Soft Gelatin Hardness Tester

Softgel Manufacturing ResourcesWith modern encapsulation facility of producing1.5 billion capsules per annumMANUFACTURING RESOURCESWith a built up area of 63,000 sq. That includes manufacturing area of 22,000 sq. And warehouse / utility of 41,000 sq.

Ft., Softgel has assembled the finest infrastructure to ensure production of soft gelatine capsules.Our typical production process includes. Dispensing & Mixing. Gelatin Preparation. Semi Quarantine.

Primary PackingENCAPSULATION MACHINES. Jumbo (Four machines with 10 inch Die Roll) machine to facilitate increased production capacity. New advanced cooling system without outdoor cooler/chiller. Advanced pumping system - filling accuracy +/- 0.5%. Auto linear geared injection segment system. Advanced auto conveyor systemSOLVENT FREE SYSTEM.

Advanced technology which controls and limits the lubrication in the system. Our new high speed softgel machine line has a perfect solvent free system with special unique design that make softgel capsule without solvent cleaning which makes the capsules dry faster and can save labour and material cost tremendously. This system facilitates non solvent washing of the capsulesGELATINE HARDNESS TESTING. Machine Imported from Bareiss GmbH, Germany. High precision digital measuring systems.

Fully automated measurement- measures increase in the hardness- determines the gel stabilityDRYING TUNNEL. The moisture level of each capsule is reduced to 10%. Dedicate tunnel for each encapsulation line.

Cross contamination is completely avoidedCAPSULE INSPECTION MACHINE. Automated roller rotating 360 degrees providing optimal capsule inspection. Manual handling avoided. Inbuilt empty capsule sorter.

Easy and quick accessibility. Full proof inspection.CAPSULE SORTING MACHINE. Machine Imported from Sky Softgel, South Korea. Automatic sorting according to capsule shape and size. Precision with +/- 0.1mm diameter. Capacity 150,000 to 300,000 capsules per hour. Machine weighs 400kg with a dimension of 1,620(w) x 710(L) x 1,600(H)The various forms of packaging we handle include.

Bulk Packing in HDPE Drums and Jars. Blister Packing. Strip Packing. Alu Alu packing© Softgel Healthcare.

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Now, let’s quickly go over every procedure in the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process:.Step #1: Preparing GelatinNormally, this forms the “container” that will hold the soft gelatin capsule ingredients. This is why you need to choose high quality materials that will be the shell of these capsules.Besides, it will protect the content of capsules from the effects of external environment.

These may include moisture/humidity, fluctuating heat/temperature, acidity, etc.So, what do you need to prepare gelatin?Generally, the key composition of this capsule shell includes:. Gelatin. Plasticizer. Water. Other ingredients such as coloring, opacifying agents, sugars, etc.In the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process, you must mix all these ingredients to get a suitable shell for the capsules.Let’s quickly go over each of these ingredients: What is Gelatin?The use of gelatin to make soft capsules has been approved by both the (USP) and the (PhEur). It is by far one of the most popular materials in the pharmaceutical and food processing industries. A soft gelatin capsuleIn most cases, you can obtain gelatin through a partial hydrolysis of collagen.

You can derive it from animal bones, skin or connective tissues.Whenever you are sourcing for gelatin to make capsules, it should meet at least the following criteria:. Gelatin strength (Bloom) should vary between 150 and 200; this is basically the measure of cohesive strength of the material’s cross-linkage. Viscosity may range from 25 to 45milli poise. You can determine this depending on 60°C/6–23% w/w in water). A well-defined gelatin particle size.

Broader molecular weight distributionBelow is an example of the various types of gelatins you can use in Softgel capsules manufacturing process. Water in GelatinThe quantity of water varies depending on the viscosity of gelatin.

On average, the quantity is 45% w/w. Plasticizer in Soft GelatinIt is the plasticizer that makes the soft gelatin elastic and pliable.

Some of the most common plasticizers are sorbitol and glycerin.Under normal circumstances, the ratio may range between 0.3 and 1.8. This will depend on the strength of the capsule shell.

Other Ingredients of the Soft Gelatin ShellsYou can opt for a synthetic or natural color. This will depend on the desired appearance of the soft gelatin capsules.Another additional ingredient is the opacifier such as titanium dioxide. They produce opaque shells to prevent possible photo degradation of certain contents of the capsules.Once you choose appropriate ingredients for the soft gelatin capsules, it is now time to begin the process.Here is exactly what you should do: Choose a Suitable Gelatin Melting TankIn the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process, choosing the best reactor will produce high quality and reliable shells.

The gelatin melting system heats, melts and mixes all ingredients. This is a gelatin melting system and its technical specification.Whenever you are choosing this tank, it is important to consider its technical specifications such as power consumption, capacity, temperature, mixing speed and dimensions, among other aspects.Furthermore, the design should prevent unnecessary heat loss. It is for this reason that most gelatin melting tanks feature thermal jackets.Besides, they have a torque turbine mixture. It stirs and mixes the content under vacuum.Of course, as the heating process continues, water tends to evaporate. Melt & Heat Gelatin Ingredients Until It Turns to Molten Liquid MassIn most cases, the heating and mixing of gelatin ingredients can take at least 3 hours. This will depend on the efficiency of the gelatin heating and melting tank.During this process, all the ingredients of the soft gelatin will mix evenly. This will result in a molten liquid mass.Once the gelatin material is ready, the encapsulation process can now begin.However, this does not imply that you should allow the gelatin to cool.

It should remain warm to ensure the gelatin is in liquid state.This is because it is only when gelatin is in liquid state that it can flow to the spreader box. That is, it will leave the spreader box through a controlled gap to the cooling drum.This will then result in a thin gelatin ribbon.Next, you should prepare the fill material.Here is how to go about it: Step #2: Prepare Fill MaterialThis is the material you intend to enclose with the gelatin.In the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process, the fill material for Softgel may be in the form of:. Liquid. Semi-solid solution. SuspensionWhile preparing the fill material, it is important to ensure that the final product is homogenous. This will ensure that all the vital components are in each soft gelatin capsule.

Different formulations of soft gelatin capsules – Image source Clinical GateDepending on the type of ingredients, you may require many pharmaceutical equipment and accessories. These may range from, just to mention a few.All you need are machines and equipment that will help you to make the right fill material.Remember, the process of making an appropriate fill material may vary broadly depending on their specific ingredients. Parts and components of Movement of Gelatin Shell to the Tooling SystemAt this stage, the warm gelatin material will flow from the gelatin tank to the spreader box (see image above). It will then spread over a revolving cooling drum to form a solid ribbon of gel.That is, a warm gelatin that is in liquid state, changes to a solid ribbon. This change in state is due to the cooling effect of the drum.In most cases, the design of these soft gelatin capsule filling machines use air to achieve a suitable cooling effect. The key parameters of air include:.

Cubic foot per minute (CFM) of air. Temperature.

Relative humidityRemember, the design of Softgel encapsulation machine is such that, all the components that are on the left side of the machine are also on the right section. That is, they both have warm gelatin flowing via a spreader box, cooling drum and to the tooling system.At any given time, the two solid ribbons of gelatin should reach the tooling system at the same time. How Fill Material Moves to the Tooling SystemAfter preparing the material, you will fill the hopper or product tank.From the tank, a positive displacement pump directs the fill material to the heated injection wedge via some tubes.This wedge rests between the two die rollers as you can see in the image above. Actual Process in Soft Gelatin Capsules Manufacturing ProcessIt is this wedge that will inject the fill material into the die cavities.

This takes place as the left and right gelatin ribbons are fed into the die roller system.In short, these processes take place simultaneously, such that the machine feeds the gelatin ribbon as the wedge injects fill material. At the same time, the die system cuts and hermetically seals the two halves of the gelatin ribbons together. Illustrating soft gelatin capsule filling processIt is important to remember that the die rolls determine both shape and size of the capsules. Therefore, you should choose the right die cavity depending on the type of Softgel capsules you need.Well, there are many ways of producing soft gelatin capsules:. Rotary die process.

Plate process. Reciprocating die. Accogel machineThe choice of a particular soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process will depend on the availability of the machine and production needs.So far, the plate and rotary die process are the most common processes of manufacturing Softgel capsules.The soft gelatin manufacturing process described above is basically the rotary die process. It is by far the most popular soft gelatin capsule filling process.On the other hand, the plate technique is also a simple process that involves the following:. Place a gelatin sheet on a die plate that has numerous die pockets. A vacuum draws gelatin sheets into the die pockets. Die pockets are then filled with material fill.

Shore D Hardness Tester

Place a second gelatin sheet on the filled die pockets and sandwich using die press. It is at this stage that the soft gelatin capsules are formed and cut.In short, choosing a specific soft gelatin manufacturing technique will depend on your production needs.By the end of the process, the soft gelatin capsules will move to the conveyor belt for further processing. This is because these capsules are too moist and soft thus they may not withstand certain environmental conditions.Besides, there is need to inspect the soft gelatin capsules to ensure they contain the right quantity of fill material.So, let’s see how to go about these processes: Step #4: Further Processing of Filled Soft Gelatin CapsulesThis is also a critical stage in the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process. In most cases, it involves the following important procedures:. Drying soft gelatin capsules. Quality control in soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process.

Polishing & packaging of soft gelatin capsulesNow, let’s quickly go over each of these processes: Drying Soft Gelatin CapsulesIt is this process that will remove any excess moisture in the soft gelatin capsules. In most cases, the drying time will depend on the number and size of capsules.Normally, there are two stages when it comes to drying soft gelatin capsules:. Using Tumble DryerYou will find that most designs of soft gelatin capsule filling machines are such that the conveyer belts are linked directly to the tumble dryer. That is, once the soft gel capsules leave the die system, they move directly to the tumble dryer.

Drying racksIn the drying tunnel, air flows at a predetermined velocity with known temperature and humidity, thus, causing the drying effect.Normally, the drying process in the two stages can be 24 hours or more, depending on the water content in the Softgel capsules.This step can increase the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process costs significantly if not designed properly. It is for this reason that you will find most Softgel capsules filling machines incorporating both the dehumidifiers and refrigeration.After drying the soft gelatin capsules, it is now time to inspect the soft gelatin capsules.

Quality Control in Soft Gelatin Capsules Manufacturing ProcessQuality control (QC) is an important process in any capsule filling process. It is at this point that you can detect and remove damaged soft gelatin capsules. Soft gelatin inspection machineAt SaintyCo, we have a range of automatic capsule filling, processing and inspection equipment. You can have a quick overview in the video below:During the QC stage, you should focus on the following:. Eliminating damaged, broken or misshaped Softgel capsules. Verifying capsule appearance, weight, content uniformity, etc. Conducting microbiological testing.

Determining the shell moisture level, thickness, weight and sealing mechanismOnce your soft gelatin capsules meet a specific criterion, it is now time to move to the last stage of the manufacturing process. Polishing & Packaging of Soft Gelatin CapsulesAt this stage of the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process, you will clean and remove any material on the surface of the capsules. That is, the process aims at ensuring the Softgel capsules have the right color and texture. Soft gelatin capsule printing machineOnce you have done all these processes, you can use a suitable pharmaceutical equipment and machinery to pack the Softgel capsulesOf course, the packaging must protect the Softgel capsules from damage and guarantee the stability of its ingredients or active compounds/elements.

ConclusionAs you can see, it is quite evident that the soft gelatin capsules manufacturing process is simple and straightforward. All you need is a high quality Softgel encapsulation machine and auxiliary support equipment.At SaintyCo, we design, manufacture and supply a wide range of pharmaceutical and packaging equipment.For inquiries or free consultation, you can contact us today.

References. – Source: Abhishek Raj from.

– Source: Google Patents. – Source: SRM University.