TABLET COMPRESSION

COMPRESSION
BY
SAJJAD AHMAD
OFFICER PRODUCTION

CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 TYPES OF COMPRESSION MACHINES
i. SINGLE PUNCH/SINGLE STATION/ECCENTRIC PRESSES
ii. MULTI-STATION/ROTARY PRESSES
 SINGLE PUNCH/ECCENTRIC PRESSES/SINGLE STATION
 WORKING MECHANISM OF SINGLE PUNCH MACHINE
 TYPES OF SINGLE PUNCH TABLET PRESS
 PARTS OF A SINGLE PUNCH TABLET PRESS
 ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PUNCH TABLET PRES
 MULTI-STATION/ROTARY PRESS
 PARTS OF MULTI-STATION/ROTARY PRESS
 ADVANTAGES OF ROTARY PRESS
 PRINCIPLE OF MULTISTATION PRESS

CONTENTS
 STAGES OF TABLET COMPRESSION PROCESS
 CLASSIFICATION OF MULTI STATION PRESS TOOLING
i. B TYPE
ii. D TYPE
 TOOLING TERMINOLOGIES
 SHAPES OF PUNCHES/TABLET IN REGULAR USE
 ADVANCE TOOLING DESIGNS
i. MULTIPLE TIP TABLET PRESS TOOLING
ii. ROTATING HEAD PUNCHES
iii. QUICK RELEASE TOOLING
iv. LINED DIES
v. INTERCHANGEABLE TURRET
vi. SEGMENTED DIE TABLE

INTRODUCTION
The manufacturing of oral solid dosage forms such as tablets is a complex multi-stage process
under which the starting materials change their physical characteristics a number of times before
the final dosage form is produced. Traditionally, tablets have been made by granulation, a
process that imparts two primary characteristics compressibility and fluidity.
After the preparation of granules (in case of wet granulation) or slugging (in case of dry
granulation) or mixing of ingredients (in case of direct compression), they are compressed to get
final product. The compression is done either by single punch machine (stamping press) or by
multi station machine (rotary press).
The tablet press is a high-speed mechanical device. It 'squeezes' the ingredients into the
required tablet shape with extreme precision. It can make the tablet in many shapes, although
they are usually round or oval.
Each tablet is made by pressing the granules inside a die, made up of hardened steel. The die is
a disc shape with a hole cut through its centre. The powder is compressed in the centre of the die
by two hardened steel punches that fit into the top and bottom of the die. The punches and dies
are fixed to a turret that spins round. As it spins, the punches are driven together by two fixed
cams an upper cam and lower cam. The top of the upper punch (the punch head) sits on the
upper cam edge .The bottom of the lower punch sits on the lower cam edge.

TYPES OF COMPRESSION MACHINES
There are following 2 types,
i. SINGLE PUNCH/SINGLE STATION/ECCENTRIC PRESSES
ii. MULTI-STATION/ROTARY PRESSES
 SINGLE PUNCH/SINGLE STATION/ECCENTRIC PRESSES
 Single punch tablet press also known as eccentric press or single station press is the
simplest machine for tablet manufacturing.
 This machine uses single set of station tooling (a die and a pair of upper and lower
punches).
 The compaction force on the fill material is exerted by only the upper punch while the
lower punch is static such action equivalent to hammering motion and as a result, the
single punch press is referred to as stamping process.
 The single punch tablet press usually produces about 60-85 tablets/min .

WORKING MECHANISM OF SINGLE PUNCH MACHINE
The working cycle is as follows
i. FILLING
ii. WEIGHT ASDJUSTMENT
iii. COMPRESSION
iv. EJECTION
FILLING:
 Upper punch is withdrawn from the die by the upper cam, bottom punch is low in the die so powder falls in through the
hole and fill the die.
WEIGHT ASDJUSTMENT
 Bottom punch move up to adjust the powder weight, it raises and expel the extra powder.
COMPRESSION:
 Upper punch is driven into the die by upper cam.
 Bottom punch is raised by lower cam. Both punch heads pass between the heavy rollers to compress the tablet.
EJECTION:
 Upper punch is withdrawn by the upper cam. Lower punch is pushed up and expel the tablets.
 Tablet is removed from the die surface by the surface plate.

TYPES OF SINGLE PUNCH MACHINE
The different series of the single punch tableting machine includes,
i. Automatic Single Punch Tableting Machine
ii. C&C600B Series Single Punch Tablet Press
iii. TDP - Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press
iv. TDP-1 Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press
v. TDP-5 Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press
vi. TDP-30 Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press

Automatic Single Punch Tableting Machine
 This machine is designed for pressing tablets from a variety of materials for Research & Development and
for small-scale production of Neutraceuticals,herbals, and other products.
 It is designed for pressing round tablets from various granular materials.
This is a bench-top unit, semi-portable, that is motor-driven but can also be hand-driven for adjustment and
testing purposes.
 One punch & die set is included. Fill depth, tablet thickness, and punch pressure are all adjustable. This is
by far our most popular unit
 This machine compresses powdered granular materials into tablet form. It is adjustable, operator friendly,
easy to maintain, compact and light weight.

C&C600B Series Single Punch Tablet Press
 C&C600B Series Single Punch Tablet Press is an advanced machine with new structure.
 It is a continuous, automatic tablet machine used in many departments such as pharmacy, laboratory
which needs to make powder, and granular raw material into tablets.

TDP - Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press
This is designed for pressing tablets from a variety of materials for small-scale
production of neutraceuticals, herbals, and other products.
 Features are same as that of automatic single punch tableting machine.

TDP-1 Benchtop Model Single Punch Tablet Press
 This is a bench-top press unit, semi-portable.
One punch and die set is included.
 Fill depth, tablet thickness, and punch pressure are all adjustable.
This is a new unit, a little heavier-duty than the TDP Benchtop Press.

This is a heavy-duty benchtop unit.
 It produces tablets up to 20 mm in diameter.

 This is an extra heavy-duty benchtop unit.
 It produces tablets up to 24mm in diameter.
 Featuring precision filling, low-noise, low-consumption of material, and smooth operation.
 The minimum consumption of lab material is just 200g.
 It is reliable and efficient for research and development labs and small scale production.

PARTS OF A SINGLE PUNCH TABLET
PRESS
Hopper: It is used to hold the materials (drug or the drug with excepients/ granules) to be
compressed and supply the material to the die and removes the tablet after its compression
Dies: Dies defines the shape and the size of the tablet by allowing the lower and upper punch to
come close together to compress the material.
Lower and upper punches: These are used for compressing of the materials (drug or the drug
with excepients/ granules) within the dies.
Cam track: This is the component used for guiding the movement of the punches.
Capacity regulator:To adjust the position of the lower punch to accommodate the required
quantity of materials by the die.
Ejection regulator: To adjust the position of the lower punch, so that its highest position is at par
with the surface of the die.
Driving wheel: It helps in the movement of the lower punch, the upper punch and hopper shoe
and also check their movement.

PARTS OF A SINGLE PUNCH TABLET
PRESS

ADVANTAGES OF SINGLE PUNCH TABLET
PRESS
The single punch structure is rational and small.
Easy to operate and it operates at a high utilization ratio.
It can manufacture odd shaped products with a diameter of up to 20mm.
It is ideal for development of tablets and small batch production.
Single punch tablet press utilizes a high amount of pressure to reduce weight
variations between tablets while maintaining a low noise level at the same time.

TYPES OF COMPRESSION MACHINES
MULTI-STATION/ROTARY PRESSES
Multi-station press is a mechanical device that unlike the single punch tablet press has
several tooling station which rotates to compress granules/powder mixture into tablets of
uniform size, shape (depending on the punch design) and uniform weight.
It was developed to increase the output of tablets.
 In rotary press, the compaction force on the fill material is exerted by both the upper and
lower punches leaving the powder granules to be compressed in the middle.This is known
as accordion type of compression.
The capacity of a rotary tablet press is determined by the rotation speed of the turret and
the number of stations on the press.

PARTS OF A ROTARY PRESS
 HOPPER
 FEEDER SYSTEM
 PUNCHES
 DIE SYSTEM
 TURRET
 CAM TRACKS
 TABLET PRESS FILLING STATION & WEIGHT CONTROL
 COMPRESSION ROLLERS
 EJECTION CAM
 TAKE OFF BLADE AND DISCHARGE CHUTE
 TOUCH SCREEN CONTROL PANEL
 SEALING SYSTEM
 ELECTRIC MOTORS,GEARS AND BELTS
 LUBRICATION SYSTEM
 HYDRAULIC PUMP UNIT

TABLET PRESS HOPPER
 The tablet compression process starts from here.
 Hopper is basically a material feeding section.
 It is the point where we put all powder/grains intended to compress into tablets.
 Tablet press hoppers come in a wide range of shapes and designs. Whatever the shape, it should be such
that the material can flow seamlessly into the tablet compression chamber.
 Since it is in direct contact with the material, it is made of stainless steel.
 Depending on the design of a tablet press machine, powder can be filled manually or using other
automated systems.
 Hoppers may feature optimal flow angles to facilitate flow, especially where it is nearly impossible to adjust
formulation.
 Some hoppers may have feature vibratory rods.This is done carefully to enhance product flow and to
prevent possible product separation.

TABLET PRESS FEEDER SYSTEM
Feeders feed powder/grains to the dies.
Tablet press machine feeder system is made up two critical components,
i. FEEDER HOUSING
ii. FEED PEDDLES
 FEEDER HOUSING
 Material from the hopper will enter the dye system through the housing.
 The feeding process should be consistent and accurate to produce high quality tablets.
 The feeder housing is made of stainless steel 316L since it is in contact with the product.
 The product must not stick on the feeder housing as it will cause inconsistencies during the feeding process.
 FEED PEDDLES
 Number of high speed rotary tablet press machines have a feed peddles.
 The feed peddles ensures consistent and accurate material feeding into the die systems.
 Without a feed peddle, especially if the machine is operating at a high speed, there could be chances of some dies being filled half way.
This may result in tablets with varying thickness or the degree of compaction.

TABLET PRESS PUNCHES
To produce the desired tablets, punches move within the die, thereby compressing powder into the
desired tablets.
In any tablet press machine, it has Upper punch system, the tablet press upper punches are on
the upper section of the rotary system. They move vertically, in and out of the die bore.
The lower punches are on the lower section of the rotary system of the tablet press machine.
During the tablet compression process, the lower punches remain within the die bore throughout
the entire cycle.
TABLET PRESS DIE SYSTEM
To produce the desired tablets, punches move within the die, thereby compressing powder into the
desired tablets.
The movement of tablet press machine punches, takes place within the die bore or cavity.
Therefore, the punch and die must be machined together to ensure compatibility.
It is in the die cavity where the powder is compressed into desired tablets of definite thickness and
size.
It is the die cavity that determines both the thickness and size of a tablet.

TABLET PRESS TURRET
 A rotating turret is an essential part of the rotary tablet press machine in the pharmaceutical industry.
 The rotating turret have holes that host the die system of a tablet making machine and punch guides to hold
punches
 It is precisely machined to ensure both die pockets and punch guides are fully aligned for optimal tablet making
process.
 Turrets are the heart of tablet press tooling.
 It is the tablet press machine turret that determines the number of stations.
 This helps to determine the production capacity of the machine for every complete rotation of the turret .

TABLET PRESS CAM TRACKS
 Cam tracks are critical tablet compression machine parts that play an integral role in ensuring seamless tableting process.
 The main work of the cam tracks is to guide the upper and lower punches in different stages in the tablet compression
process.
 That is, as the turret rotates, it is the cam trucks that move the punches in an up and down motion.
 This helps to control filling, compression and ejection of already processed tablets.
 For example, as the upper cam withdraws top punches from the die, powder flows in filling the cavity .On the other hand,
the lower cam track pushes the bottom punches upwards within the die cavity. This makes the die to be overfilled by
material, allowing for accurate adjustment of the die content.
 To achieve a maximum compression force, the upper cam track drives the top punch and the lower cam adjusts the bottom
punch. With the tablet compressed to the desired specifications, the upper cam withdraws top punches. On the other hand,
the lower punches move upwards to expel the compressed tablets with the help of lower cam.

TABLET PRESS FILLING STATION & WEIGHT CONTROL
 With the help of different movements of the cam systems, material will flow into the die cavity depending
on the position of the punches.
 A critical procedure in tablet compression process is the Weight control by controlling the depth of dye
filling.
 With the help of lower cam track, the bottom punch moves upwards to a predetermined height.
 This ensures the die cavity is filled to a required depth according to required weight of tablet before any
compression process begins.
 At this time as the bottom punch moves up, the excess powder may overflow. Therefore, to avoid
wastages, the excess powder automatically moves to the next die cavity, which is just about to be filled.

COMPRESSION ROLLERS
 Tablet compression machines have a series of rollers that exert a sufficient amount of force to compress the powder.
 Most machines have two sets of rollers.
PRE-COMPRESSION ROLLERS
 These are the very first rollers in rotary tablet press.
 Basically, these rollers apply a small amount of force on the upper and lower punches. This gives the initial compression
force.
 The aim of this process is to remove entrapped air that could be in the die or powder particles.
MAIN COMPRESSION ROLLERS
 Main compression rollers exert a predetermined amount of force (final compression force) for the formation of tablets. The
compression force at this stage is higher than the pre-compression force.
 It is important that the rollers remain stable with no vibration during the entire process. This is to ensure consistency of
the tablets’ thickness and size.

TABLET PRESS EJECTION CAM
 Ejection cam is located just after the main compression rollers.
 After compression, the tablet is always fixed within the die systems (space between lower and upper
punches).
 The ejection cams steadily and slowly push the bottom punch upwards. At the same time, the top cams
move up and so are the top punches .As a result, the fully compressed tablets leave the die cavity i.e. the
compressed tablet remains just at the top of the die.
TAKE –OFF BLADE AND DISCHARGE CHUTE
 The take –off blades are fitted just above the feeder housing.
 Their main role is to deflect the fully compressed tablets into the discharge chute and then are collected in
containers.

TOUCH SCREEN CONTROL PANEL
 HMI system control every aspect of the tablet making process.
 HMI can either be attached to the main machine or exist separately.
SEALING SYSTEM
 The sealing system provides advanced dust handling capability. This isolation reduces need to clean the
machine regularly and possible cross contamination.
ELECTRIC MOTORS, GEARS AND BELTS
 The compression rollers, punches, dies, turret, etc. are all moving parts. This means that the machine
uses a prime mover.
 We can use a servo motor or an induction motor. For example, a servo motor is a perfect choice for the
filing system. This is because it is easy to control servo-motors to meet the highest degree of precisions
such as 0.01mm.
 However, for the pre-compression and compression stages, synchronous motors offer a better speed
and control. Servo motor for tableting machine Furthermore, to transmit this motion to other sections, we
may use a combination of both gears and belts. Even the motor can accurately start this machine,
whether under maximum load or with no load. In short, to achieve a desired motion, we need to
incorporate mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems.

LUBRICATIONS SYSTEMS
 Moving parts form integral sections of tablet compression machine parts, therefore, to avoid wear and
tear due to friction, we need to lubricate moving parts.
 A number of tablet press machines feature a central lubrication system. The machines automatically
lubricate moving components.·
HYDRAULIC PUMP UNIT
 An efficient hydraulic pump unit will help maintain consistent pre-pressure and main pressure.
 This guarantees smooth and accurate tableting process.
 Internal section of a tablet press machine part again, to avoid possible damage that may occur on the
tablet press tooling system, these machines are equipped with an overloading protective unit.
 This automatically stops the machine in case of overload.
Other parts of the machine include,
 Rubber wheels (depending on the size of a machine), switches, LED light indicators, lockable
polycarbonate cabinet and cooling system.

ADVANTAGES OF ROTARY PRESS
High productivity can be gained with a minimal amount of labor while
saving money.
Rotary press has an output of between 9000 – 234000 tab/hour or more
thus saves time and meets up with the high demand of tablet dosage form.
The powder filled cavity can be automatically managed by a moving feeder.
Rotary press decreases waste of valuable formulation in non-specific
tablets.
The machine allows independent control of both weight and hardness.

PRINCIPLE OF TABLET COMPRESSION
MACHINE
PRINCIPLE
 In the tablet compression machine main principle is compressing the grains/powder in upper and
lower punch in a die hole.
The hydraulic pressure plays a key role.
This pressure is transmitted unreduced through the static fluid.
 Any externally applied pressure is transmitted via static fluid to all the direction in same
proportion.
 It also makes it possible to multiply the force as needed. If we increase the hydraulic pressure
more compressing force on tablet then it becomes more hard.

STAGES OF TABLET COMPRESSION
PROCESS
i. FILLING
ii. METERING/WEIGHT ASDJUSTMENT
iii. COMPRESSION
iv. EJECTION
FILLING
 The filling stage of tablet compression process involves transfer of granules to the compressing machine
punch-die cavity.
 The punch die cavity is composed of upper punch, die and lower punch. The position of lower punch
within the die determines the volume of the punch-die cavity.
 This volume must be appropriately sized for the weight of granulation to be compressed into tablets.
 The granulation is overfilled on the die table (turret) to ensure complete filling of the punch-die cavity
volume.

STAGES OF TABLET COMPRESSION PROCESS
METERING/WEIGHT ASDJUSTMENT
 The metering stage of the tablet compressing process involves removal of excess granulation from the compressing machine.
 This stage enables the exact weight (volume) of granulation to be compressed into tablets.
 The exact weight of granulation is controlled by the height of the lower punch in the die. The height of the lower punch is
controlled by the metering cam (also called the dosage cam).
 The lower punch is raised to the appropriate level in the die to provide the exact weight of granulation in the punch-die cavity.
The excess granulation is scraped from the surface of the die table.
COMPRESSION
 The compression stage of the tablet forms the tablet.
 This stage involves bringing together the upper and lower punches under pressure within the die to form the tablet.
 As the punches enter the compression stage, the upper and lower punches move between two large wheels called pressure
rolls. These pressure rolls push the punches together to form the tablet.
 The distance between the upper and lower punches determines the thickness and the hardness of the tablet. When the
punches are close together, a thin and hard tablet is created. When the punches are farther apart, the tablet made is softer
and thicker.
 The proper balance of thickness and hardness determines the optimum roll distance for any specific product. These
adjustments are made while keeping the tablet weight constant.

EJECTION
The ejection stage of the tablet compressing process involves removal of the tablet from
the lower punch-die station.
 In this stage, the upper punch retracts from the die cavity and rises above the turret table.
Then the lower punch rises in the die, which in turn pushes the tablet upward to the top
surface of the die table and out of the die cavity.
A scraper (also called takeoff scraper or tablet rake-off) then pushes the tablet off the die
table away from the compressing machine into the collection container through discharging
chute.

STAGES OF TABLET COMPRESSION
PROCESS

CLASSIFICATION OF MULTI-STATION PRESS
TOOLING
 The punches and dies is called tablet tooling that determines the shape, size and the identification markings of the tablets.
 The tooling must meet the specific requirements to satisfy the needs of dosage uniformity, production efficiency and
esthetic appearance.
 Internationally recognized standards for tablet compression tooling are as follow,
i. TSM standard
ii. EU standard
TSM STANDARD
 TSM is acronym for the “TABLET SPECIFICATION MANUAL”, widely recognized and exclusive in the United States.
 TSM tooling specifications are the sole reference on U.S. manufacturing standards for tablets and tablet tooling.
 Established by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).
 TSM tooling specifications are the only published standards for the tablet compression industry.
EU STANDARD
 EU, is short for “EUROSTANDARD” considered as the European standard and also globally applicable.
 EU, more widely used than the TSM.
 EU, or Euronorm standard tool configurations are not published or governed by any organization or association.
 The EU standard is the most common tooling configuration used outside the U.S.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TSM & EU TOOLING
CONFIGURATIONS
 The TSM punch head configurations have an angled top profile versus the domed head profile of EU
 The TSM punch inside head angle for “B” punches is 37° compared to the EU, which is 30°
 Overall head thickness is greater in both “B” and “D” configurations for TSM tooling specifications in comparison
to the EU spec
 The overall punch length of the TSM tool is 0.010 inches shorter than the EU

CLASSIFICATION OF MULTI-STATION PRESS.
Based on the standard of TSM and EU, tablet tooling is mainly classified
i. “B” TYPE TOOLING
ii. “D” TYPE TOOLING
“B” TYPE TOOLING
 The B tooling punches and dies can be further classified as BB.
 D tooling can also be used on B tooling machine that is call as DB
 The “B” type configuration has a normal, punch barrel diameter of 0.750in. (19mm).
 The “B” type can be used with two types of die or can be said to have two different die sizes:
 The “B” dies with a diameter of 1.1875in. (30.16mm), suitable for all tablet sizes up to the maximum for
the “B” punches.
 The smaller “BB” dies (small “B” die) that has a diameter of 0.945in. (24mm).
 This die type is suitable for tablets up to 9mm diameter or 11mm maximum.
 Machines that are designed to “B” type tooling exert a maximum compression force of 6.5 tones.

“D” type
 This type has larger nominal barrel diameter of 1in. (25.4mm) and a die diameter of 1.500in. (38.10mm)
and thus is suitable for tablets with maximum diameter or maximum length of 25.4mm.
 Tablet press is designed to be used with either “B” or “D” tooling but not both. The compression force
obtainable in a machine depends on the type of tooling used.
 Machines that use the “D” type configuration exert 10 tones compression force.
“D” type
 This type has larger nominal barrel diameter of 1in. (25.4mm) and a die diameter of 1.500in. (38.10mm)
and thus is suitable for tablets with maximum diameter or maximum length of 25.4mm.
 Tablet press is designed to be used with either “B” or “D” tooling but not both. The compression force
obtainable in a machine depends on the type of tooling used.
 Machines that use the “D” type configuration exert 10 tones compression force.

TOOLING TERMINOLOGIES
COMPRESSION MACHINE PUNCH
HEAD
 The end of the punch that guides it through the cam track of tablet machine during Rotation.
HEAD FLAT (DWELL FLAT)
 The flat area of the head that receives the compression force from Rollers (in upper punches) and
determines the weight and ejection height (in lower punches).
OUTSIDE HEAD ANGLE
 The area gets in touch with the roller prior to head flat , while Compression.
INSIDE HEAD ANGLE
 This is the area, which pulls down the lower punches after ejection and lifts the upper punches after
compression.
NECK
 The relived area between the head and barrel, which provides clearance for the cams.

BARREL
 The area between neck and stem of punch.
 This area guides the punch (while going up and down) with reference to turret guides.
BARREL CHAMFER
 Chamfers at the ends of the punch barrel, eliminate outside corners.
BARREL TO NECK RADIUS
The area at junction of barrel and neck which provide smooth transition from barrel to neck.
BARRELTO STEM RADIUS
 The are at junction of barrel and stem which provide curved transition from tip length to barrel.
BARREL TO NECK CHAMFER
 The beveled area located between barrel and barrel to neck radius.
 The chamfer reduce wear to punch guide.

BARREL TO STEM CHAMFER
 The beveled area located between barrel and barrel to stem radius.
 The chamfer allows for the proper insertion of upper or lower punch into oil seal.
STEM
 The area of the punch opposite the head, beginning at the tip and extending to the point where
the full diameter of the barrel begins. If the chamfer is present the barrel usually reaches its full
diameter just above the chamfer.
TIP
 This determines size, shape & profile
TIP FACE:
 This area of punch is where the tablet is formed. Good surface finish is required here to get
quality tablets.
CUP DEPTH
 The depth of the cup from the highest point of the tip edge to the lowest point of the cavity

BAKELITE TIP RELIEF
 An undercut groove between the lower punch tip straight and the relief; it assures a sharp corner to assist
in scraping product adhering to the die wall; normally a purchased option for lower punches.
TIP RELIEF
 The portion of the punch stem which is a undercut or made smaller than the punch tip straight.
 Most common for lower punches to aid in reducing friction from the punch tip and die wall as the punch
travels through the compression cycle.
 the area where the punch tip and relief meet must be sharp to scrape product from the die wall as the
lower punch travels down for the fill cycle
TIP LENGTH
 The straight portion of the punch stem
TIP STRAIGHT
 The section of the tip that extends from the tip relief to the end of the punch tip; it maintains the punch tip
size tolerance.
WORKING LENGTH
 This distance between bottom of the cup and the head flat is called as working length which determines
weight and thickness of the tablet.

OVERALL LENGTH
 Distance between top of the cup and the head flat.
KEY
 A projection normally of mild steel which protrudes above the surface of the punch barrel.
 It maintains alignment of the upper punch for re-entry into the die, mandatory on upper punches with
multiple tips and all tablet shapes other than round.
 Commonly used with embossed round tablet shapes when rotation of the punch causes a condition
known as double impression
KEY ANGLE
 The relationship of the punch key to the tablet shape. The keys position is influenced by the tablet
shape, take-off angle, and turret rotation.
KEY POSITION
 The radial and height position of a key on the punch barrel; not found in all presses .

DOMED HEADS
 Increases the dwell time and hence help to achieve the better tablet hardness.
DWELL TIME
 The time punches spends below the pressure roller while rotating in the machine.
LAND
 The area between the edge of the punch cup and the outside diameter of the punch tip; this adds
strength to the tip to reduce punch tip fracturing
MAJOR AXIS
 The largest dimension of a shaped tablet
MINOR AXIS
 The smallest dimension of a shaped tablet
Clearance:
 Die bore dia – punch tip dia = Clearance.

DIE TERMINOLOGY
DIE.O.D.
 The outside diameter of the die, which is compatible with the die pockets in the press.
DIE HEIGHT
 The overall height of the die.
DIE BORE
 The cavity where the tablet is made. The Cavity’s shape and size determine the same form of tablet.
CHAMFER
 Entry angle of the die bore.
TAPER DIES
 Dies with tapered bore on one or both sides is used.
 They are used for easy removal of entrapped air and easy ejection of tablets (mainly for double layered tablets).
DIE GROOVE
 The groove around the periphery of the die, which allows the die to be fixed in the press.
LINED (INSERT) DIES
 Dies fitted with a linear insert made from a much harder, more wear resistant material such as tungsten carbide and
ceramic.

SHAPES OF PUNCHES/TABLET IN REGULAR USE
 Round
 GEOMETRIC
 CONVEX
 CONVEX & BEVEL
 OVAL
 MODIFIED OVAL
 CAPSULE
 MODIFIED CAPSULE
 COMPOUND CUP
 FLAT FACED
 FLAT FACED BEVEL EDGED
 FLAT FACED RADIUS EDGED
 DEEP CONCAVE (ROUND/CAPSULE)
 EXTRA DEEP
 MODIFIED BALL
 SHALLOW CONCAVE (ROUND/CAPSULE)
 STANDARD CONCAVE (ROUND/CAPSULE)

SHAPES OF PUNCHES/TABLET IN REGULAR
USE

SHAPES OF PUNCHES/TABLET IN REGULAR USE

SHAPES OF PUNCHES/TABLET
FLAT FACE (FF )
 Flat Face design is very simple.
 It cause a problem called edge attrition.
 The problem is created as the flat face tool entered into the compression cycle. The FF design naturally
push or force the powder to the outside perimeter of the punch tip and towards the die wall, which in turn
extrude through the punch and die clearance

FLAT FACE BEVEL EDGE
The FFBE was designed as an alternative to the Flat Face design.
FFBE solve the problem of edge attrition.
The FFBE deflect or guide the powder back into the tablet, hence reducing soft edges.
 Although the FFBE design proved to be beneficial for reducing soft edges, it presented a
new problem, which was punch tip failure.
 On an FF punch tip, there was virtually no cup or cup depth of the punch tip, it was
simply flat, so there was not a cup limiting compression force, pressure limits were
determined by the punch tip size to reduce tip bending and distortion.

FLAT FACE RADIUS EDGE OR FFRE
FFRE is an alternative to the FFBE tablet design.
 The FFRE is much more robust and has several advantages over the FFBE.
 Better uniform tablet hardness as the powder has a natural flow across the
radius, which can reduce hot spots and or discoloration to the perimeter of the
top of the tablet
Consumer acceptance as the FFRE tablet has a softer look and is more
appealing to the consumer and generally has a better mouth feel.

ADVANCE TOOLING DESIGNS
MULTIPLE TIP TABLET PRESS TOOLING
 These tools are common in high capacity tablet press machines.
 These can produce more than one tablet in every punching station.
 A multi-tip tool consists of three parts,
i. CAP THAT SERVES AS THE HOLDER FOR THE PUNCH TIPS.
ii. PUNCH BODY.
iii. INDIVIDUAL PUNCH TIPS.
 The replacement punches incorporate several punch tips and the replacement die has correspondingly
multiple holes enabling two or more tablets to be produced from a single compression stroke of the tablet
machine.
 Depending on the type of material and tablet press, up to 8 punch tips can replace a single conventional
punch tip. Such modification therefore enables 8 tablets to be produced for every compression stroke of the
tabletting machine

MULTIPLE TIP TABLET PRESS TOOLING
BENEFITS
 Increase in productivity, number of tablets per turret rotation is multiplied by the number of tips.
 No large capital outlay on new tablet presses mean that higher tooling costs are easily outweighed
by increased output.
 Reduction in press run-time per output of tablets means that less maintenance is required per
batch of tablets produced.
 Reduction in press setup-time per output of tablets.
 Less tablet presses required to satisfy output therefore requiring less floor space leading to more
product produced per square meter.
 All of the above lead to reduction in overall plant running costs.

The following need to be considered when contemplating the installation of
multi-Tip punch tooling:
 The upper section of the turret must have keyways. This ensures the correct fixing of the upper punch.
 Modification to the feeder paddles may be required due to increased fill requirements
 Tablet press monitoring systems can be adjusted to monitor the multitablet outputs as standard.
 Granulation flow must be working effectively due to the increased fill requirement
 The tablet press should be in good working order and critical dimensions of the turret (punch guides and
die pockets) should all be within accepted tolerance.

ROTATING HEAD PUNCHES/ROTAHEADS
The rotating head has two-parts ,
i. THE HEAD OF THE PUNCH
ii. KEYED PUNCH BODY
 The head of the punch rotates independently to the keyed punch body.
 This creates increased contact surface area between the cam and punch head.
 Back angle aging is therefore drastically reduced, allowing for less head wear and
longer punch service life.
 Dwell time is also increased.

QUICK RELEASE TOOLING
 For use with R&D tablet presses, Quick-Release Tooling allows to quickly change punch head configurations,
to determine the ideal dwell time for a tablet formulation.
 Quick Release Tooling Station Comes With,
i. ONE PUNCH BARREL.
ii. THREE INTERCHANGEABLE HEAD CONFIGURATIONS (DOMED, EXTENDED FLAT DOMED, AND FULL RADIUS)
iii. ONE CUSTOMIZED PUNCH TIP.
 It save both time and money.
 Determine the ideal production dwell time before scale-up without changing turret speed by easily and quickly
changing punch head configurations.
 Eliminate the time and labor required to replace multiple sets of tooling during the R&D process and the cost
of purchasing multiple sets of tooling
 Perform a detailed analysis of a formulation’s compressibility as well as greater troubleshooting capacity in
the early stages of tablet development.

QUICK RELEASE TOOLING

CERAMIC BARREL OPTION:
Requires no lubrication
Less wear, less friction, and less heat buildup
Absorbs less heat from surrounding metals
Will not expand due to heat
Reduces potential for tooling binding

LINED DIES
 Lined dies, commonly called insert dies, are used specifically to compress abrasive and corrosive
formulation.
BENEFITS OF LINED DIES
 Increased tool life.
 Less head wearing.
 Reduced friction.
 Elimination of corrosion.
 Extended tablet quality.
CARBIDE LINED DIES
 Recommended with abrasive granulations.
 Work well for neutraceutical applications.
 Provide a high level of wear resistance during the compression of abrasive products.
 Increase die life by more than 10 times due to their wear liner.

CERAMIC LINED DIES
 Recommended for corrosive products
 Reduce the coefficient of friction throughout tablet compression cycles
 Available for round and shaped tablets
 Include a wear liner that prevents them from wearing
 Increase die life by 5-10 time

DIAMOND COATING
 The idea here is to introduce properties of diamond to a punch and die system.
 Such tools are suitable for effervescent tablets.
 Diamond coated tools are generally abrasive resistant and durable.
 They don’t stick and their hardness is nearly 6 times more than the ordinary tablet presses.
GALVANIC CHROME TREATMENT
 This tablet press tooling is suitable for most standard tablet press applications.
 In most cases, the coating is about 5 microns.
 The coating is one of the most popular types of treatment in most pharmaceutical industries.
 This protects the tooling system of a tablet compression machine from wear and ensures better stability.
CHROME NITRIDE COATING
 The final surface of the tablet press tooling is better than the galvanic treatment.
 It has a high quality to price ratio with enhanced wear protection.
ALUMINUM TITANIUM NITRIDE OR TITANIUM NITRIDE COATING
 This treatment is known for its smooth finish and higher surface hardness.
 Therefore, it is a perfect choice for most pharmaceutical tablet compression applications.

INTERCHANGEABLE TURRET
 It allows tool free operation and dramatically reduced product change over.
 Faster product to product change over.
 Easier production planning and preparation as machine turrets can be made ready in advance.
 The ability to clean to a higher standard and offline.
 Configure the machine to maximize output through optimum tooling to product size selection.
 The precision drive coupling gives the strength of a fixed turret machine, so make tablets up to
100KN.
 Improved engineering access over fixed turret machines.
 Keep the initial investment down by buying the different turret sizes at a later date

SEGMENTED DIE TABLE
 Die table segments are engineered to eliminate the need for individual dies and die lock screws.
 The design increase production by up to 25% and make process simpler and smoother.
 With Die table segments gain more die stations per turret/press.
 Enhance productivity.
 Decrease set-up time by as much as 88%.
 Without the need for dies and die lock screws, efficiency will skyrocket, providing a more
productive process overall.
 In addition to providing optimum tablet production it reduce downtime for refitting, resetting, and
cleaning.
 Segments can be changed by loosening just two fastening bolts and only between 3 to 5
segments are needed for each turret, depending on the type of tablet press.

SEGMENTED DIE TABLE

BENEFITS OF SEGMENTED DIE TABLE
 Reduced product loss.
 Easier compliance with hygiene requirements.
 Up to 40% more output.
 Great production reliability through easy refitting.
 Service life increased by up to threefold through carbide brushes.

For Correction & feed back
email@
sajjad_formanite@yahoo.com

TABLET COMPRESSION

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