Overcoming tablet design issues

I Holland, Natoli Enginerring Company, Elizabeth Carbide Die Co. and IMA Active talk about how to overcome tablet design issues

Steve Osborn, I Holland

A high-quality tablet tooling manufacturer will always involve their expert tablet designers as early in the process as possible. These specialists will ensure that tablet designs are not only unique and visually appealing, but are also robust and easily produced in a highly demanding tablet manufacturing environment. Making just a few simple changes to a tablet can stop future problems from picking and sticking to counterfeit issues, and your brand and productivity can be enhanced through professional tablet design.

It is important to remember that punches and dies are the most critical interface with your end product, the tablet.

Dale Natoli, NatoliEngineering Company

When a tablet is well designed, it can be easily produced; reducing operating costs and eliminating wasted troubleshooting time. This is best achieved through communication early in the product development process, which allows the tablet design to be modified for success in the marketplace as well as in production.

Consider designing your tablet to complement the characteristics of the powder. Key departments that should be included in the development of a new product: marketing, packaging, product development, research development, tablet compression and technical support. With good communication regarding tablet design, you eliminate many possibilities of failure and ensure an on-time launch.

Rich Kirk, Elizabeth Carbide Die Co.

Recently a customer complained that powder was adhering to upper and lower punch faces, even though their tooling was coated on both cups. There were no visible signs of abrasion or corrosion, and the formulation properties were good. I find customers and tooling suppliers often add coatings prior to considering all the relevant factors. The problem was primarily related to compression dynamics across the punch faces, which could be solved by reconsidering the tablet geometry.

Formulations vary in their ability to be compressed. When compression limits as related to cup height are exceeded, it may cause low surface density at the tablet’s cup apex. In this case, the cup geometry had too much volume and consequently tablet band thickness was too narrow. A narrow band can slow air dissipation during compression.

After making the desired tablet geometry adjustments, a better balance between cup height and band thickness resulted in no more powder sticking, increased cup force rating and lower cost tooling than the original coated solution. Customer productivity is much greater than before.

Fabriano Ferrini, IMA Active

Capping and picking are just two of the major problems associated with tablet design.

Capping often happens when the tablet is deep concave and the air cannot escape from the granules. The design of the tablet should be reviewed making the tablet normal concave.

Picking is a phenomenon where product sticks in the embossing of the punch tip due to the sharp corners on engraving and powder builds up. The design of the embossing should be reviewed to foresee engraving blended land.