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Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News Magazine
PMPN Article Index

Originally Published November 2000

PRODUCT UPDATE:

Capsule Fillers Offer Speed and Versatility

A capsule-filling machine can fill hard gelatin capsules with powders, pellets, or tablets in a variety of patterns. Made entirely of materials that meet FDA requirements and designed so that the filling area is completely separated from the drive section and the outside environment, the GKF 2000 operates at speeds up to 2500 capsules per minute. The design ensures contamination-free filling, operator safety, easy operation, and simplified cleaning, all fully satisfying CGMP standards. The powder-dosing station is placed on top of the working table and can easily be removed for cleaning. The machine has relatively few size parts, which can be changed without tools. TL Systems/Bosch Group, Minneapolis, MN.

A capsule filler employs the multiple tamping method of powder dosing to fill capsules at rates up to 150,000 per hour. The K150i features the I-Station 2000 control system as standard. A 10.5-in. color touch screen is the interface from which the user controls all filling operations. The control system can store parametric set points for more than 50 products. The filling machine also offers a counting system that provides actual production counts by means of fiber-optic detection. Romaco Inc., Morris Plains, NJ.

A fully automatic capsule-filling and -closing machine is suited for use in R&D and small production facilities. Running at speeds up to 40,000 capsules per hour, the SeJong SF-40 can fill pharmaceutical and health food capsules with any combination of powders, pellets, and tablets. The machine features PLC touch screen controls, a pneumatic vacuum system, an index gear drive, and a faulty-capsule dejamming device. It is one of a series of five encapsulating machines whose production capacities range from 3000 to 150,000 capsules per hour. CapPlus Technologies, Phoenix, AZ.

A line of capsule fillers optimized for start-up and growing facilities are available with on-site training and a two-year warranty. Three models of the ZJT-series machines are offered: the semiautomatic ZJT II with a production capacity of 12,000–20,000 capsules per hour, the fully automatic ZJT 900 with an output capability of 56,000 capsules per hour, and the 96,000-capsule-per-hour automatic ZJT 1500. All of the machines are UL approved and manufactured in an ISO 9002–certified facility. The supplier strives to keep all equipment in stock for immediate delivery and warehouses parts for next-day shipping in order to minimize customer downtime. Tradimex Equipment & Supply Inc., Orem, UT.

A single-head capsule-filling machine offers flexibility and a production capability of 15,000 capsules per hour. The equipment includes high-, medium-, and low-fill augurs of stainless steel, a choice of powder hoppers for different filling speeds, a device that drops tablets or pellets into the body of the capsule, and no electronic parts. The machine accepts capsules made by different manufacturers. Driven by a 1-hp motor and requiring vacuum of 1000 L/min at a pressure of 500 mmHg and compressed air at 10 cfm with 6-bar pressure, the capsule filler features accuracy within 2–4%. It is run by two operators and can be changed over within 30 minutes. Jicon Machines Pte. Ltd., Mumbai, India.

A continuous-motion capsule filling machine is able to fill capsules with liquids, powders, tablets, or herbal products in either single or multiple doses. Designed for pharmaceutical and nutritional applications, the Futura can fill capsules at rates of 6000, 12,000, 24,000, and 48,000 capsules per hour. It has a capacity of 96,000 capsules per hour when filling four pellet fractions, each at a different weight, into a single capsule. The supplier supports its high-speed, fully automated machines with fully staffed service and parts departments. MG America, Fairfield, NJ.