Tablet Manufacturing Process

Tablet Manufacturing Process

Solid dosages form the bulk of drugs produced in today’s pharmaceutical world. Most pharmaceutical enterprises use traditional powder-handling batch processes. Following the confirmation of substance identity, key processes include blending, sieving, granulation, and drying, all leading up to the final steps of tableting or encapsulating.

Blending, Granulation & Drying:

The act of mixing powders is a fundamental step in the creation of all solid pharmaceutical items. Blend uniformity assessment is crucial during solid dosage manufacturing. It’s vital to ensure a consistent mix, as this homogeneous blend is then subdivided into individual doses containing the correct amount of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). For both direct and indirect measurements of solid products, FT-NIR provides a range of solutions.

Tableting & Capsulation:

Managing a tablet press requires insights into the weight, thickness, and hardness of the tablets being produced. While external tablet testers generally provide these insights, the TANDEM FT-NIR online system offers the added advantage of supplying chemical data about the tablets, including frequently sought-after content uniformity (CU) of the produced batch.

For a more in-depth look at API distribution within a tablet, the HYPERION 3000 FTIR microscope emerges as an ideal tool. The HYPERION seamlessly integrates FTIR imaging and point-by-point spectroscopy into one system. Dual optics within the microscope ensure a precise, undistorted view of the sample on the FPA (Focal Plane Array) detector during chemical imaging.

Coating:

Monitoring tablet coating, particularly in drum coaters, can be efficiently handled by FT-NIR spectroscopy. A fiber optic solid probe, positioned in the drum coater and in contact with the tablets, facilitates continuous measurements of tablet thickness.