15 Machines in The Capsule Filling Line: From Raw to Final

1.Cone Mil

Cone Mil- Picture Courtesy: Pharmaceutical processing and packing machinery

This is the first step when you’re processing the capsule filling procedure. Cone mil which is also known as conical mil, or co-mil plays a primary role in the reduction of particle sizes of raw powder or raw materials for encapsulation.

If you open a capsule, you can see uniform size particles, this is mainly done by consistently applying an impact force to make them uniform thus making them homogenous and better flowability ratio. It helps in good mixing and further processing of ingredients.

Working Principle

Cone Mil- Picture Courtesy: Quadra Engineering

Machine working begins with the feeding of raw powder inside the feeder and by application of force the material grounds between the mill wall and impeller. It is generally estimated that the size reduction can be achieved as small as 10 microns. The desirable size materials can be screened by the machine and discharged out. Various available cone mills are offering self-cleaning and reduced risk of cross-contamination.

2.Granulator

This is the second machine used in the capsule filling line to improve the flow properties of the milled particles produced from the cone mill machine known as a granulator. In easier words, in a capsule, you can see the smooth and even shape of each particle which is commonly achieved by granulation. For this reason, a granulator is used. There are two types of granulation processes- dry granulation and wet granulation- that can be attained by dry and wet granulators.

Working Principle

The working principles of dry and wet granulators are described below:

Dry Granulator Allpack Dry Granulator In this step, a roller compressor is used. Dry granulation involves slugging or mechanical compression of rollers to form an agglomeration of powders. The dry powder is added into the machine and blended by application of high force over it to form a considerable ratio of enlarged particles. In this procedure, a compact layer is a product which is also known as a ribbon or flake.

Wet Granulator Allpack Swing Granulator Here the machines used are known as a high shear mixer granulator and fluid bed wet granulator machine. A wet granulation as its name shows involves binder incorporation of wet mass or adhesion. The overall purpose of using this technique is to obtain uniform characteristics and sizes of particles for the final manufacturing of the product. The primary steps used in the wet granulation is involved as wetting followed by nucleation, binder, consolidation & growth, attrition, and final breaking.

3.Sifter

Sifter powder for capsule- picture courtesy: Manufacturing chemist

A sifter or powder sieving machine is used to separate and grade the powder particles and prevent them from lumping by the screening process. It is used to produce a refined raw material and ensure promising homogeneity of powder with enhanced quality of flow ratio. Once it is achieved by the application of a sifter or sieving machine, you can now use them for filling capsules with accurate dosage and a maintained batch-to-batch quality. There are various types of sifters such as rotary centrifugal, and vibratory sifters that are mainly selected on your application type and batch size.

Working Principle

Allpack Sifter

First, we will talk about the centrifugal or rotary sifter machine that mainly follows the working principle based on centrifugation. The following force is mainly used to separate and grade the particles depending upon variation in sizes. also, it is helpful in the de-agglomeration of particles by excessive spinning caused by the paddles of the machine.

The second machine working is based on vibratory forces where a gyratory motion allows the particles to sieve respectively on different meshes. The smaller-sized particles are screened vi passing from sieves while the larger particles remain over the screen and ensure uniform and same-size particles are filled in the capsules.

4.Mixer

Medicinal powders- Picture Courtesy: Kerone

The mixer plays a pivotal role in the mixing of active and excipients such as additives, fillers, glidants, etc., to form a complete formulation to be subjected as a filling material in the capsule with accurate ratio and proper blending in every batch produced by your production line.

There are various types of mixers used in pharmaceutical companies in the capsule filling line such as a ribbon mixer, bin blenders, tumbler mixers, high shear mixers, etc., the mixer is important to install as it helps in the fast and safe mixing process without worrying about cross-contamination or developing drug resistance when manufacturing or filling medications such as antibiotics, therefore, you can enjoy the smooth and safe work environment.

Working Principle

Allpack Broad Series Mixers

You can load powder such as active ingredients and excipients into the machine tank and allow them to mix till you get the desirable mixing of the powders and ensure the treated powders are thoroughly mixed and the dose is distributed uniformly with consistency.

5.Capsule Filling Machine

The capsule filling machine has a central and is used for precisely loading different types of materials like granules, powders, liquids, and micro or mini-tablets in the capsules. It is divided into three main types:

Types of Capsule Filling Machines

Manual Capsule Filling Machine

Allpack Manual Capsule Filling Machine

As compared to its semi-automatic and automatic capsule-filling machine, this machine is dependent upon humans for its work. It is a simple and compact device, best for small-scale productions. It is usually seen in home-based pharmacies and low-volume production because of its smaller size and cost-effectivity. It is usually fitted on the desktops. There are many different models of manual capsule filling machines are available in the market. In some models, fill materials are manually loaded by the user inside the capsules while in others, these materials are filled by the machine itself.

Working Principle

Working of Manual Capsule Filling Machine

In this machine, capsule caps and bodies are manually separated. The bodies and caps are placed in separate alignment plates. A powder plate is put over the body part to fill the capsule bodies. Excess powder is scraped off by the spreader.

The powder press is positioned over the powder plate and compresses the powder inside the capsules. After removing the powder plate and powder press plate, the cap plate is situated over the body plate. Lightly pressing the arrangement, results in the locking of capsules. To remove the locked capsules from the tray, the plates are gently shaken.

Semi-automatic Capsule Filling Machine

Allpack Semi-automatic Capsule Filling Machine

It fills different types of materials using both machine and labor work. It has both automatic and manual mode of operator, making this machine a great addition in the medium scale productions. Semi-automatic capsule filling machines are easily installed in areas with space limitations because of their smaller and compact construction. Loading of powders and separation of capsule caps and bodies are done manually. This equipment executes the rest of the functions like rectification, filling, and locking.

Working Principle

Working of Semi-automatic Capsule Filling Machine

Caps and bodies are placed in the individual hoppers and transferred to their respective rectifier station. The function of the rectifier is to properly orient caps and body. After rectification, the caps and bodies are moved to the upper and lower holding rings, respectively. A lower holding ring is carried to the turntable and at this turntable, bodies are loaded with the accurate amount of powder. In the next step, the upper and lower holding rings are pressed together at the joining station to automatically lock the capsules via a pneumatic system.

Automatic Capsule Filling Machine

Allpack Automatic Capsule Filling Machine

This machine has a fully automatic mode of operation, needing no help from the human operator. No human interference results in no processing errors and saved labor wages. With its high speed, it can load hundreds to thousands of capsules per minute. It performs capsule alignment, rectification, separation, filling, rejection, and locking automatically. With a high rate of accuracy, it minimizes capsule and powder wastage. This feature makes it a cost-effective solution for the large-volume industries.

Working Principle

Working of Automatic Capsule Filling Machine- Picture Courtesy: LinkedIn

The powders and empty capsules are fed into separate powders. The capsules travel from the hopper to the rectification chamber, where they are positioned upside down. At the separation station, the caps and bodies of capsules are split from one another and are moved to the upper and lower capsule tray, respectively. At the dosing station, the capsule bodies are loaded with powders using auger fillers. Faulty capsule bodies are rejected in the rejection station. At the locking station, upper and lower capsule trays are rotated to lock the capsules. After locking, capsules are ejected from the machine via an ejection pin.

6.Capsule Metal Detector

Capsule Metal Detector

It is employed after the capsule filling machine. It makes sure that capsules are completely clean and there is no metal particle such as iron or steel over it. Capsule metal detector increases patient safety, improve their appearance, and create a smooth finish.

Working Principle

Working of capsule metal detector- Picture Courtesy:  Anritsu

Capsule metal detector has spiral brushes that rotate to gently scrap off the tiny particles or other debris attached to the capsule. This machine also incorporates air flow systems to blow off the dusty particles from the surface of capsules and in case of metal particles, an unusual sound is generated by machine and alerts by light to let you know. This machine thus helps in getting rid of unwanted product.

7.Capsule Sorting Machine

Allpack Capsule Sorting Machine

It is also referred to as capsule sorter and is next in line machine after capsule deduster in the capsule filling line. Quality packaging is not done without a capsule sorting machine because defective capsules are deemed unworthy of shipment and marketing. It maintains the quality of the capsules by including only the best capsules in the final packaging. Capsule sorting machine plays a significant part in the safety and consistency of the final product. It also aids in satisfying all the regulatory obligations. It sorts and separates capsules according to size, weight, shape, color, dimension, and defect.

Working Principle

Working of Capsule Sorting Machine- Picture Courtesy: Mysoftgel

Capsule sorting machine uses different types of mechanisms like vibration, sieve, or airflow to sort the capsules.

Defective capsules will drop down from the holes of the vibratory sieve while good capsules pass through the vibratory tray and are collected in the collection bin. In the airflow capsule sorting machine, compressed air separates the defective capsules from good capsules. Exposure to compressed air will result in the moving of defective capsules away from the conveyor belt and collection in the rejection bin. Good capsules will resist air flow because of their desired weight.

It is the main machine involved in the quality control of the capsule manufacturing process. Filling and non-uniformities in the production process, result in damaged capsules. Its job is to separate and reject empty or defective capsules like lightweight, broken, or chipped capsules.

8.Capsule Counting Machine

Allpack Capsule Counting Machine

This machine is employed before the capsule bottling machine. Its main purpose is to accurately count and dispense the capsules in bottles. It significantly boosts the packaging speed by automating the counting process. It is offered with different types of sensors like optical, infrared, and mechanical sensors to precisely count and detect capsules. They are very advanced and identify even the smallest of capsules with great precision.

Working Principle

Working of Capsule Counting Machine- Picture Courtesy Cremer

It counts every type of capsule varying in size, shape, and nature. It is effective for both the hard gel and softgel capsules. Capsule counting machine reduces human error while capsule counting. Accurate count is the main function of the capsule counting machine because the pharmaceutical sector is heavily dependent on precise measurements. Moreover, it ensures the exact number of capsules per container.

First, capsules are loaded in the hopper, and they are uniformly dispensed to a vibrating tray. With the help of vibration, capsules are aligned in a single file on the vibratory tray. They are then passed to the detection module, where optical or other sensors register and count the capsules. These sensors also keep track of the counted capsules.

9.Capsule Blister Packing Machine

Allpack Capsule Blister Packing Machine

This machine is an integral part of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. It offers tamper-evident packaging that discourages scammers from tampering with blister packs. Moreover, it ascertains the product integrity. There are individual compartments in the blister packs that allow dosage control. Besides these advantages, unit-dose packaging by capsule blister packing machine offers convenience to patients, due to which they can easily manage their dose.

Working Principle

Working of Capsule Blister Packing Machine- Picture Courtesy: Hoping Machinery

It efficiently packs the capsules into the blister packs. The latter consists of trays with pockets, which are made of plastics and lidding material made with aluminum. The cavities or pockets in the blister pack house capsules, while the lidding part seals these pockets or cavities. Capsule blister packing machine has a pivotal place in protecting the capsules from dust, light, moisture, and other contamination.

First, the plastic or aluminum film is heated and softened in the flathead unit. Compressed air creates a blister from this softened film. In other types of capsule blister packing machines, roller, and vacuum form a blister. Capsules are packed into the blister by the filling devices and then this filled blister is sent to the sealing area, where the cover film is sealed on the blister film.

10.Capsule Bottle Unscrambler Machine

AIPAK Capsule Bottle Unscrambler Machine

Its main job is to organize the collection of bottles. The capsule bottle unscrambling machine has a momentous role in the smooth feeding of bottles. Its job is to orient the bottles in an upright manner and efficiently transport them to subsequent machines like filling, capping, and sealing. It sorts the bottles and moves them in an aligned form. The capsule bottle unscrambler machine receives the bottles in a random sequence and makes them upright by different systems like a vibratory disc and high-frequency blower. If you desire fast and seamless capsule bottle filling, then remember to add this machine to your capsule filling machine line.

Working Principle

Working of Capsule Bottle Unscrambler Machine- Picture Courtesy: CVC Technologies

Bottles are randomly loaded in the hopper and some capsule bottle unscrambler machines use inclined conveyors to guide bottles down the hopper. They are moved to large rotary bowls with their necks leading or trailing. The hook in the capsule bottle unscrambler machine fixes them in the upright position with their neck pointing upwards. In other types of capsule bottle unscrambler machines, rotating discs, grippers, and inclined rails guide the bottles in a standing tall position.

11.Capsule Desiccant Inserting Machine

Allpack Capsule Desiccant Inserting Machine

This machine is essential in the capsule filling line because it inserts or places the desiccant packs into the capsule bottles. Desiccant packs have the important function of absorbing moisture from the surroundings, which ensures that the contents of bottles are not affected by the moisture and remain dry throughout their transportation journey and storage. Therefore, this machine has a vital role in extending the expiration period of the capsules. Moreover, it upholds the safety of the capsules by accurately placing desiccants into the bottles. The capsule desiccant inserting machine stabilizes the capsules and decreases the capsule wastage over time by reducing capsule damage by moisture and air.

Working Principle

Working of Capsule Filling Machine- Picture Courtesy: CVC Technologies

At the beginning of machine operation, the dispensing devices load a continuous desiccant strip. The capsule desiccant inserter machine has a sensor called a length verification device to confirm the length of the desiccant strip. It ensures the feed accuracy of the desiccant pack. After confirmation of length, then the packet-cutting mechanism cuts and separates desiccant packs from the strip. These desiccant bags are fed into the bottles via a filling nozzle.

12.Capsule Capping Machine

Allpack Capsule Capping Machine

This machine is installed after the capsule desiccant inserting machine. You see capped capsule bottles in pharmacies and hospitals. This capping is done by a capsule capping machine. It is integral in sealing the top of bottles with matching caps. This machine is pivotal in accomplishing secure packaging and preserving product integrity. It accurately caps a large volume of bottles, which makes it important in both small and large productions. It is effective in securing the closure of capsule bottles. With the capping of bottles, it averts the risk of leakage and spillage. This machine also forms airtight and tamper-evident seals, that make it impossible for defrauders to access the inside of capsule bottle packaging.

Working Principle

Working Principle of Capsule Capping Machine

The working of this machine starts by pouring caps in the cap hopper. These caps are transferred to the cap-dropping part that puts the caps on the top of capsule bottles. These capped bottles are moved to a cap screwing station, where a gripper keeps bottles firmly in place and spindle wheels or spinning disks exert torque on the caps to secure them on bottles, spinning the caps to acquire firm sealing.

13.Capsule Induction Sealing Machine

Allpack Capsule Induction Sealing Machine

This machine has a significant place when it comes to sealing capsule bottles. It creates a strong seal around the rim of the bottle to protect the inner capsule contents. With the help of electromagnetic current, it bonds the film layer to the bottles, consequently creating a strong hermetic seal. This machine does not come in direct contact with the bottles, thus preventing the contamination of the bottle content. Its main function is to ensure the freshness and potency of the capsules. Moreover, it also has a role in leakage and tampering prevention.

Working Principle

Working Principle of Capsule Induction Sealing Machine- Picture Courtesy: iPharmachine

The capped bottles are transferred onto the conveyor of the machine. These bottles pass through a rejection center where poor quality and defective bottles are discharged from the machine. In the next step, compliant capsule bottles travel to the sealing head. At this station, high-frequency electric current is produced. This current is passed to the foil layer that rapidly heats up. At high temperatures, the foil melts and attaches to the mouth of bottles. Then bottles leave sealing heads and are cooled off, which results in solidification and bonding of foil to the top of bottles, forming a long-lasting seal.

14.Capsule Labeling Machine

Allpack Capsule Labeling Machine

This machine is integrated at the final stages of the capsule filling line. Capsule bottles with different information labels are seen in the market. These labels are put on the exterior of bottles by the capsule labeling machine. It sticks straight and wrinkle-free labels every time on the capsule bottles, playing an important role in improving the aesthetic appeal of the capsule bottles. Capsule labeling machine has an essential role in product communication and branding. It informs users about ingredients, nutritional content, expiry dates, and bar codes. Some types of capsule labeling machines, also place tracking labels on the capsule bottles.

Working Principle

Working Principle of Capsule Labeling Machine- Picture Courtesy: BBK - Labelling Automation & Serialisation

The working process begins by placing bottles on the conveyor, which allows for controlled movement of bottles. Label roll is placed on the film holder, from where it is spooled off by the drive wheel. When bottles reach the labeling head, labeling roller and label press apply and press labels against the moving bottles. The sensor is also incorporated in the capsule labeling machine, which ensures correct label placement by sensing the mark on the labels.

15.Capsule Cartoning Machine

Allpack Capsule Cartoning Machine

It is the last in-line machine in the capsule filling line. A capsule cartoning machine is also called a capsule cartoner. It is an important machine because it has a central place in the secondary packaging of capsule content. Its principal task is to form boxes for storing capsule bottles. This machine is effective in erecting, folding, filling, gluing, and, sealing the cartons. It comes with a handy set of advantages, providing the capsule products additional protection against mechanical damage and stress during transportation. It also automates and streamlines the final steps of capsule packaging with its remarkable efficiency and seamless consistency.

Working Principle

Working Principle of Capsule Cartoning Machine- Picture Courtesy: Körber Pharma

Its running operation commences with the feeding of blank cartons in the carton magazine. The Carton erecting station erects and folds the blank cartons to obtain a three-dimensional box-like structure. Capsule bottles are deposited in the box from the top open end of the carton. There are different mechanisms like gravity drop and pick and place systems for placing the bottles inside the erected carton. Next at the carton closing station, glue or other adhesives close and seal the filled cartons.

Conclusion

A capsule filling line is needed in modern times because it is the absolute best system for processing capsules from raw materials till the final stages of packaging. Article on the ‘15 Machines in The Capsule Filling Line: From Raw to Final’ provide immense details involved in capsule manufacturing and packing. They automatically process the raw ingredients and shapes into capsules without human involvement. These ancillary machines have a pivotal part in the smooth capsule manufacturing process. They help to achieve high regulatory standards because of their sterile and hygienic processing, So, if you want to purchase different machines in capsule filling machines then, Allpack is the best place. Here, we offer numerous kinds of capsule filling machines at favorable prices.