Empty Capsule -The Comprehensive Guide

Whether you are in the pharmaceutical or supplements industry, you will definitely need empty capsules to package your products.

However, before choosing an empty capsule, it is important to understand what they are, how they made, available sizes and different filling mechanisms.

In this guide, we will explore all the vital facts about empty capsules – let’s dive right in:

What are Empty Capsules?

Empty capsules are small, digestible containers. These containers are used for enclosing active pharmaceutical ingredients. Also, you can use them to enclose herbal extracts or supplements in pellet, powder, semi-liquid, or pellet forms.

Types of Empty Capsules

· Empty Gelatin Capsules

Empty gelatin capsules are one of the common types of capsules available in the dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals industries you can use. Usually, gelatin capsules are made ideally from collagen obtained from animal by-products (mostly porcine or bovine). You will benefit from the reasonable pricing and excellent bioavailability these capsules come with.

Features of these Capsules

They are opaque or transparent, based on their color
Not ideal for vegan or vegetarians
Readily available in different colors and sizes
Disintegrates quickly in your stomach (mostly within 10 to 30 minutes)

Empty gelatin capsules are perfect for enclosing or packaging your granules, dry powders, and pellets.

· Empty HPMC Capsules

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose or HPMC capsules are plant-based capsules. If you want to make vegetarian, vegan, or religious dietary supplements, they are perfect. You get almost the same performance from these capsules like gelatin capsules offer. However, these come with extra benefits.

HPMC Capsule Features

Can stand against different humidities and temperatures
Have low moisture content which makes it ideal for your moisture-sensitive ingredients
Ideal for nutraceutical products
Perfect for pharmaceutical products

You can use HPMC capsules for your dietary supplements, herbal powders, and hygroscopic materials.

· Empty Pullan Capsules

Empty Pullan Capsules are made from pullulan. Pullulan is a natural, water-soluble polysaccharide that is obtained from tapioca. You will be happy to know that these capsules are 100% plant-based and will offer you with the best oxygen barrier properties.

Pullulan Capsules Features

Highly transparent
These capsules shine
Have excellent features for ingredients that are oxidation-sensitive
Non-GMO
Glutten-free
Clean-label friendly

You can use them for enclosing premium supplements, probiotics, and sensitive herbal formulations.

· Empty Enteric Capsules

Empty enteric capsules are designed ideally to resist stomach acid and dissolve only in your intestines. You can use these capsules to safeguard ingredients that can be degraded by gastric acid or irritate your stomach lining.

Enteric Capsules Features

Has pH-sensitive polymer coating
Reduces the side effects of gastric
Comes with delayed or controlled release

Ideal for enclosing your probiotics, acid-sensitive, and enzymes medications.

Standard Sizes of Empty Capsules

The sizes of empty capsules mostly range from 000 which is the largest to the smallest which is 5, with different volume capacities. Below is a table to provide you with accurate information on these sizes.

Capsule Size	Volume (ml)	Ideal Fill Weight (Powder)	Use Case
000	~1.37	800-1600 mg	For higher dose supplements
00	~0.95	600-1100 mg	For herbal capsules
0	~0.68	400-800 mg	Most used size overall
1	~0.50	300-600 mg	Used mostly for general supplements
2	~0.37	200-400 mg	For children or for low-dose products
3-5	<0.30	<200 mg	Not common, but for specific micro-dosing

Note that fill weight will be mostly based on the bulk density of the substance you use.

How to Manufacture Empty Capsules

Gelatin and HPMC Empty Capsule Manufacturing Process Involves”

Step 1: Prepare Your Raw Materials

Begin by blending HPMC (for vegetarian capsules) or gelatin (for hard gelatin capsules) with purified water and plasticizers (sorbitol or glycerin). This will form a homogeneous solution.

Step 2: Dipping

After step 1, you will now have to dip stainless steel mold pins into gel mass solution (gelatin or HPMC mixture) to form capsule body and cap. The thickness of the film you deposit on the pins is based on factors such as time, humidity, remove excess moisture.

Step 3: Dry

The pins you coat in step 2 is moved to the drying chamber. This is where you allow controlled temperature and humidity to get rid of excess moisture, which solidifies the capsule shells.

Step 4: Strip and Trim

When you complete the drying process, strip the capsule shells from the pins. After that, trim them to have a uniform length. This ensures that capsule sizes are consistent.

Step 5: Join

Now, assemble the capsule body and cap together. Based on what you wish to use the capsule for, you can pre-lock (for filling later) them or fully join (sealed capsules) them.

Step 6: Inspect and Package

Finally, you will have to undergo quality inspection checks for defects like bubbles, irregular, or holes sizes. The capsules you approve should then be counted, packed, and stored for use.

How to Fill Empty Capsules

You can fill empty capsules manually, use semi-automatic or fully automatic machines. Below are some more details on their filling methods:

Manual Filling of Empty Capsules

You can use manual filling for personal fills or small batches.

Step 1: Capsule Separation

Start by pulling apart the cap and the body of each capsule manually.

Step 2: Loading Capsule Bodies

After you separate the body from the cap, you will have to insert the capsule bodies (longer half part) into capsule filling tray holes.

Step 3: Fill Capsule Bodies

Here, you will have to do the following:

Use a small spatula or scoop to spread powder over the manual filling tray.
Using a card or tamper, gently press the powder down to fill it more.
Repeat the process until it reaches the ideal fill weight.

Step 4: Place Capsule Caps

With your capsule bodies filled, place the caps (shorter half) over the bodies. You can use a top tray if you have it.

Step 5: Lock Capsules

You will now have to press the two halves together with your hands, or you can use pressure from the tray system.

Step 6: Remove and Inspect

Take your time to remove all filled capsules from the tray. Inspect them for any defects. Then, make sure you clean off all excess powder.

Semi-automatic Filling of Empty Capsules

You can use this form of filling for your small to medium-scale productions. You will need an operator to feed capsules and powder. However, separation, filling, and locking is done automatically.

Below are critical steps in semi-automatic capsule filling process:

Step 1: Load Empty Capsules

Set your machine to orient and separate caps from the body. This is automatically done.

Step 2: Filling Capsule Bodies

When the cap and capsule body is separated, the filling goes on.

The machine’s powder hopper dispenses powder into capsule bodies with tamping or vacuum mechanisms.
You (operator) will have to control the level of powder and the depth of tamping to achieve accuracy in fills.

Step 3: Join Body and Cap

With filling completed in step 2, your filling machine will then re-align and join the cap to the capsule body.

Step 4: Ejecting Filled Capsules

The machine ejects capsules onto a tray or conveyor to be collected by you (operator).

Step 5: Check and Clean

After you collect capsules, visually have them checked for defects. Then, clean the machine after you are done.

Full-automatic Filling of Empty Capsules

You can use this method of filling empty capsules in your large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing company or industry. They will offer you with precise, high-speed, and consistent filling.

Some of the key steps in fully automatic capsule fillers are:

Step 1: Feed Empty Capsules

Your filling machine will put empty capsules and powder into different hoppers.

Step 2: Separate Capsules

The vacuum system will them pull the cap and body apart.

Step 3: Filling Process

The machine doses the capsule bodies using its built-in tamping pins, dosator, or auger systems. Some other forms like mini tablets, pellets, or liquids can be filled with the machine.

Step 4: Closing Capsules

After filling is done, the machine aligns and locks caps to the filled capsule body.

Step 5: Eject

With locking of capsule done, filled capsules are ejected onto the conveyor for inspection.

Step 6: Inspect and Reject

Automatic filling machines have optical sensors or weight checks that inspect capsules. When they check all capsules, all those that are not ideal are removed automatically.

Step 7: Collect and Package

The good capsules move to counting, blistering, or bottling lines.

Empty Capsules Storage Requirements

For you to maintain the perfection, potency, and integrity of empty capsules, you must store them well. The right storage methods also prevent brittleness or microbial growth. The requirements for storage to note down include:

You must prevent capsules from having direct sunlight and high moisture
Temperature – 15˚C to 25˚C or 59˚F to 77˚F
Relative Humidity – 35% to 65%
You must store it in its original packaging till you need to use it.
Store in an environment that is free of pests and clean.

You need to use all capsules within their ideal shelf life which is 3 to 5 years.

Key Empty Capsules Uses

Used in pharmaceutical industries to package pain relievers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
In nutraceutical industries to package minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.
Clinical trials for blinding ingredients in research.
Herbal supplements to enclose turmeric, ashwagandha, ginseng, etc.
To enclose personalized medicines.

Where to buy Empty Capsules

At SaintyCo, we are the trusted suppliers of empty capsules, HPMC, enteric, and pullulan capsules globally. The products we make meet international pharmacopeia standards (USP, EP). Also, they are available in different colors, sizes, and custom printing alternatives. No matter what your need is, we are ready to meet that need and deliver.

Conclusion

Empty capsules have become very useful for many medicinal and beauty product manufacturing firms. No matter the type you want, you can order for them and get the results you need. Knowing about the types available is always a good way to begin.

FAQs

Can you fill liquids in empty capsules?

Yes, you can.

How do you choose the right size of empty capsules?

You choose the right size of empty capsules based on the specific dose of supplements you want to produce.

Can you use empty capsules for liquids to fill powder and pellets?