How Does a Liquid Capsule Filling Machine Work?

A liquid capsule filling machine fills the liquid formulation into empty capsules, either gelatin or vegetarian, in a controlled manner to achieve a specific dose of the ingredients. The design of the machine consists of filling nozzles, a dosing pump, and a sealing mechanism that aid the machine in processing the entire filling and sealing cycle in a single process. Depending on the machine, it can fill at speed outputting 5,000 – 50,000 capsules an hour and it is appropriate for mid-sized and large pharmaceutical placebo production.

It starts with the feeding system where empty capsules are aligned and placed for filling. The capsules are split open into their two halves – body and cap – and a filling nozzle can dispense a pre-measured amount of liquid into the capsule body. More sophisticated models, for example, rotary liquid capsule fillers, have precision dosing pumps that control the amount of liquid and can therefore have a very high degree of accuracy with less than 2% error. Such accuracy ensures the appropriate dosage in each capsule, which is important for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals where strict compliance with dosage regulations is required.

After the liquid is dispensed, the sealing mechanism closes and locks the capsule. Controlled heat is often used to seal the body of the capsule and the cap tightly together (important for liquid formulations, in particular, to avoid leakage). There are also machines that uses banding, which applies a band around the capsule seam to seal it tight to prevent leakage of contents. This additional sealing process is particularly valuable for those more sensitive formulations or oils that will react when they are out in their purchase environment.

With respect to flexibility, a quality liquid capsule filling machine can fill various capsule sizes starting from size 000 to 5, thereby enabling the manufacturers to meet different product specifications. Quick-change tooling machines improve efficiency by reducing setup time; operators can changeover between capsule sizes in under thirty minutes. This function is useful for contract manufacturing where you may quit your work with various formulations.

You should also choose based on energy efficiency, as most machines have an average consumption of 3 to 8 kilowatts per hour, depending on the speed and product capacity. By design, big models draw more power because of their high output, but energy-efficient units also allow manufacturers to reduce operational costs, particularly over the course of three shifts a day.

For example, in 2021, one nutraceutical company incorporated a 25000 capsule per hour liquid capsule filling machine into its production line. The result was a 40% increase in output, enabling the company to keep pace with the expanding market while eliminating the need for additional labor. The machine’s automatic dosing and sealing capabilities helped eliminate production mistakes, resulting in a consistent product quality, which further reinforced the reputation of the company in a competitive market.

To learn more about the value of transition and high efficiency options capabilities for liquid-filled capsules, head over to the liquid capsule filling machine page for model specifications and features.

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