Every drug maker understands the need for them to get the right tools as they work. And by understanding what to work with, you can easily optimize efficiency as much as possible.
To that end, there is a special piece of equipment that can significantly supercharge any pharmaceutical manufacturing process – the powder filling and sealing machine. In this article, we’ll look into how it works and what you might want to learn from them.
An Introduction To Powder Filling & Sealing Machines
Whenever the time comes to make drugs, it is important to fill the granular powdered substances into containers and seal them. Normally, manufacturers would have had to do this separately, completing one task after the other.
But, technology has significantly changed the way pharmaceutical manufacturing is conducted. And thanks to the infusion of technology, a lot of these processes have now become more efficient across the board. This is why we now have powder filling and sealing machines.
As you would imagine, these machines help in filling containers with the powdered substances, then immediately move on to seal those containers to ensure that their constituents are protected and safe. With these machines, the entire process of putting the granular substances into the containers becomes more efficient, then drug makers can now seal them to ensure that there is no contamination done to the products inside them.
Working Principles Of Powder Filling & Sealing Machines
So let’s move into the principles that guide the operation of these machines. Because they combine the functions of two distinct tools, powder filling and sealing machines are incredibly effective. And, even their working principles easily show that:
Feed The Containers Into The Machine First
In the first place, you don’t touch the powdered substance. Instead, you put the containers into a feeding mechanism and load them up into the machine. Since there are different container sizes available, you can easily select one that fits your production capacity.
Fill The Powdered Substance Up
Now, you take the substance and work with it. We expect that you already have it stored in a hopper, so you can easily feed it into the chamber from there.
The beauty of the feeding mechanism is that you can program it to dispense a specific amount of powdered substance into every container. And, since you can work with different types of filling mechanisms, you won’t have an issue with selecting one that works for your needs.
That said, it’s important to keep in mind the different types of filling mechanisms available:
Auger Filler: For an auger filling machine, you get a spinning auger screw that moves the powder from the hopper into the container. This spinning action is controlled, so you can ensure precision in filling.
Volumetric Filler: When working with a volumetric filling machine, you have a predetermined amount of space to measure and dispense the powder. You can achieve this through channels like rotary valves and piston cylinders.
Gravity Filler: The gravity filling machines would need gravity, as their name suggests. With them, the powder comfortably flows into the containers, being released from the hopper above. Your job is to control the fill volume, as well as the powder’s flow rate.
Piston Filler: Piston filling machines make use of a piston mechanism to move the powder into the cylinder. From there, it is dispensed into the containers directly. You’d need to control the movement of the piston, so you can dispense the exact amount of powder you need.
Level Your Containers For Uniformity
In some powder filling and sealing machines, you also have a leveling stage where every container gets leveled off once it has been filled. This ensures two things – first, that you can maintain consistency in the amount of filling you have. Second, that you can remove any excess pockets of air from the products.
It might not be 100% necessary, but for uniformity and a better appearance, this step usually comes in handy.
Complete The Seal
As soon as the containers have been filled, the machine moves them to the sealing station. Here, you have different sealing mechanisms that help to place a permanent seal on the container and protect the products inside.
Mechanisms commonly used in this process include:
Heat Sealing: A heat sealing machine is a piece of equipment that is used to melt the thermoplastic material of a packaging option and bond it to form a seal. It helps when you need to seal materials such as pouches, plastic seals, containers, and more, with materials like polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and laminated films.
Induction Sealing: Next, we have induction sealing. This process makes use of electromagnetic induction to generate heat in a foil liner that is placed inside the container cap, thus creating a hermetic seal between the neck of the container and its cap. If you’re making drugs that need to be in a jar or a bottle, then an induction sealing is probably what you need to work with.
Ultrasonic Sealing: Ultrasonic sealing makes use of high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations to create the required amount of heat and friction. This way, it becomes much easier to combine thermoplastic materials together to form the seal you need.
Remember The Place Of Quality Control
Powder filling and sealing machines would also come with components such as sensors and monitoring systems that make it easier for you to watch all of the critical parameters. You can detect defects, check for consistency, and make sure that the entire product and package is just what you intend.
Pack It Up & Ship It Out
Once you see that everything is up to code, you can discharge the containers and package them up. They’re good to go!
Important Control Tips To Remember
It’s critical to keep in mind that this is the combination of two distinct processes. And to that end, you need to ensure that you have optimal control over all of the parameters being watched.
In the right scenarios, you would seamlessly integrate powder filling and sealing into a single automated system. This system can be controlled by a central control panel or a programmable logic controller, which will allow you to set the right parameters – fill speed and volume, the temperature of sealing, and much more.
Whichever control system you choose will need to monitor the entire process in real time. This means finding a way to detect and correct any changes from the desired parameters, so you can maintain product quality and the strength of your packaging.
Conclusion
Powder filling and sealing are two aspects of the drug-making process that you probably will encounter as a pharma company. And while they can run in silos, being able to combine them will also save you a great deal of stress.
At Sainty Tec, we can provide proper guidance to help you accommodate these processes, whether on their own or together. So, don’t waste time in getting back to us and letting us know what you’d need.
