Romaco Kilian will show an innovative tableting robot with integrated PAT software
Romaco will demonstrate its expertise in research and development with laboratory solutions from Innojet and Kilian at the upcoming CIPM in Wuhan/China. The Romaco Innojet technologies are optimised for linear scale-up of all process parameters. Romaco Kilian will show an innovative tableting robot with integrated PAT software.
Romaco Innojet’s VENTILUS V 2.5 processes particles from 10 µm to 30 mm in diameter, such as powders, granulates, pellets, tablets or capsules, in laboratory applications. It is suited as a granulation and coating system for products for the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. The machine is based on the air flow bed technology originally developed and internationally patented by Dr hc Herbert Hüttlin. The enhanced processing efficiency results in batch times which are up to 25 per cent shorter. The uniform flow conditions inside the cylindrical product container enable extremely gentle intermixing of the batch. The process air is controlled by the booster Orbiter, an ingenious container bottom consisting of overlapping circular plates. Together with the Rotojet, the central bottom spray nozzle, the Orbiter booster forms an innovative functional unit that meets all the requirements for linear scale-ups. The air flow bed technology ensures accurate control of the product movement and equally precise application of the spray liquids. The formulations which are realised in this way achieve the required release profile with between 10 and 15 per cent less coating material.
The Romaco Innojet’s VENTILUS V 2.5 on show at CIPM 2015 will be attached to a hot melt device. A special spray nozzle designed for organic wax or hard fat coatings with a melting point up to 90°C is used for hot melt applications. All hot melt coatings speed up the process because there is no evaporation and since there is no need to heat the process air, energy efficiency is likewise improved. Hot melt coatings are particularly in demand for taste masks and moisture barriers.
Romaco’s AIRCOATER technology has been specially developed for coating big particles. Batch sizes from 10 to 15 kg are processed on these pilot scale systems. Thanks to the air flow bed technology, mechanical loads on the product are reduced to a minimum and the particles are thoroughly dried by the process air. This allows gentle processing, especially of sensitive, fragile and highly friable products, with up to 75 per cent shorter processing times compared to conventional drum coating techniques. Reproducible processes and simple scale-up are the hallmarks of the AIRCOATER A 15 technology. The almost linear scalability is attributable to the air flow bed principle, where the product hovers in the process air and is circulated in the product container at a constant speed. Processes can thus be scaled up quickly and easily from pilot system to production plant.
The Romaco Kilian STYL’ONE Evolution is a highly versatile, single-stroke tablet press which will be another highlight of this year’s exhibit. It is predestined for formulating mono-layer, multilayer or core tablets (tab in tab) in a broad array of R&D applications as well as for producing clinical batches and very small batch sizes. The STYL’ONE is equipped with gravity or paddle force fill shoes and is capable of compressing up to five layers with three different components. The production process on any standard rotary press can be simulated precisely using the intelligent ANALIS software. The user selects the desired machine model for this purpose and defines the tablet thickness and compression force. ANALIS then automatically determines the optimal product compression parameters. Due to the special design, only a tiny quantity of powder is needed for ultra-precise test batches with up to 1200 tablets per hour. Apart from developing new formulations, the tableting robot can also be utilised in a targeted way to make manufacturing processes more efficient or troubleshoot errors. ANALIS is a PAT system integrating highly efficient process analytical technology which facilitates a continuous improvement in product quality. The time and expense which are normally unavoidable for development activities or to optimise products and processes are restricted to a minimum – a great advantage for users.