Tablet press instrumentation monitor

A major development in pharmaceutical technology has been the application of instrumentation techniques to tablet presses. The ability to monitor the forces that develop during the compaction, ejection, and detachment of tablets has brought about new insights into the physics of compaction, facilitated formulation development, and provided a means for the in-process control of tablet weight in manufacturing [62,63], In... 

Instrumented tablet presses with computer interfaces allow the pharmaceutical scientist to study the mechanism of compaction and the relationship of the mechanism to tablet-compaction properties and formulations. In addition, automated systems are useful to develop compression profiles for reference purposes, to control weight of tablets during development and production, and to monitor punch wear. This automation reduces the burden on personnel faced with the requirements of quality control. Merck Sharp and Dohme s major production facility in the United Kingdom is fully computerized to manufacture a high-volume tablet product as well as multiple-tablet products. " ... 

In mid-1980s, custom-made press monitoring systems were described, ° and the first commercial instrumentation packages became available, including both the systems for product development and press control. The first personal computer-based tablet press monitor was sold in 1987, and the first Microsoft Windows-based press instrumentation package in 1995. 

Zeiss, J.C. Beck, B. Patel, K. Development of a monitoring system for an instrumented rotary tablet press. Pharm. Tech. 1986, August, 60-67. 

The major use of the instrumented press in the operations or production area is for tablet weight monitoring and control. Early research in this field was able to show that the measured force of compression was proportional to the mass of material in the die cavity. This, of course, led to systems that could monitor the uniformity of the peak heights measure, send a signal to a servo motor on the press to adjust the weight control if necessary, and finally turn off the press or... 

Punch displacement measurements are easily done on a single station press by attaching LVDT to the punch. On a rotary press, such measurements can be done by means of slip ring, telemetry, or instrumented punch. Punch displacement profiles may be used in conjunction with compression force to estimate work of compression and work of expansion (measure of elasticity). Because capping tendency increases with the punch penetration depth, it may be desirable to monitor actual punch movement into the die. The shape of a force-displacement curve is an indication of the relative elasticity or plasticity of the material whereas plastic deformation is desirable for stronger tablets, excess plasticity usually results in tablets that tend to cap and laminate. ... 

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