The new TPR 25 Pilot tablet coater from Romaco Tecpharm will be unveiled to trade visitors at this year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas. Romaco, a solutions supplier for processing and packaging, will also show the PC 4350 high-speed continuous motion cartoner from Romaco Promatic and the smart KTP 1X R&D tablet press from Romaco Kilian.
Romaco will take advantage of this year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas to present an exclusive selection of its processing and packaging technologies. The launch of the TPR 25 Pilot tablet coater underlines the supplier’s expertise in laboratory applications. From powder to pallet, the pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer provides solutions for every process step – either standalone or as an integrated line. Romaco says it combines sustainability with cost efficiency. The energy, material and space savings achieved by Romaco machines reduces the end customer’s manufacturing costs and their equipment’s carbon footprint, it said.
TPR 25 Pilot mobile tablet coater
Romaco Tecpharm is expanding its Optima product family with the TPR 25 Pilot mobile tablet coater. All inlet and exhaust airflow systems required for the coating process have been integrated into this compact pilot-scale unit for simple plug & play commissioning. As a modern all-in-one solution, its applications cover everything from development activities and scale-ups to the production of very small batches.
The pilot coater is designed to handle batches weighing anything from 1 to 25 kg, making it suited for an extremely wide batch size range from 5 to 100%. The coating pan’s enormous flexibility is made possible by fully automated processes requiring no manual adjustments. The TPR 25 Pilot is equipped with Tecpharm’s patented Optima spray arm, which is controlled by a sonar system that automatically adjusts the distance between the spray gun and the tablet bed.
Because of the spray arm’s intelligence, the coater does not have to be stopped and opened to correct the spray distance while the process is running. In addition to this, the extendable Optima spray arm has movable nozzles to ensure the ideal spray angle in any situation. The process air flowing through the tablet bed follows a precisely controlled path, which can be automatically adapted to the level in the drum with the aid of an exhaust flap that opens steplessly. This results in remarkably accurate application of the coating suspension and ultra-efficient drying of the tablet bed. From a sustainability viewpoint, Romaco Tecpharm’s TPR 25 Pilot consequently impresses with significantly shorter processing times coupled with lower energy and spray liquid consumption.
PC 4350 continuous motion cartoner
The PC 4350 high speed continuous motion cartoner from Romaco Promatic is designed for processing a very wide range of products. With its safe product handling concept, the cartoner is suited for packaging extra-lightweight plastic bottles with small diameters and low filling volumes, such as those used for ophthalmics. A double conical wheel infeed system ensures safe transfer of the bottles to the cartoner even at the machine’s maximum speed. The machine can also be configured for feeding ecotrays with vials placed upright.
Depending on the requirements, glass vials, tubes, strips, blisters, and countless other products can be packaged quickly and reliably. The Promatic PC 4350 achieves a maximum output of 350 cartons per minute. Its positive carton opening system means there is no friction whatsoever, paving the way for gentle handling, especially where recycled cardboard is concerned. The GMP-compliant balcony design and ergonomic working height moreover speed up safe line clearance.
The cartoner’s buckets are produced by 3D printing – an exciting first – so that material consumption during the manufacturing process is radically curtailed. Numerous anodized aluminum components and the recycled acrylic glass housing further reduce the cartoner’s carbon footprint. If required, Romaco Promatic’s PC 4350 can be flexibly integrated into the diverse packaging concepts of the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics, food and chemical industries.
KTP 1X R&D tablet press
The KTP 1X is the newest generation of Romaco Kilian’s R&D tablet presses for laboratory use. This single-stroke press was designed for research and development activities. It is suitable for pressing mono-layer, bi-layer and triple-layer tablets as well as tab-in-tab formats. Depending on the model, it achieves compression forces of up to 80 kN with a maximum output of 1800 tablets per hour. This versatile R&D press enables the various tableting parameters, such as compression force or the possible tableting speed, to be automatically determined.
The smart measurement system evaluates huge amounts of data in less time. The KTP 1X is capable of simulating any standard rotary press, making it much easier to conduct scale-up trials. In addition to the production of clinical samples, the technology also allows detailed troubleshooting and hence supports process optimization. Due to the machine’s good rigidity, the punch position in particular can now be measured more precisely. This high measuring accuracy goes hand in hand with extremely low product consumption, which is why the KTP 1X is not only very accurate but also cost-efficient and sustainable.
Only a few test series are required to obtain meaningful results because the compression studies are highly automated. With its very small compaction area, the machine has a small footprint and is quick and easy to clean – for even greater time and energy savings. What’s more, the KTP 1X ships with a data module that gives users access to raw measurement data worldwide at any time, even when the tablet press is not in operation.
