Single Punch Tablet Press Machine

1.What is Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

This equipment is known by various names such as eccentric press, single station press machine or stamping press. It is the simplest kind of tablet press machine.

Single punch tablet press machine as the name indicate is comprised of single set of die, a pair of upper and lower punches. This instrument is suitable for small scale or home based productions. It has minimum production capacity that is about 60-85 tablets per minute.

2.What Is Working Principle of Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Various parts of single punch tablet press machine work as a group for efficient tableting. Understanding the working principle behind the operation assists in repair and maintenance of single punch tablet press machine.

Some operational stages in working of these equipment are penned below:

STEP 1: Filling

First granules are loaded inside the hopper. After that, upper punch is moved in upward direction and bottom punch is moved in downwards to create a passageway in the die cavity. Feeder is moved over the top of die and granules go down to die from hopper due to gravitational force.

STEP 2:  Compression

In compression stage, the feeder is moved away from die while the upper punch is moved down to die cavity with the help of cam track. The movement of upper punch in die provides necessary force for compression of granules into tablets.

STEP 3: Ejection

At ejection stage, the upper punch moved upward while the lower punch is raised in order to remove the tablet from machine. This cycle is repeated many times until all the feed material is used.

3.What are Basic Parts of Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

The principal components of single punch tablet press machine are detailed below for your understanding.

Cam tracks The function of these parts is to direct the movement of punches. These play an integral role in tableting process.
Punches The upper punch is moved up and down exerts pressure on the granules. The lower punch is moved for ejecting the tablet from the tablet press.
Die It is the part where compression of granules into tablets happens. The design of die cavity determines the shape, size, and thickness of the end products.
Hopper The granular material is loaded inside the hopper before the compression. The hopper is connected to feeder. The material is manually place inside the hopper.
Outlet Hopper This part is used for removing the tablets from the machine.
Motor Single punch press machines are equipped with motors to provide adequate mechanical energy for movement of various parts such as punches.
Flywheel It is rotated with the help of handle manually to provide mechanical energy for movement of punches.

4.What Advantages Does Single Punch Tablet Press Machine Offer?

Single punch tablet press machines have positive impact on tablet production in small scale businesses. Some benefits of these equipment are:

Portable	These types of equipment are small, lightweight, and easy to carry. These can be moved anywhere without any difficulty.
Ease of Use	Single punch tablet press machines are easy to operate without requiring special training. The functions of these machines are simple and easily understood.
Low Weight Variation	There are fewer chances of weight variation in tablet batches as these have one pair of punches.
Reduced Maintenance	They require little to no maintenance. Components of single punch tablet press machines are effortlessly disassembled for cleaning.
Versatility	These machines can produce odd shaped end products having maximum diameter of 20 mm.
Little Power Consumption	Your utility expenses are lowered by using these devices in your production since they have low power consumption and can be operated by hand.
Low Noise	These types of equipment produce less noise and vibration while running.

5.What Is The Difference Between Single Punch Tablet Press Machine And Rotary Tablet Press Machine?

Single punch tablet press machines and rotary punch tablet press machines, both perform the same function but there are major differences between these two pieces of equipment. Some differences are explained below:

Single Punch Tablet Press Machine	Rotary Punch Tablet Press Machine
These equipments have one series of punches and only upper punch is employed for compaction of granules in tablets.	They have numerous punches and both set of punches (upper and lower) are utilized for compression of tablets.
Single punch tablet press machine produces small number of tablets per hour (5000 tablets per hour).	Rotary punch tablet press machines manufacture have high rate of productivity and can manufacture up to 25000 tablets per hour
These equipments come in handy for small sized businesses and laboratories.	They are generally employed in mass scale tablet production lines.
They have simple machine operation and are easily set up.	These devices have complex operation and are difficult to install usually requiring special expertise.
Since these equipments are operated by humans so they have high error rate leading to wastage of end products.	These machines are self-autonomous so they have minimal error rate resulting in less percentage of product being wasted.
These systems have little power usage.	Rotary punch tablet press machines require high power to operate resulting in high utility expenses.

6.What Is The Difference Between Upper Punch And Lower Punch?

Upper Punch	Lower Punch
It has a shorter stem	It has a longer stem
It compresses the powder into a tablet.	It helps to eject the tablet after compression.
During the process, the punch moves downward for firm compression.	During the process, the punch moves upward in order to eject the tablet.

7.What Are Industrial Uses of Single Punch Tablet Press Machines?

Single-punch tablet press machines are employed in wide-ranging industries. Some industrial uses are detailed below for your knowledge.

Pharmaceutical Industry

It is employed in small-scale pharmacies to manufacture different kinds of tablets such as chewable tablets, sugar pieces, etc. They are also used for the compression of granules into irregular-shaped tablets such as kidney-shaped, hexagonal, etc.

Herbal Industry

In the herbal industry, single punch tablet press machines are employed for the formulation and compression of various types of herbal tablets.

Clinical Research and Hospitals

These equipments are well-suited for clinical trials and hospitals. Researchers can easily formulate test drug into tablets with the aid of these machines without any heavy investment. Furthermore, single punch tablet press machines are utilized in research laboratories.

Nutraceutical Industry

In the nutraceutical industry, these machines are employed for manufacturing nutraceutical vitamin and mineral supplements. They are useful in manufacturing phytochemical formulation and dietary nutritional tablets.

Food Industry

Single punch tablet press machines are used in food industry and confectionaries to formulate single or multi layered candies, chewing gums, etc.

Cosmetic Industry

These equipments are utilized in cosmetic industry for producing skin care and dermal tablets. Moreover, these are also employed in compression of granular mass into bath bombs.

8.A Single Punch Tablet Press Machine: What Are Different Designs of Punches And Die?

Single punch tablet press can be customized with tooling varying in design. These tooling (punches and die) are used for creating tablets of different shapes. Some designs of punches and die are discussed below:

Round Shaped tooling

These punches and die are circular in shape and are routinely employed tooling employed for compression of tablets. They are present in different sizes and concavity. Round-shaped toolings are often found their use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, herbal, and chemical industry.

Oval-Shaped tooling

These tooling have oval or egg like shape. They are secondly most employed design of punches and die. Oval-shaped tooling are often used to press powders in oval or ellipse shaped tablets.

Capsule-Shaped tooling

These punches and die are frequently utilized in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and confectionary industry and are oblong in shape. Capsule shaped or oblong tablets are produced are produced by capsule-shaped tooling. These oblong tablets are also known as caplets.

Geometric-Shaped tooling

They are available in several shapes such as square, rhombus, triangular, trapeze, and rectangular. These compress tablets of respective shapes. Geometric-shaped tooling are not only used in pharmaceutical industry but also in metallurgy process.

Irregular-Shaped tooling

These punches have various unique designs such as a leaf, double oblong, key hole, teardrop, etc. Irregular-shaped tooling is sometimes utilized for creating fruit-shaped, animal-shape, or kidney shape pills.

9.What are the TSM Standard and EU Standard of Tablet Tooling?

These are internationally assigned standards used for tablet tooling accepted exclusively across the globe. The prime purpose is  to get uniform dosage, great efficiency, and provide an aesthetic appearance.

TSM Standard

TSM or Tablet Specification Manual is recognized in the US that is established by the American Pharmacist Association and used in tablet compression production for uniform distribution of active ingredients, excipients, and appearance.

EU Standard

EU or Euro-standard is recognized as a European standard widely employed in production activities than TSM. Moreover, their tooling configuration is not governed by any association.

10.What Factors Affect the Performance of Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Several factors impact the working efficiency of single-punch tablet press machines. Physical characteristics of powders as well as machine design have a role in the compression of tablets. Some important factors are:

Particle Size of Powders

Single punch tablet press machine require particles of optimum sizes. Large particles of powders result in denser compacts that are prone to fragmentation.  Right sized particles for compression also decrease the weight variation in the tablets.

Lubricants

Adding excessive amount of lubricants during granulation can reduce the compressibility of the granules because it lowers the binding force between particles. Hence tablets produced by compression do not have considerable hardness.

Humidity

Single punch tablet press machine need dry environment for optimal compression of tablets especially when handling moisture sensitive drugs.

However, surrounding with excessive dryness also impacts compression. Dry environment causes buildup of electric charges which results in accumulation of powders in die and punches.

Temperature

High temperature also negatively affects the working efficiency of single punch tablet press machine. Compression of tablets usually results in fragmentation if temperature of environment is greater than 37°C.

Moreover, higher temperature leads to melting of powder ingredients thus leaving sticky residues on equipment which reduces efficiency of single punch tablet press machine.

Powder Flow

Poor powder flow is often the reason of problems during compression. These powders traps the air molecules so adhere to die and punch. This results in weight instability of resultant tablets and poor output of single punch tablet press machine.

11.What are the Technical Problems and Solutions of Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Tableting process is not without the errors. To resolve the issues which arise in single punch tablet press machine, operators should have a complete and thorough knowledge of the tableting process.

Some troubleshooting hacks are discussed below for solve the problems that occurs during tablet compression.

Issues	Cause	Solution
Sticking Granules adhere to the end of punches	Granules are not completely dried. Punches are not properly polished. Powder blending is incomplete.	Increase the drying time of granules. Properly polish the punches. Thoroughly dissolve lubricant in granular mass.
Picking The sticking of granules to design embedded in punches. This design is used to create logos onto surface of tablets.	Inadequate punch pressure. High speed of machine. Decrease compression force.	Increase the punch pressure. Lower the speed of equipment. Increase the compression force.
Binding Tablets adhere to die and are not discharged properly from machine.	Inadequate finishing of die. Damaged die due to rusting or abrasion. Inadequate size of dies.	Properly polish die tooling. Replace the worn out die. Use die of proper size.
Lamination Fragmentation of tablets at any place except around edges.	Excess compression of tablets. Use of flat and cylindrical die. Improper amalgamation of fine particles.	Use lighter pressure at the pre-compression stage for binding of particles. Replace flat die with tampered ones. Decrease the velocity of tablet press.
Capping The fracturing of tablets around the edges.	Excess air is trapped inside particles of granules. High speed of the equipment.	Adjust the depth of the upper punch to remove surplus air. Lower the speed of machine.
Double Impression Creation new impression on the top of already formed impression	Free rotation of upper punch during tablet discharge	Use key in tooling to prevent punch movement Use an anti-turning tablet press
Cracking Small fracture lines are present on front and back side of tablets.	Size enlargement of tablets on ejection due to the presence of trapped air	Use tampered or dome-shaped punches.

12.What Is Maintenance Schedule of Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Inability to follow proper maintenance schedule can affect the performance and running life of single punch tablet press machine. Buildup of debris and poor lubrication of parts can cause rusting of components as well as jamming of punches and dies.

Hence proper maintenance can guarantee high work efficiency of single punch tablet press machine. Basic maintenance schedule of single punch tablet press machine is detailed below:

Daily Maintenance

• Regularly wipe out and clean external surface of machine.
• Clean punches, die, and hopper at the end of shift.
• Tighten the nuts and bolts on the daily basis.

Weekly Maintenance

• Oil the joints, transmission line, and oil cups.
• Spray the corrosion free spray to prevent rusting of parts.
• Use vacuum or compressed air to thoroughly clean the equipment.

Monthly Maintenance

• Perform complete checkup of machine after every month to identify equipment damage.

13.How Can You Customize Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Customization single punch tablet press machine according to your needs can speed up your production at a very small price.

Some customization tips are:

Die and Punches

Installing custom-made die and punches in your single punch tablet press machine results in tablet productions of varying designs, shapes, and forms.

Moreover, using dome-shaped punches reduces the amount of trapped air inside granules leading to lower issues of capping and lamination.

Fill Cam

Equipping your machine with right cam tracks is essential in cleaning of equipment as well as preventing batch variation in tablet weight. Depth of fill cams should be right for avoiding problems of overfilling and spillage.

Vibrator Rod

By placing vibrator inside the hopper you can shake the granular mass which can accumulate inside hopper and cause feeder starvation or bridging.

Motor and Gear Belts

You can increase the production rate by furbishing your single punch tablet press machine with motor and gear belts.  These components provide high energy for the movement of various machine parts.

14.What Are Buying Consideration Factors for Purchasing Single Punch Tablet Press Machine?

Single punch tablet press machine is a handy investment for your home-based business, pharmacies, or laboratories. It is imperative to ponder on different factor before buying these machines.

An ideal single punch tablet press machine should be compatible with your production needs. Some buying factors to be considered are:

Budget

Financial aspects should be given topmost priority when buying single punch tablet press machine. It is best to decide on budget before going in market for procurement of this equipment as sometimes people tend to go overboard on their when buying machines for their businesses.

Reputable Manufacturer

Secondly, you should consult various platform and website for finding reputable manufacturer. As there are numerous fake vendors that sell substandard equipment. Therefore, you should choose your potential vendor after going through reviews of their past customers. Positive feedback of patrons is the best measure of integrity and honesty of manufacture.

Product Shape and Size

Tablet shape and size is determined by the design of punches and die. First decide the characteristics of your end product so should select the single punch tablet press machine accordingly.

Production Volume

Production volume is the measure of amount of tablet produced per minute. Knowing beforehand your production volume allows you to select single punch tablet press machine that is right fit with your output requirements

Durability and Hygienic Design

Always go for the single punch tablet press machine that is made with durable metal and alloys. These metals are rust-proof and robust giving your single punch tablet press machine long operational life.

Furthermore, it is ideal to select machines with easily accessible that offer high cleanability. Single punch tablet press machine having hygienic design also fulfill international quality standards.

Conclusion

Single punch tablet press machines have a significant role in the tableting process, especially in small-sized pharmacies, foods, and apothecaries. The compaction of granules into final tablet form is executed via these types of equipment. AllPack is China’s best manufacturing Company offering wide range Packaging and Production Lines for Pharmaceuticals, Food, Cosmetics, Chemicals and Engineering Industry worldwide. If you have additional queries regarding this equipment then you are welcome to Contact Our Team Right Now!