How Does Powder Change Into A Tablet or Pill

The history of the pharmaceutical industry can be traced back to the late 19th century. The entrepreneurs and scientists started their pharmaceutical business and researches on the basis of drug chemistry and pharmacology. The pharmacists extracted the active ingredients from animals or plants, and synthesized into edible substance to treat the illness. Gradually the pharmaceutical machinery and tools appear to be essential to help make raw materials into shaped medicine and drug. Granulation machine, mixing machine, drying machine, tablet press, encapsulating machine, packaging machine and other related auxiliary machines thus come into being.


For the western medicine, the raw materials are almost powders or particles. How to change the powder into a tablet or a pill is exactly what the pharmaceutical manufacturers should concern. Actually it is a physical change instead of a chemical change. Three things are considered as the affective elements during this physical change.


First, the binding agent. The binding agent is evenly mixed into the materials based on a certain ratio, which is conducive to make the ingredients stick together.  Without the binder, the particles can not be cohesive with each other no matter how much brunt they bear. Common binding agents are things like cornstarch and gelatin. Binder can be generalized as “wet granulation” for wet binder, and “dry granulation” for dry binder.


Second, the punches and dies. Before being compacted into a shaped tablet, the proportioned powder should be fed into the punches and dies that determines its size, shape, and imprint. However, the punches and dies should be fit on the tablet press machine, a single punch tablet press or rotary tablet press, at least a handheld pill press. The Punches and dies will go from opposite direction and then meet each other in the middle die. With external pressure, the materials in the middle die will be compacted tightly by the up punch and down punch.



Third, the pressure. An automatic tablet press is driven by power, while a manual pill press is operated by man. The motor generates power that drives the belt and turbine. And the turbine will transmit the force to spindle which precipitates the revolving of turntable and punch molds. The revolving of compression rollers helps moving of up and down punches. In this way, the pressure can be applied on the punches, and then the materials can be compacted. The bigger the motor, the more the pressure, and the tablets can be made harder, bigger, and stronger. We take rotary tablet press ZP-9A and ZP-9B for an example. You will find what difference the motor makes on the pressure and appearance of tablets.


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