Hard gelatin capsules

INTRODUCTION CAPSULE SHELL MANUFACTURE CAPSULE FILLING MACHINES FILLING OF DOSAGE FORMS FINISHING

Easily swallowed. Beneficial for drugs having an unpleasant taste. Highly soluble materials and deliquescent materials should not be used. Capsules made with methylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohols, denatured gelatin give enteric effect.

IT CONSISTS OF FOLLOWING STEPS: DIPPING ROTATION DRYING STRIPPING TRIMMING JOINING

Eli lilly and company,Indianapolis. Farmatic SNC,Bologna,Italy. Hofliger and karg,Waiblingen,Germany. Macofar SAS,Bologna,Italy. mG2,Bologna,Italy. Osaka,Japan. Perry industries,Green Bay,WI Zanasi Nigris,Bologna,Italy.

Rectification: The empty capsules are oriented so that all point the same direction i.e, body end facing downward Seperation of caps from bodies: Here the rectified capsules are delivered to split bushings. Dosing of filling material: It has some dosing devices. Replacement of caps: Filled capsules are ejected.

1.

Bench scale filling: this is manual filling. It

contains 200-300 holes which produces 30005000 capsules per hour.

Dependent: dosing systems that use capsule body

directly to measure the powder. Uniformity in the fill weight can only be achieved if the capsule is filled completely. Independent: dosing systems where the powder is measured independently of the body in a special measuring device. Weight uniformity is not dependent on filling the body completely.

In these dosing systems filling is done by using THE AUGER. Empty capsules are fed into a pair of ring holders The body holder is placed on a variable speed revolving turntable. The powder hopper is pulled over the top of this plate , which revolves underneath it. In the hopper a revolving auger forces powder down into the capsule bodies. Example of this type of system is ELI LILLY company capsule filling machine.

Storage hopper. 2) Rectifying unit. 3) 3A and 3B two piece filling ring. 4) Powder hopper. 5) Peg ring. 6) Closing plate. 7) Collection chamber. this is semiautomatic machine. Pelletized or granular materials may be readily filled using this equipment.
1)

Machines which use this kind of dosing mechanisms form a plug of powder which is a soft compact formed at low compression forces. There are 2 types of plug forming machines. 1. Dosators. 2. Tamping finger and dosing disc systems. Dosators: these machines consists of a dosing tube inside which there is a movable spring loaded piston. It is lowered into bed of powder and forms a plug. This assembly is then raised from the powder bed and positioned over the capsule body.

used for filling of pellets ,powders ,tablets .

Mainly used for filling of powders.

G36-150,G37-1600,G381000 capsules per minute.

Output 40,000-80,000 capsules per minute.

the dosing disc forms the bottom of a revolving powder hopper. This disc has a series of set of accurately drilled holes in which sets tamping fingersstainless steel rods are lowered to form powder plugs.

Models are GKF303,GKF-602,GKF1500,GKF-2500. The number indicate capsules output.

The only model available is R-180 which has a rated capacity of 70,000-1,65,000 capsules per hr. The unique powder filling principle used is vibration. Vibrators are externally controlled.

PERRY:

24 vertically operating cam controlled empty needles are immersed into the powder bed and vacuum is applied. A sensor system is present which prevents the ejection of powder in the absence of a capsule body . Output is 60,000 capsules per hr.

Pellets:filled on industrial scale using machines adapted for powder use.These are not compressed but held inside the measuring device by applying suction in dosing tube. Tablets: placed in hoppers allowed to fall down tubes at bottom of which is a gate device that will allow a set number of tablets to pass. Semisolid and liquids: by using volumetric pumps. semisolids that are solid at ambient temperatures can be liquified before filling.

forming identations or grooves inside of the cap and body portions. Hermetically sealed with a colored band of gelatin. Another process that uses a liquid wetting agent that lowers the melting point in the contact areas.

Sealing: normally capsules are self locking by

be used to remove dust and to polish capsules. a polyurethrane or cheese cloth liner is placed in the pan to trap the removed dust.

Pan polishing: accela cota tablet coating pan may

Cloth dusting: this is hand operation , capsules

are rubbed with a cloth. It imparts gloss.
shaft brushes.

Brushing: used to remove dust under rotating Stability considerations: capsules should not be
exposed to high humidity conditions. The removal of moisture should be sufficient.

The Science of dosage form design by M.E.AULTON; 2nd edition, Elsevier publication, pg no:449. The theory and practice of industrial pharmacy by LEON LACHMAN, 3rd edition, Varghese publishing house, pg no:374. ANSELS pharmaceutical dosage form and drug delivery systems, 8th edition, B.I. Publications, pg no:204.