Industry Blog

20
Jun 11

Reclaiming Tablets

Some manufactured tablets may be off-specification. However, even when a tablet fails final inspection, all may not be lost. Rather than discard the tablets, they can be reclaimed by milling the tablet back down to its powdered form. The product can then be re-worked for process re-introduction, significantly helping reduce waste and increase productivity.

Off-spec tablets can be safely milled for process re-introduction

Typical causes of off-specification tablets are; over-weight or under-weight, poor appearance, incorrect hardness and incorrect packaging. In fact, any condition which threatens to scrap a batch of valuable finished goods can be saved by using a conical screen mill to overcome the problem.

The hygienic and highly flexible design of the Uni-Mill is ideal for sanitary applications and a fully validated mill is the perfect way to ensure product integrity is maintained. It is possible to employ the same machine used for size reduction of pre-compression material as for the reclaim process. This provides a very cost effective solution for both the production of new material as well as re-worked material all performed on one machine.

Cone mills are a hygienic method of size reduction

A wide range of interchangeable tooling can be supplied with the Uni-Mill conical screen mill and special tooling can be used for particularly hard tablets. Tooling is also available to mill filled capsules. Hard Shell capsules can be loaded into the mill in the normal way and the capsules are then shredded and torn away from the contents. The resulting mix of broken capsules and powders can then be sieved to ensure the final powder is fully separated and can be safely re-used as required.

As production costs continue to rise, the case for reclaiming off-specification products gets increasingly stronger. Hanningfield is able to provide appropriate cost-effective solutions to make this process a viable and practical option.

 

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Posted in Cone Mill, Milling, Pharmaceutical, Size Reduction, Tablet, Uni Mill | No Comments »
20
Jun 11

Conveying of Tablets and Capsules

Overcoming the Problems of Tablet and Capsule Transfer

It is commonly acknowledged that extreme care must be taken when attempting to transport tablets and capsules from one process to another by whatever means used. The fragile nature or these products means damage can easily occur during the transport stage thus potentially wasting valuable finished goods.

Tablet and capsule handling systems must be carefully designed to avoid damage or breakages

Popular methods used for the transfer of these products are vacuum, gravity, and air all of which are standard practice within the pharmaceutical and associated industries. Hanningfield can offer much experience in this area but several points must be taken into consideration to achieve efficient material handling without damage to the finished product.

 

Design

Special attention has to be taken regarding design and construction materials to avoid damage to the finished product. Using specially developed design techniques it is possible to adapt standard Hanningfield process equipment to suit this highly specialised yet popular application.

For example, removable silicone liners can be supplied to fit inside vacuum transfer hoppers to avoid contact between the tablet and any metal surfaces. Specially designed air flow control valves can also be fitted to ensure when vacuum conveying of tablets, they can only move in one direction during vertical transfer cycles.

 

Methods

Vacuum Transfer is a well established process that can be adapted to efficiently convey coated and uncoated tablets very successfully. Internal surfaces must be specially designed to ensure the tablets do not come into contact with sharp edges or corners during transfer (‘step-less conveying’). Other precautions are taken to ensure tablets will only move in one direction during transfer by use of a specially design uni-directional flow valve. The Hanningfield uni-vac system offers a number of enhanced capabilities that combine to provide safe effective tablet transfer without compromising the finished product.

Gravity is the simplest and most common transfer technique for the efficient transfer of tablets and capsules. This process is however limited to a vertical or near vertical flow path only, whereas vacuum and air powered systems can transport across horizontal distances as well as vertically upwards. To control tablet transfer, Hanningfield can supply a special flexible vane butterfly valve to minimise risk of damage when opening and closing the valve.

Air (positive pressure) is used by Hanningfield for the efficient transfer of both empty and filled hard shell capsules. Capsules are less likely to suffer from damage than tablets during conveying but internal conveying pipes must be smooth bore without ledges and sharp corners as with vacuum conveying. The positive pressure system provides a high flow, low pressure air cushion that gently moves the capsules through the convey pipe-work. Static is a common problem with capsule transfer so any system design for this application must provide an anti-static design.

 

Summary

In addition to good and efficient design, experience is also necessary to ensure all aspects of product protection are taken care of. This is where Hanningfield can provide the necessary input at the system concept stage to ensure a successful project conclusion using our highly skilled team of experienced engineers to guide the customer every step of the way.

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Posted in Pharmaceutical, Tablet, Uni Vac, Vacuum conveying, material conveying | No Comments »
13
Dec 10

Capturing Excess Dust from Tablet Compression Machines

Losing excess dust from a tablet press during processing can be a major problem. Usually this excess powder is piped down the LEV line, to the central dust extraction system. This powder will come into contact with various filters during this journey, often causing them to blind. Changing these filters can prove both expensive and time consuming.


The Uni-Dust cyclone is designed to overcome this problem. By placing the cyclone between the tablet press and the LEV line, excess powder can be collected in capture-pot at the foot of the cyclone; this allows batch losses to be reconciled inside the process room itself. Importantly, the Uni-Dust cyclone normally separates over 95%the solids from the air, allowing clean air to pass to the central dust extraction system.

For more information on the Uni-Dust cyclone, please click here.

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Posted in Cyclones, Dust, Dust Containment, Dust Control, Pharmaceutical Dust Control, Powder Recovery, Tablet, Uncategorized, Uni Dust | No Comments »
23
Sep 09

Improving tablet production and handling with pneumatic conveying

Article from Healthcare Packaging Online
Vacuum technologies can streamline production, reduce costs, and provide sustainability benefits.
Compressed tablets are still the most popular dosage form for pharmaceuticals. More than 75% of pharmaceutical products are sold in solid dosage form. Strong growth is predicted for compressed tablets due to the explosion of the nutraceuticals market, especially in the United States.
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The potential for growth in tablet manufacturing is high. However, several challenges and trends are threatening the profit potential. Today, pharmaceutical manufacturers are challenged to evolve their production processes in order to survive and excel in an increasingly competitive industry. While product quality has always been of paramount importance, strenuous economic times and continually inflating drug prices are heightening consumer demand for lower-priced prescriptions. Tablet manufacturers are more than ever seeking new ways to automate their lines to speed and streamline production.
 
By automating the conveying process, vacuum technologies can improve productivity and enhance quality. In addition, selecting a vacuum technology that is maintenance-free and energy efficient can allow tablet manufacturers to cut costs and meet challenging consumer demands for quality pharmaceuticals and lower prices.
 
Offering a safer environment
 In general, reducing manual labor through automated vacuum conveying can improve working conditions by reducing heavy lifting. In addition, American manufacturers must abide by Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) regulations enforced by the U.S. Dept. of Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In Europe, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions (Eurofounda) oversees the improvement of industrial working conditions.
 

Heat, dust, and noise are all pollutants in the working environment that detract from worker safety and the stringent sanitation demands for pharmaceutical and chemical production. Tablet manufacturers can greatly reduce manual labor and diminish exposure to environmental irritants with the installation of vacuum conveying equipment that moves dry powder products through dedicated pipe systems. These systems fully contain the powders to minimize dust and also generate less heat. To ensure the highest standard of worker safety, the conveyors should also have few moving parts, and be easily assembled and disassembled to reduce worker strain.
 

Increasing uptime

Given the 24/7 production runs in pharmaceutical manufacturing, automation technologies must be reliable. There is no time for line stoppages or ongoing maintenance. Additionally, changeovers can add costs and downtime. A vacuum conveyor must facilitate changeover or risk negating the gains realized through automation.
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Simple solutions can effectively combat the erosion of productivity caused by line stoppages, maintenance, or changeover. Vacuum technologies with few moving parts are not only safer; they are maintenance-free and can reduce downtime. Conveyors that are easily handled by workers are more quickly assembled and disassembled, reducing the time it takes for equipment adjustments between batches and during cleanings. Machines containing fewer components also help minimize part mix-ups and help to prevent line stoppages.

 Other vacuum conveyor benefits include the following:

 • Cost-effective, easy cleaning. In addition to aiming to reduce changeover time, tablet manufacturers must also prevent cross-contamination of the product. A vacuum conveyor that is easily disassembled for quick cleanup is a cost-efficient way of averting cross-contamination.
 

• Reduced energy consumption. As energy costs soar, the reduction of energy usage is a strategic step to trim expenses from pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. In addition, reducing energy consumption is good for sustainability efforts. Conveying systems powered by decentralized vacuum technologies are more energy-efficient than their centralized counterparts. While a centralized vacuum system puts more distance between the source of the power and the point of use, a decentralized vacuum system uses multistage ejector technology to apply the vacuum where needed. This way, no additional energy is expended to compensate for the extra distance.
 

• Optimized automation. Automating the tablet-handling process affords many advantages and conveniences to pharmaceutical manufacturers, including increased productivity and reduced staff injury. However, poorly designed automated conveying systems can cause segregation and tablet breakage. Simple precautions can be taken to avoid incurring the costs of product waste as a result of either event.
 

• Prevent segregation. Particle separation prior to tablet compression, known as segregation, can threaten the integrity of drug dosages and jeopardize the uniformity of a batch. Segregation can occur during tablet production as a result of gravity and particle characteristics, and due to external factors such as airflow and vibration. When implementing vacuum conveying, segregation risk can be reduced by handling the material at a controlled speed to ensure that the materials stay blended.
 

• Prevent tablet breakage. Tablets can also break due to exposure to friction and shock during or after the manufacturing process. A broken tablet is susceptible to contamination, rendering it useless. As a result, product waste can accumulate and cause production delays. To prevent breakage, tablet manufacturers can employ an accommodating vacuum conveying system. To start, the conveying system should have an adaptable feed rate to enable the system to be sped up or slowed depending on the size or volume of the tablets being handled. Also, the vacuum conveyor’s tubing and piping specifications along with couplings can be designed to reduce speed and avoid product damage. The tubing and piping should have soft curves to avoid tablet breakage.
 

In conclusion, vacuum automation technologies can play a key roll in streamlining tablet production. By taking the right precautions in installing a reliable, efficient vacuum conveying system, manufacturers can increase their productivity, reduce energy usage, and improve their work environments. As companies harness vacuum technology to advance tablet production, more efficient conveying systems will translate into cost savings, helping tablet manufacturers stay competitive by enabling them to produce more affordable prescriptions.
 
Author: Häla El Sheemy
Source: http://www.healthcare-packaging.com/archives/2009/04/improving_tablet_production_an.php
Date: 24/04/2009

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Posted in Hanningfield, Pharmaceutical, Tablet | No Comments »
10
Sep 09

A quarter of heart patients don’t take their pills

At least a fourth of cardiac patients don’t take medicines prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes, a new study says.

The study results suggest that doctors need to pay more attention to the way patients take their medicines in line with recommendations in recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance.

In a study of 472 heart patients registered with general practitioners, 29 percent failed to take drugs to prevent strokes and heart attacks regularly enough. And 23 percent missed doses of statins to reduce their cholesterol.

Women were slightly more likely to take their medicines on schedule than men, as were older patients and those taking larger numbers of medicines, said a Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) release.

“Simply prescribing a drug is not enough. Doctors and other members of the primary care team, such as pharmacists, need to work with patients so they understand the importance of taking their medicines in the right dose, at the right time,” concluded Wasim Baqir, pharmacologist from The Village Green Surgery, Sunderland.

These findings were presented at the RPS’ annual event, the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester.

www.sindhtoday.net

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9
Sep 09

New technology to spot fakes

Space-age technology is being used in a new, quick way of detecting fake pharmaceuticals, a university has said.

The Spectral ID project helps identify counterfeit drugs where differences cannot be seen by the untrained eye.

Developed from a spectrograph originally designed for astronomical research, trials have so far had a 100% success rate and the scientists behind it have been shortlisted for an award.

The project, which began in 2005, has been undertaken by Professor George Fraser and Professor Martin Gill, from the University of Leicester.

They found the need for a system that could quickly identify a counterfeit drug product in the field, rather than existing solutions involving costly laboratory testing.

Prof Fraser, director of the university’s Space Research Centre, said: “Pharmaceutical manufacturers do not have a simple to use, speedy, non-destructible method of detecting counterfeits and we have the potential to offer just that.

“Feedback results from the use of our device are obtained within seconds.”

The technique relies on detecting the differences between the characteristics of light reflected from printed packaging.

Dr Nigel Bannister, also from the Space Research Centre, was responsible for the Faulkes Telescope spectrometer, used to make the original tests on counterfeit goods.

The space-age technology was developed with help from University of Leicester spin-out company Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International (PRCI) for use in removing counterfeit drugs from the market.

 

www.google.com

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Posted in Pharmaceutical, Tablet | No Comments »
4
Jul 09

Pharmaceutical Industry Lobbying Efforts

The pharmaceutical industry, which has long invested heavily in federal lobbying, is now on course to smash its previous records as it tries to shape the health care overhaul pushed forward by Democrats.

The industry is increasingly employing Democratic lobbyists with ties to the Obama administration and congressional leaders such as Sen. Max Baucus , D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. A few years ago, when Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, industry representatives were solidly allied with the GOP.

Such efforts might be having an effect.

The pharmaceutical  industry sealed a deal recently with Baucus to offer $80 billion in drug discounts for seniors as part of Medicare. The agreement might preempt efforts by liberal Democrats to seek even deeper concessions from the drug industry. The drug companies have opposed a government health insurance component that President Obama and more liberal Democrats are seeking, a provision that could lead to more control over drug prices.

Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at Harvard University, said that drug companies have been “smart and savvy” in their dealings with Congress.

“Their involvement gets them a seat at the table,” he said.

www.cqpolitics.com

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Posted in Hanningfield, Pharmaceutical, Tablet | No Comments »
3
Jul 09

Flu vaccine available in October

There is no indication the A(H1N1) virus has mutated in Thailand and a vaccine is expected to be available in October, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said on Tuesday.

He was confident the swine flu outbreak could still be contained.

People with flu-like symptoms should visit hospitals quickly if the symptoms do not subside in two days, he said.

A vaccine against the A(H1N1) virus  should be available by October, and the government would initially import 12 million doses at a cost of about two million baht.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and Silpakorn University would also jointly research a vaccine for use against the virus.

The Bureau of Epidemiology said that cases of human-to-human transmission could be expected to increase this month. People should take precautions by washing their hands regularly and wearing face masks in public places.

bangkokpost.com

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Posted in Pharmaceutical, Tablet | No Comments »
30
Jun 09

Takeda shares hurt by diabetes drug U.S. setback

Shares of Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan’s largest drugmaker, fell on Monday after it said it expects a delay until March 2012 or later in U.S. approval of its key diabetes drug SYR-322 [ID:nSP468416].

Takeda said on Saturday it expects a delay in approval of the drug, which the stock market expected, after U.S. regulators repeated on Friday their request made originally in March for an additional study and more safety data from Takeda on the drug.
Takeda reiterated it was still discussing with U.S. regulators details of an additional study on cardiovascular risks.

 Analysts said the delay in approval of the successor to Takeda’s top-selling drug Actos by around two and a half years from the previously targeted deadline of Friday was generally expected after the regulators’ request in March.

Takeda shares fell 1.6 percent to 3,730 yen, underperforming sector rivals such as Astellas Pharma (4503.T), which dipped 0.6 percent, and Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T), which fell 0.5 percent.

reuters.com

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