What is Capsule Filling Machine?
A capsule filling machine is a machine used to fill empty capsules with various materials, such as powders, liquids or pellets. They play an invaluable role in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. Capsule fill machines not only ensure the correct amount of medication but also improve capsule filling efficiency.
Capsule Filling Machine Types
There are three primary kinds of capsule filling machines, with each type suited to different production levels and production goals.
Manual Capsule Filling Equipment
The manual capsule fill machine is an affordable choice. They can produce up to 8,000 capsules an hour and fit seamlessly into various environments, such as pharmacies, small manufacturing laboratories and research and development facilities.
Semi-Automatic Capsule Filling Equipment
The semi automatic capsule filling machine combines manual guidance with automated functions for increased user control and productivity. They can fill 10,000 to 40,000 capsules per hour, depending on the model. This capsule filler is equipped with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), adjustable speed settings for their auger, modular hoppers and PLC controllers (PLC). And they are ideal solutions for mid-sized batches or changing product frequently.
Automatic Capsule Filling Equipment
The fully automatic capsule filling machine can produce anywhere between 25,000 to 90,000 capsules an hour using PLC control technology with tamping pin technology for precise dosing. Their wide array of capsule sizes is handled seamlessly while filling them with powders, granules or pellets as their quality control features ensure consistent and efficient production of pharmaceuticals in large amounts.
Capsule Filling Machine Working Principle
The way a capsule filler machine works is all about carefully and consistently placing a substance inside a capsule. While the exact process can vary between machines, the general steps are a well-orchestrated sequence of actions.
- Capsule Preparation
First, the empty capsules are loaded into the capsule fill machine from a large hopper. A rotary drum or vibratory feeder positions them correctly, and then a vacuum system or another mechanism pulls the capsule apart, separating the body from the cap. - Filling the Capsules
Once the capsule bodies are in place, a dosing system delivers a very specific amount of the substance you need to fill them with. The capsule filler uses technologies like tamping pins or dosators to make sure the fill is uniform and consistent every single time. - Joining and Locking
After being filled, the capsule bodies are brought back together with their corresponding caps. This is a crucial step. Align the two halves perfectly and then lock them securely together either using pressure or a mechanical locking system. - Finalizing and Ejection
The capsule filler machine pushes out the newly filled and sealed capsules. Then, they might go through a final check or a quick polishing to remove any leftover powder before they are collected and ready for packaging.
How to Use a Capsule Filling Machine
The operating steps vary depending on the type of capsule filling device. Here’s a general overview
Operating an Automatic Capsule Filler
- Preparation and Inspection: Begin by checking that all machine components are in proper working order. Based on your production requirements, select the appropriate disc and filling system for either powders or granules.
- Setup and Adjustment: Ensure the machine’s support and material tray are level and that the filling rod is aligned perfectly perpendicular to the support. This ensures the rod can move freely into the filling holes. Adjust the height of the filling seat by loosening the set screw, turning the lock nut to the desired position, and then tightening both.
- Initial Run: Once all safety settings are in place, manually turn the machine’s handwheel a few times in the running direction without capsules or material. This confirms smooth operation.
- Filling Process: With everything confirmed as normal, place the empty capsules and filling material into their respective hoppers. The fill height should be about 30 mm below the top edge of the container.
- Fine-Tuning: Adjust the depth of the filling rod into the material tray. And the final fill volume is determined by the capsule size, tray height, and the compaction level of the powder. Initially, the lower ends of all six filling rods should be on the same horizontal plane.
- Start-Up: Once all adjustments have been completed, switch on your capsule filler machine. It will begin the filling process automatically.
- Maintenance: On an ongoing basis, inspect and clear out your metering bucket of any embedded sediment. Apply a thin layer of grease to its track on the convex roller. And clean and grease all gears and groove cam every two weeks, etc.
Operating a Semi-Automatic Capsule Filler
- Switch on: Press the green “power switch” button.
- Adjust Vibration: To adjust vibration strength, slowly turn the “vibration strength adjustment knob” clockwise until a sorting disk connected to vibration support begins vibrating. Then manually adjust its strength for your preference.
- Load Capsules: Load about 300 capsule bodies into a “capsule shell sorting disk” and 300 caps onto a “capsule cap sorting plate”. Both are made of transparent material with funnel-shaped holes for fitting capsules perfectly.
- Capsule Aligning: Vibration causes capsules to drop into their holes with open ends facing up; this typically takes 30 seconds. Any capsules facing down may require a gentle press on with an extra cap before removal from their holes.
- Transfer: Use a connecting plate to horizontally transfer aligned capsule bodies from your sorting plate onto an outbound transport cart. Then transfer all aligned capsule caps onto a receiving cart.
- Filling: Begin by filling a square plate with raised edges with powder. Next, place a connecting plate containing capsule bodies on top and use a small shovel to fill them up before using scrapers to scrape away excess.
- Capping: When capping capsule bodies using aligned holes on an aligning cap connecting plate, use the capsule cap cover plate to align itself with a capsule cap connecting plate. Turn over this piece so open ends of caps face downward before covering their capsule bodies using their open end connections on this connecting plate.
- Pressing: Insert your assembled plate into the cavity under the “capsule cap forming plate,” pull down on the “pressing rod”. And let a built-in mechanism manage pressing height so you don’t use too much force in pressing down on it.
- Harvesting: Once all the capsules have closed up and been dumped out of their plate, remove it and start the harvest process again with another batch.
Why Choose an Anxine Capsule Filling Machine
Anxine has long been recognized for its innovative technologies within the pharmaceutical industry. Backed by decades of expertise as a capsule filling machine manufacturer, our tailored solutions cater to research & development, small pilot projects as well as high volume commercial production applications.
- Capsule filling machine that accommodates powders, pellets, micro-tablets, liquids, and combined fills
- In-line quality checks during production with integrated sensors
- Specialized systems for monitoring critical process data
- Automated counting for tablet-based fills
- Highly flexible and modular capsule filling device design
- Integrated control systems with precise gravimetric weighing
- Automatic and accurate capsule check-weighing
- Multiple operator safety concepts to ensure full containment
