Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment

What type of machinery do you need for granulation?

Among the most crucial and challenging manufacturing processes is granulation, which the industry uses to produce dosage forms, especially tablets and capsules. You start the production by mixing the powder ingredients and the active pharmaceutical ingredients, then use a dryer to remove water and other solvents which can enhance the chemical and microbiological degradation of the products.  Granulation comes after that. It consists of enlarging fine particles using agglomeration to get granules, which provide API uniformity and decreases the volume per unit weight of the blend. That, in its turn, makes it easier to store and ship.

The process can be wet or dry, depending on whether you use a liquid (such as a solvent or a binder), and the results are intermediary-size particles, ranging from 0.2-0.5mm. High shear mixers and fluidized beds are some of the pharmaceutical industry equipment used for granulation. The next steps for the particles might be either packaging as dosage form or mixing with other substances to then proceed with tablet pressing or capsule filling steps.

In fact, in June 2022 the FDA started studying a plan to help implement new ways of sterilizing medical devices with radiation. Producers also need to choose equipment that they can fully sterilize, to be in line with GMP. After using a filling machine for parenterals, for instance, they have to be inspected one by one to conclude the production.