Expertise in Synergy - Glatt

SPOTLIGHTS
”Yes we can“
UL Certified Automation for the US and Canada
Expectations for pharmaceutical processing
equipment are ever increasing,
particularly for very traditional processing
options such as tablet coating by
means of coating pans. The quality of
the film depends on many parameters,
such as inlet air temperature, spray rate,
process air volume etc., but also on uniform
mixing of the tablet bed, especially
when drug layering is envisaged.
GLATT process automation has extended its
portfolio in the controls and electric panel
workshop facilities. International projects with
increasing applications for the US and Canadian
market have made it possible for GLATT
to invest and offer additional services.
As our GLATT panel workshops have displayed
excellence for decades with proven
evidence according to national and European
standards, we are pleased to announce that
we have increased our portfolio.
Optimizing Tablet Coating
One expects a high homogenous film
coating, which is warranted by a uniform
statistical residence time of each
tablet in the spray area, which is a result
of tablet shape, drum design and revolution,
mixing baffles, batch size and
spreading behavior of the spray suspension
or solution.
Fig. 2, camera system
There are different approaches to evaluate
the efficiency of tablet mixing: From manual regular sampling with subsequent
analysis up to computer simulation
(the latter still being developed, see
Fig. 1).
Fig.1
In general it can be said, that so far the
evaluation of statistical exposure times
has been a rather tedious process.
Glatt AG has therefore developed an inline-tool
that can identify the motion pattern
of tablets in a dynamic process,
including the statistical analytics (Fig. 2).
This optical device can detect single colored
tablets and determine their relative
time, location and speed across the entire
tablet bed in real time.
GLATT has become a UL listed cabinet
manufacturer (UL-File E305058, Class NITW
industrial control equipment, industrial control
panels) and is therefore authorized to directly
provide UL-labels for cabinets at their manufacturing
site.
As the UL label is binding to North-American
markets (USA and Canada), having the capacity
to directly provide the UL-labels avoids
complex and cost intensive processes, no
longer applicable during the project.
A flexible camera system enables the
monitoring of the pan coaters mixing efficiency.
Even at high drum revolutions it remains
very reliable in the monitoring of tablets
(Fig. 3) and allows us to optimize
the mixing behavior and drum design,
even for individual products, in a very
short time.
A specific data analysis program using
statistical tools allows the evaluation and
qualification of the chosen coating
equipment and process parameters, allowing
the improvement of the statistical
exposure times by relevant modification
of the mixing baffles.
This tool will also be applied to future
pan coating models, aiming at the lowest
possible weight discrepancies of
layered and filmcoated tablets.
The function of this valuable tool will be
demonstrated at our Achema stand.
Fig. 3, detected tablet
International Times No. 27 · March 2009
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