What is the Function of Tablet Press
Oct 17, 2023
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A tablet press, also known as a tablet compression machine, is a mechanical device used in the pharmaceutical and related industries to compress powder or granules into tablets. Its main function is to convert bulk materials into a specific shape and size, making them easier to handle, package, and consume.
The tablet press operates through a series of steps:
- Feeding: The powdered or granulated material is fed into the hopper of the tablet press.
- Filling: The material is then uniformly distributed into the die cavity or tablet mold.
- Compression: Upper and lower punches exert pressure on the material, compressing it within the die. This step helps to bind the particles together and create a solid tablet.
- Ejection: After compression, the tablet is pushed out of the die cavity by the punches.
- Disintegration: Some tablet presses have the capability to insert scoring lines or breakable lines on the tablets to aid in their disintegration upon consumption.
Tablet presses can vary in size and complexity, ranging from small, manually operated machines to large, fully automated production lines. They offer precise control over tablet weight, hardness, thickness, and other parameters, ensuring consistency in the final product.
Besides the pharmaceutical industry, tablet presses are also used in sectors such as nutraceuticals, veterinary medicine, confectionery, and chemical manufacturing.
Invention:
The exact inventor of the tablet press is unknown, as the device's origins date back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, China, and Greece, where pills were used in medical treatments. However, in the modern era, William Brockedon is credited with inventing the first mechanical tablet press in 1843. Brockedon was an English artist, writer, and inventor who dabbled in various fields, including architecture, engineering, and printing. He saw a pressing need for a machine that could create accurate and consistent doses of medication, which until then had relied on manual labor and imprecise methods. So, he developed the first tablet press called "The Mechanical Apothecary", a hand-cranked machine that could produce up to 600 pills per hour.
Brockedon's design used two punches that came together to compress the powdered drug into tablets, which then fell into a tray below. The machine helped to improve the quality and efficiency of medication production, making it easier to dispense and transport drugs while also reducing wastage and variability in dosages.Over the years, Brockedon's invention underwent several improvements and innovations, such as automated feeding and ejection systems, interchangeable tooling, and computerized controls. Today, tablet presses are essential tools for pharmaceutical manufacturing, and they continue to evolve in response to changing industry needs and technological advancements.
Types:
For the size and specifications of tablet presses, different models of tablet presses have different sizes and specifications. For example, a single station tablet press can usually produce tablets with diameters ranging from 3 millimeters to 25 millimeters, while a dual station tablet press can simultaneously produce 3 to 4 tablets of different specifications. The rotary tablet press is more suitable for producing large-scale tablets, which can achieve uniform pressing of powder on multiple molds during the pharmaceutical process, improving production efficiency and drug quality. Continuous tablet press is a type of tablet press used for large-scale continuous production, which can achieve multiple steps such as automatic feeding, pressing, demolding, slicing, etc.
In terms of market preference, dual station tablet press and rotary tablet press are more popular. This is because the duplex tablet press has high production efficiency and tablet quality, which can simultaneously produce multiple different specifications of tablets, and has a certain degree of automation, which can reduce the labor intensity and manual errors of operators. The rotary tablet press is suitable for producing large-scale tablets, which can achieve uniform pressing of powder on multiple molds during the pharmaceutical process, improving production efficiency and drug quality.
For purposes, tablet presses are mainly used for manufacturing pharmaceutical products, including tablets, capsules, etc. For example, a single station tablet press is a device used for small-scale production, while a dual station tablet press is widely used in large-scale pharmaceutical product production.
Purchasing:
Regarding the purchase and use of tablet presses, it should be clearly stated that tablet presses are not ordinary commodities, and their purchase and use must comply with relevant laws and regulations. Buyers need to have corresponding qualifications and licenses, and they also need to comply with relevant laws and regulations during the use process. In addition, the operation and maintenance of the press blades also require professional technical personnel and support to ensure the normal operation and effectiveness of the equipment. Therefore, when purchasing and using tablet presses, it is necessary to carefully consider one's own qualifications and capabilities, and choose legitimate channels to purchase legitimate products to ensure legal and compliant use.