What Are Common Types of Pharma Granulators?

1.What are pharma granulators?

Allpack High Speed Mixer Granulator

A pharma granulator is a device that helps in the transformation of small and irregular particles of powder to well-defined agglomerated which is commonly known as ‘granules. Basically, pharma granulators are set up soon after attempting the dry mixing that includes the combination of excipients with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

This equipment is used to enlarge the particle size by implementing agglomeration and is required specifically for making capsules, pills, and tablets.

It is employed in manufacturing procedures of pharmaceutical products to make consistent and uniform particle sizes for every ingredient added to the mixture. The suitable particle size in pharma mainly ranges between 0.2 to 4.0 mm, it is suitable to offer an intermediate particle size of 0.2 to 5.0mm which is commonly used for making capsules or tablets.

Methods of Pharma Granulators

Before going towards types of commonly used pharma granulators, you should understand the major method of pharma granulation used for manufacturing products. There are basically two major categories of granulation used and opting for them is dependent on the type of formulation and materials. For example:

Dry granulation

Dry granulation-Picture Courtesy: LFA Tablet Presses

This is the common type of granulation that does not involve any compressing substance or heat inclusion for compression. It just needed greater pressure for powder aggregation. There are two main processes involved in dry granulation.

Slugging

A slug is formed by offering heavy-duty machine such as tablet presses.

Roller Compaction

The powder is compressed between two heavy rollers that form a thin layer of sheet or flake which is broken down by the help of milling equipment and provides uniform particle sizes.

Both methods are used due to several benefits as they simply reduce the need for any substance that ensures binding as well as drying, thus eliminating cost and time.

Wet Granulation

Wet granulation

This method involves the granulation of the wet mass of the powders by taking the help of granulating fluid that must be volatile in nature and can be evaporated once the finest particle size is achieved with the help of drying.

The granulation liquid is mainly used are isopropanol and ethanol or may be used in combined form. Wet granulation is beneficial in many ways as it tends to produce sophisticated processes without dust emission and improves the flow properties of the particles without losing the quality of the powders. The process ultimately provides you with consistent gives-out particles that are suitable for tableting and further processing.

Dimensions of Pharma Granulators

There are two dimensions followed in the designing of the pharma granulators. For example:

Vertical Mixer Granulator

Vertical Granulator- Picture Courtesy: Gebrüder Lödige

In this type of granulator, the mixing and granulation process takes place vertically. The machine is designed with a vertical chamber ensuring the entire process in a vertical manner that allows mixing, wetting, blending, and agglomeration in the same pattern. The machine has a compact structure with minimum edges hence lesser chances for cross-contamination and easy to clean option for pharma businesses.

Horizontal Granulator

Horizontal Granulator

Here, the granulator machine design such as rotating impellers, mixers, and granulation are fixed in a horizontal fashion. The machine is suitable for effectively handling large production batches to provide consistent results.

2.Why do you need pharma granulators?

Pharma granulators are required in pharma due to several significant reasons. Have a look at the below points:

Improving Powder Flowability

Excellent flow properties- picture courtesy: VAVA pantry

This is well understood that raw powder has poor flow characteristics and is unable to be incorporated into the manufacturing process. By using pharma granulators, you can obtain a powder with an excellent flow ratio and easy to handle. Because it ensures that powder particles are transformed into better and consistent granules and easier to process them.

Improved Compaction

Improved compactness- Picture courtesy: Pharmtech

When making tablets, the key factor is to assess disintegration time, strength, dissolution rate, etc. for that the powder material must be consistent with an equal proportion of particle size and should have excellent compressibility during the making of tablets. Remember, if tablets are perfectly formed they will produce the desirable effects. By pharma granulator, promises to yield powder with suitable compressibility and can assure that it can be pressed better.

No Dust Formation

No Dust Formation

Generally, powder produces dust during handling and can be caused by various unwanted factors such as loss of product, poor quality of final formulation, and health-related problems. By using pharm granulators, such problems are avoided, and it ensures that the powder is subtle and dust-free therefore beneficial for you and for the final dosage form.

No More Constituent Segregation

No separation of constituents- Picture Courtesy: westend61

This is a state-of-the-art technique that helps in avoiding the segregation of mixed excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients once combined. This is because they’re properly amalgamated to one another and packed for an extended period of time and are effective for making pharmaceuticals without any risk of separation.

No Toxicity Hazard

User safety- Picture Courtesy: Burst Pharmacy

Have ever thought about what happens when toxic powder blows? Of course, the dust blowing can be inhaled and may damage the workers’ health and safety of the environment. Pharma granulators are worthwhile and save you in many ways. The granulation of harsh and toxic substances can subside the risk of toxic dust and ensure easy and safe handling.

3.What Are Common Types of Pharma Granulators?

There is a huge list of pharma granulators. We have talked about some of the commonly used in pharmaceutical industries. For example:

High Shear Mixer Granulator

AIPAK High Shear Mixer Granulator

This is a highly developed equipment used for developing the shape of granules. It is also known as a wet granulator or vertical granulator due to its working and design. As it offers several benefits therefore it is commonly used in pharma preparation and other industries such as foods, and nutraceuticals. The machine is capable of making ingredients into large and consistent granules.

Working Of High Shear Mixer Granulator- Picture Courtesy: Fluid Air

This is a compact vessel with a chopper which helps in the mixing of the powder and side by side pulverized it. The machine works by adding powder with binding liquids via a spray nozzle, so it forms a liquid-solid bridging resulting in a perfect granule. The entire process takes place under high-shear forces such as mixing, wetting, and granulation. The mixing is continued till you get a desirable shape of granules.

Fluidized Bed Granulator

Fluidize Bed Granulator- Picture Courtesy Pharmaceuticals

A fluidized bed granulator is used to convert loose powder substances into compact granules which is required to attain compaction and improve flow properties.

How it is done is somewhat technical, it basically works on the basis of fluidizing the powdery particles. This means fluidized air is blown into the granulator which moistens the powders. Thus, it is now in a solid mass state, which is then lifted upward with the help of high air pressure. The particle in the air is exactly the phase where powders act as suspended fluid particles.

At this phase, powder particles and hot gases help in the drying of particles by vaporizing them. That’s why this granulator is suitable for heat-sensitive as well as non-heat-sensitive materials and is considered suitable equipment for pharmaceutical granulation.

Rotary Granulator

Rotary granulator

The machine design is based on a rotating vessel with multiple series of blades. You can enter the raw powder inside the machine where the rotary baffles start to break them into small particle sizes that promote agglomeration and finally granules with the help of centrifugal force.

Rotary granulator- picture courtesy: US Validation Service

The rotary drum moves and mixes the ingredients and binders and the action of the rotary forces the granules formation is accessible. This is a well-suitable process and is mainly implemented by large production industries for subtle and consistent granule formation to deal with large production batches.

Oscillating /Vibratory/ Swing Granulator

Oscillating Granulator- Picture Courtesy: Pharma Machinery

This is the straightforward equipment used in pharmaceuticals for the breakdown of powdery lumps and assures to formation of uniform particle sizes with consistent blending and grading. The device is considered a good option for general and moisture or heat-sensitive substances to improve flowability and compressibility rate. You can handle wet as well as dry granulation methods by using the machine.

It mainly works by oscillation of the rotating impellers or blades to make a reduction in the particle sizes. The blade movement in the machine mainly follows the principle of oscillation that lies between clockwise and anticlockwise movement. It is also designed with sifters that allow careful screening of the particles and you can obtain the effective texture of the particles with uniform sizes thus it is useful for pharma formulations.

Extruders

Extruder- Picture Courtesy: Hosokawa Micron

Extruders are the type of granulator used to make powders suitable for pharmaceutical preparations by treating them under high force, pressure, and controlled temperature. They are mainly incorporated with binders and additives so the final product is released from the die with a consistent and defined shape.

The working of the extruder is based on the screw which is either single screw or twin-screw extruder. The machine design is composed of a hopper, barrel, screw, and cutting die with the temperature-controlled unit that allows material transformation with prominent uniformity.

Roller Compactor or Dry Granulator

Roller Compactor Or Dry Granulator- Picture Courtesy: Increnovo

This granulator is composed of a set of counter-rotating discs that are closely moving to press the powder. As a result, a thin compressed ribbon sheet is formed that is further subjected to the milling process to form granules. The high pressure of rollers allows the formation of agglomerates, so it ensures a desirable particle size.

A roller compactor granulator is a common types of pharma granulator used for dry granulation that make particles with solid densification and particle uniformity for solid dosage form i.e. tablets, and capsules. This is a beneficial machine as it is simple to operate and can give greater productivity. It is not only energy efficient but also suitable for pharmaceutical items that are heat sensitive.

Basket Granulator

Basket Granulator

This machine is featured with basket shape chamber that facilitates mixing and granulation of raw powder. Within the basket, multiple rotary impellers allow the reduction of particles by finely chopping or cutting process. There are fixed sieves attached within the chamber to ensure the finest filtering of granules to process uniform-sized particles to maintain batch-to-batch precision effectively.

This machine is available in various sizes such as benchtop, medium, and large size, hence suitable for batches with variable production demands.

Conclusion

In summary, pharma granulators are mainly used to enlarge the size of particles which is suitable for manufacturing solid dosage formulations such as tablets and capsules. By this process, fine or coarse particles are transformed into large agglomerates that are simply known as ‘granules. Whether it is dry granulation or wet; you will be required various pharma granulators that are available in the market. What is your choice? We hope after reading a blog on ‘what are the types of pharma granulators’ you will be clear about the types. But if you want to know more or looking to purchase one of them. We would suggest contacting us to avail guidance and an excellent series of pharma granulators right now.