Tips for Tablets

Wet granulation is a key technique in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing, where powders are agglomerated to improve the flowability, compressibility, and homogeneity of the blend. However, a common issue faced during this process is agglomeration, which refers to the unwanted clumping of particles that can result in irregular granule size, inconsistent tablet weight, and poor dissolution rates. Agglomeration can arise from several factors, including improper binder addition, excessive moisture, or insufficient mixing. Managing agglomeration effectively is essential to ensure consistent tablet quality and uniform drug release profiles.
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Hygroscopic tablets are particularly sensitive to moisture in the environment, as they tend to absorb water from the air. This moisture absorption can lead to changes in the tablet’s properties, such as increased weight variation, compromised tablet hardness, and altered dissolution profiles. The presence of moisture during tablet compression can also lead to processing challenges such as sticking, capping, or lamination. Therefore, managing humidity levels in the compression areas during tablet production is essential for ensuring consistent tablet quality and preventing potential defects.
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Granulation is a crucial step in the manufacturing of sustained release tablets, where powders are bound together to form granules that are then compressed into tablets. During this process, heat build-up is a common issue, especially in the wet granulation stage, which can compromise both the quality of the granules and the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). If heat is not managed properly, it can cause API degradation, inconsistent granule formation, and ultimately affect the release profile of the drug. Proper management of heat during granulation is essential to ensure the production of high-quality sustained release tablets that meet the required specifications.
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Flowability is a crucial property in tablet manufacturing, especially in the context of tablet press feed frames. The feed frame of a tablet press holds the powder blend and delivers it to the die cavity for compression. If the powder does not flow smoothly into the die, it can lead to issues such as weight variation, inconsistent tablet hardness, and poor tablet uniformity. Poor flowability is a common challenge in the pharmaceutical industry and can affect both the efficiency of the manufacturing process and the quality of the final product.
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Roller compaction is an essential dry granulation technique used in pharmaceutical manufacturing to improve the flow and compressibility of powders, making it easier to form tablets. However, controlling the process in real time is critical to ensure consistent granule size, uniformity, and quality. Real-time monitoring can help to adjust key process parameters during roller compaction, ensuring that the granulation process produces high-quality granules with consistent properties. Without proper monitoring, issues such as granule size variability, inconsistent density, or API segregation can occur, leading to product quality problems.
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Enteric-coated tablets are designed to protect the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from stomach acids and ensure that the drug is released in the intestines. However, during the coating process, common issues such as picking and sticking can occur, compromising the integrity and appearance of the tablets. Picking refers to the unwanted removal of the coating from the tablet surface, while sticking refers to the tablet adhering to the coating pan or to other tablets, which can result in defects and loss of coating quality.
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Blend homogeneity is critical in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing, especially when producing tablets using direct compression techniques. Direct compression involves compressing a powder blend into tablets without the need for a wet granulation step, which simplifies the process and reduces production time. However, maintaining homogeneity of the powder blend is vital to ensure consistent tablet weight, content uniformity, and drug release profiles. Even small variations in the blend can result in inconsistent dosages and product quality issues.
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Granulation is a critical process in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing that involves the binding of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients into a cohesive mass. However, a common challenge during this process is the loss of API, which can occur due to various factors such as incomplete mixing, over-wetting, or poor filtration. API loss can lead to inconsistent tablet dosage, decreased bioavailability, and regulatory non-compliance. Therefore, minimizing API loss is essential to ensure both the efficacy and quality of the final product.
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Uniform distribution of colorants in coated tablets is a critical aspect of pharmaceutical tablet production. Colorants are used not only for aesthetic purposes but also for product identification, branding, and quality control. Achieving a uniform distribution of colorants ensures that the tablets have a consistent appearance, which is important for patient confidence and regulatory compliance. However, challenges in the coating process, such as colorant aggregation, inconsistent spray patterns, and uneven drying, can lead to inconsistent coloring and suboptimal tablet quality.
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Over-compression is a common issue in tablet manufacturing, particularly when producing slow release or controlled-release tablets. While compression is necessary to form tablets with consistent weight, size, and hardness, excessive force during the compression stage can lead to tablet defects such as reduced porosity, impaired drug release, and mechanical weakness. Managing over-compression in slow release tablets is critical to ensuring that the tablets achieve the desired release profile without compromising their integrity or performance.
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High-speed granulation is a vital process in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, used to produce uniform granules that are essential for tablet compression. Traditionally, granulation has been a labor-intensive process with significant variability due to human intervention. However, automation has revolutionized this process, improving efficiency, reproducibility, and product quality while reducing human error and operational costs.
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Dusting is a significant issue in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially during the powder handling and compression stages. Dust particles can lead to product loss, contamination, and safety hazards in the production environment. Moreover, dusting can cause inefficiencies in the tablet compression process, resulting in uneven tablet weight, poor uniformity, and compromised product quality.
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