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Tablet Pro — Part 2

Tablet Compression — Variations in powders will result in variation in the tablet, too much variation is considered a defect. If powders do not flow with consistency than all tablets will not compress the same.
If the ingredients in the formula do not function properly the formula must be changed. Tablet compression is the event of squeezing powders together and driving the air from between the particles, resulting in a compressed tablet.
The Tablet Press
There are 2 basic types of tablet presses. Single punch and Rotary tablet presses. A single punch tablet press has one station of tooling. It Typically operates at speeds from 1 -60 tablets per minute.
A rotary tablet press has multiple stations of tooling positioned on a rotary table. This rotary table is referred to as a turret. As the turret rotates the tablet tooling is guided from one position to the next by cams.
The objective of the operator is to keep this turret clean and properly lubricated. A press that has been properly prepared can run without being stopped around the clock. What causes a machine to be stopped is a need for cleaning, repair and lubrication as a result of a formula that is dusty, sticky, or abrasive. Rotary presses operate from 60–15,000 tablets per minute dependent primarily on the number of tool stations.
How A Press Operates
Rotary tablet presses all work on the same principle of operation with few exceptions. The basics are adjust Weight, Compress and Eject within a speed range. Understand these basic operation features and the impact that they have on the final tablet is the key to success.
Manual or Automated
A press must be cleaned thoroughly and properly setup whether it is a simple manually operated press, or a very sophisticated automated press. An improperly or poorly setup press will not produce quality tablets, will often break down and require more cleaning and maintenance and is less productive than one that is properly cleaned and setup.
Tablets… What’s in Them?
Tablets come in many shapes and sizes. A tablet contains active ingredients and other components. The Active Ingredient is commonly referred to as the API, active pharmaceutical ingredient. The other items found in the tablet formula are called excipients. The problem with most API’s is that they do not usually make a good tablet and need the help of excipients in order to make good reliable tablets.
Key Excipients: Fillers: basically a bulking agent…to achieve the desired tablet size. This is usually a granulated powder. Flow Agents: These are items designed to help powders flow with greater predictability. Binders: A binder helps lock the particles together and can be introduced as a powder or in solution. Lubricants: A lubricant is used in the tablet formula in the form of a powder to help make it slick so the particles of powder do not stick to the machine, only to each other. There are 13 classes of excipients used in tablet formulation.
Tablet Weight is the Key
On the press tablet Weight is what determines potency of the tablet. High tablet weight means high potency and conversely low weight mean low potency, provided content uniformity is accurate. Therefore tablet weight control is critical. A tablet press does not weigh powders, it fills volumetrically. In other words the volume created by position the tooling for fill will determine the final tablet weight.
Therefore if the powder density has variation then the final tablet weight will change even though the volume is the same. Flow much be consistent to achieved consistent volumetric fill. each tablet will have variations.
Compression
The tablet press tooling is made so that the air is evacuated via the top of the die around the upper punch tip. The upper punch tip is actually made slightly smaller than the lower punch tip to control air release. One of the most common tablet defects is caused by improper air evacuation.
As the powder is compressed the air is driven from between the particles of powder. If the product has a high percentage of fine particles they get pushed with the air. Some of the particles escape and the rest will be pulled to the edge of the upper punch tip, which creates a layer of fine dry light particles that do not compress well and are not likely to hold together, and they often split which is called Capping.
Air entrapment relates to tablet hardness, the difficult part is determining if the hardness variation is due to the press, formulation or both.
Michael Tousey, Technical Director/CEO

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