May 11, 2024
Capsule Production Guide: Types, Sizes, and Capsule Filling Machines Techniques
Capsules are a common dosage form widely used in the fields of pharmaceuticals, health supplements, and nutritional supplements. In order to produce high-quality capsule products, capsule filling machines play a crucial role. This guide aims to explore the types, sizes, and filling techniques of capsule filling machines to help you understand how to choose the equipment that best suits your needs and optimize the capsule production process. The main types of capsules are hard-shell capsules (also known as pre-formed capsules) and softgels. Hard-Shell Capsules: They are widely used in the pharmaceutical and health supplement industry due to their ease of manufacturing, low cost, stability, and compatibility with a variety of drug formulations. The investment cost for capsule filling production equipment is relatively low, allowing for rapid and large-scale production. 1.Structure: Composed of two cylindrical shells, a cap and a body, which can be locked together by an internal locking mechanism. 2.Material: Generally divided into "gelatin capsules," "vegetarian capsules," and "enteric capsules." (1) Gelatin capsules: Mainly made from gelatin (GEL), which is a hydrolysis product of collagen. It is extracted from animal skin, bones, and connective tissues, which are rich in collagen, especially pigskin, cowhide, fish bones, and fish skin. Its hydrolyzed properties and ease of absorption by the human body make it widely used as a raw material for capsule production. (2) Vegetarian capsules: Made from plant-based cellulose or other materials suitable for vegetarians (such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)), vegetarian capsules are suitable for vegetarians, those allergic to gelatin, and certain religious groups. (3) Enteric capsules: Designed to be insoluble in stomach acid, they release the drug once they reach the intestines and are made from materials that can withstand stomach acid, such as methacrylic acid copolymers. 3.Contents: The fill can typically consist of solid powders/granules, micro-pills, and liquids. Softgels: Commonly used for drugs that are poorly soluble or unstable in solid form, they offer better bioavailability and convenience than traditional tablets or hard capsules. Softgels encapsulate the drug and shell together in a forming machine. 1.Structure: Softgels consist of a sealed, one-piece shell surrounding the contents. 2.Material: Softgels are also made from gelatin, but the formula includes plasticizers (such as glycerin or sorbitol) to make the capsule shell softer and more elastic. 3.Contents: Typically used to package fats, liquids, pastes, suspensions, etc. Hard-shell capsules come in a variety of standard sizes, commonly including: 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The size of the capsule is denoted by a number, with smaller numbers indicating larger capsules. The following table shows the approximate dimensions and capaciti...
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