Working Principle of Automatic Tablet Coating Machine

Automatic Tablet Coating Machine – A tablet coating machine is a piece of systemic machinery that coats an external surface of a tablet using a thin material coating material. The automatic tablet coater uses a simple process of application of coating where tablets rapidly move on a bed and the solvent gets removed using a hot current of air. The purpose of this automatic tablet coating machine is that it allows any drug release to be regulated, which means the drug can be supplied to the body in safe quantities which the body can handle without any damage to it.

Uses of the Automatic Tablet Coater – It is majorly used in pharmaceutical and food industries which require any ultra-efficiency, energy saver, and hygienic equipment for coating any type of tablets, pills, or candies with water-soluble, organic, sugar film, or a control release film.

Advantages of a Tablet Coater–

• The tablets can be easily swallowed as they overcome any poor taste the ingredient may have. The coating could be a flavoured one or a tasteless one. Good quality tablet coats increase demand for its tablets.
• Tablet Coating imparts a signature colour to the tablets which help in its easy identification and are also known for the compatibility it might have with other drugs.
• It protects tablets from any gastric environment allowing it to affect areas in which it is intended to be absorbed and the efficiency of these tablets increases demand of the label under which it is manufactured.
• It helps manufacturers to produce a homogenous product with efficacy.
• Automatic emptying of tablets and a quick turnover of production.
• Long-term performance of machinery used and less emission of organic solvents.

The Principle on which the Tablet Coater works – The tablet cores to be coated with a film are continuously made to rotate in an orbital motion inside the closed rotating drum under the guidance of a streamlined guide plate. While the motion is initiated, the coating medium automatically sprays according to the technological process adopted and other rational parameters adopted. Simultaneously, hot air is applied under negative pressure. This hot air penetrates deep into tablet core layers and is percolated and discharged from the bottom layers. The coating medium is sprayed on surface area of these tablets so that it dries out evenly and quickly and gives a solid and smooth finishing on the tablet. The modern tablet coaters carry on the whole process under an automatic machine with least downtime and with PLC controls and by the use of a touch screen interface. The automatic tablet coating machine has special baffles in its pan to help in the smooth tumbling action of the tablet bed. The optional parts include adjustable spray guns, dustpans for collection, dehumidifiers, and exhaust air controllers for pollution-free working. The most unique feature is that it is designed to work with any size and shape of tablets.

Considerations while choosing a coating machine – Air Capacity of the bed in which tablets are rotated which determines the water or solvent which can be removed in the coating process is to be considered while choosing the tablet coater. Also, coating composition which involves the ingredients and the tablet surface area determines the type of equipment to be used.

Most of the Automatic tablet coating machine manufacturers design them based on the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards. They cater to a very user-friendly operation in a controlled parameter atmosphere. They include specially designed hoppers and a compact model for speed management and a sieving mechanism for dust-free production. A good model often ensures noiseless and least maintenance machinery along with the lowest power consumption as well as flame-resistant proofs.