How To Troubleshoot Common Problems Of Tablet Press Machine

The tablet press machine is mainly used for tablet technology research in pharmaceutical industry. It presses the granules into round, irregular shape with diameter not more than 13mm and automatic continuous production equipment with words, symbols and graphics flake.

Some pharmaceutical tablet press machine in tablet press burr and dust should be supporting the screen machine at the same time for dust removal (more than two times), must meet the GMP specification.

In addition to the common problems of loose and splintered tablets, there are actually some more important, common problems in daily life, we might as well explore together.

Sticky punching and hanging punching

The fine powder on the surface of the tablet is adhered to by the punch and die.

The common problem: Particles with too much water content, containing drugs that are susceptible to moisture, and excessively high temperature and humidity in the operating room are prone to sticking.
Solution: You should pay attention to proper drying, reduce the temperature and humidity of the operating room, and avoid the drug being affected by moisture.

The cause of problem: The punch surface is not clean, there is lubricating oil, the surface of the new die is rough or the inscription is too deep and angular
Solution: The punch can be wiped clean, replace the substandard punch or with a trace of liquid paraffin rub on the engraved punch surface to make literal lubrication. In addition, such as mechanical heat caused by the sticky flushing should be checked the reason, maintenance equipment.

The cause of problem: The punch and die are too tight, resulting in hanging punch.

Solution: You should strengthen the stamping die supporting inspection to prevent hanging.

The weight difference exceeds the limit

The excess of tablet wright difference means that the tablet weight and difference exceeds the limit prescribed by the environment.

The cause of the problem: The different particle flow rate during the pressing causes the uneven distribution of particle thickness in the filling die hole, and the thickness is stratified, resulting in the filling of coarse particles more light, and fine particles more heavy.

Solution:The particles should be mixed or screened to remove too much fine powder, re-granulating.

The cause of problem: The particle fluidity is not good, the amount of particles flowing into the die hole is more or less, causing the difference of the sheet weight is too large and exceeding the limit.

Solution: It should be re-granulated or added with a suitable glidant, such as micropowder silica gel, to improve the fluidity of the granules.

The cause of problem: The hopper is blocked, this phenomenon often occurs in viscous or wet drugs or large particles mixed with particles.

Solution: for drugs with strong viscosity or wetting ability, the hopper should be dredge, keep the pressing environment dry, and add appropriate flow aid to solve; The particles should be screened when large pieces of drugs are mixed in.

The cause of problem: The speed is too fast and the filling volume is insufficient.

Solution: Slow down.

The cause of problem: The length of the up and down flushing is different, resulting in different packing.

Solution: one by one find the length of the upper or lower flushing, and replace.

The cause of problem: Distributor is not installed in place, resulting in different packing.

Solution: Adjust the allocator.

Slow disintegration

The cause of problem: the adhesive viscosity is too strong, too much; Or the lubricant is too hydrophobic, too much use.

Solution: Increase the amount of disintegrant or reduce the amount of lubricant.

The cause of problem: Disintegrants are not chosen properly, used in insufficient quantities, or dried insufficiently. If the starch is not dry enough, the water absorption is not strong and the disintegration is slow.

Solution: Change the disintegrant, or increase its dosage, or dry starch.

The cause of problem: The grain is too hard to be thick. The concentration or dosage of the selected adhesive is improper, the particles are often too hard to coarse.

Solution: The coarse particles can be crushed into 20 ~ 40 mesh sieve particles, and increase the amount of disintegrating agent, appropriately reduce the pressure of the tablet press machine.

The cause of problem: Too much pressure when pressing, the film is too hard.

Solution: Can reduce the pressure without causing loose slices.

Discoloration or surface patchy

The cause of the problem:The color of raw materials and excipients of the preparation is different, and it is easy to produce speckle without grinding or mixing before granulation.

At the same time, the material is discolored due to friction and heat generation. The high-speed rotating turntable of the tablet press moves relative to the parts in contact with the material, such as the substrate and the quantitative scraper of the feeding system, and forms mutual friction through the material medium.

Solution:This case has to be reworked. The lubricant used in pressing the tablets must be sifted through a fine sieve and thoroughly mixed with the particles to improve.

Carefully do a good job of clearance adjustment and other work: the clearance between the bottom surface of the feeding substrate and the end face of the turntable, in accordance with the principle of not running powder, slightly enlarge the maximum value of adjustment;

The clamping force of the scraper plate and the end face of the turntable can not be too large, but should ensure that the dynamic tight fitting; Reduce the contact area between the contact material parts and the rotating table, and reduce the probability of friction heat generation.

After adjustment, the test tablet should be checked to verify whether there is material discoloration, to ensure that there is no problem before the batch production.

The cause of problem: The grain is hard, or the grain of colored tablet is not uniform and easy to produce freckles.

Solution: the particles should be loose, more ethanol (less starch slurry) is used as a wetting agent for granulation, so that the particle thickness is more uniform, suitable tightness, pressure into the film is not easy to appear freckles.

The cause of problem: Some manufacturers use ethanol granulation particles, oven baking temperature rise too fast or not timely turning, the phenomenon of surface color migration, surface particles slightly dark color, Mosaic when pressing.

Solution: Slow heating or shorten the first turning time.