglomerate in the formulation down the line.
High-shear mixers disperse the API and excipients uniformly in the oil and water phases. Similarly, the high rate of agitation lowers the interfacial tension between the phases, producing a more stable emulsion.
Add viscosity modifiers to retain a consistent texture in creams
Excipients are used to facilitate drug delivery. But, at the same time, molecules can coalesce into a microstructure forming large crystals.
Lubricants keep the fluidity of the formulation. But changing temperatures alter their behavior, and creams may feel greasy in warmer environments. Viscosity modifiers reduce the change of stickiness in lubricants to keep a consistent structure.
How to pack your creams and ointments
When filling topical formulations it is essential to get the amount of product in various consistencies per container just right and to be able to accommodate various container shapes and sizes. There are many factors that influence the decision for choosing a container to fill in topical dosage forms. Some of these factors are materials and visual appearance while others are specific to the usage of the product filled. The most common containers for filling creams are tubes and glass or plastic jars.
Tubes have narrow openings that protect the creams against contamination and preserve the product’s shelf life. Tubes are mostly made from low or high-density polyethylene and aluminum. They have various top shapes that can be applied. For example, triangular toppers allow to push out as much product as needed with precision. Push tops are also common for creams that need controlled amounts produced with each pump. Tubes can be of different diameters ranging from 16mm to 50mm and the capacity ranging from 5ml to 240ml. A filling machine, therefore, becomes a critical piece of equipment for any cream manufacturing plant.
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