Deblistering Machine: The Ultimate Guide
At times, you may wish to recover tablets, Softgel, or capsules from their blister packaging.
It can be the most difficult and tiresome task to handle. Besides, handling PVC/Aluminum blisters can also cause injuries.
Solution – you need an efficient and reliable deblistering machine.
Removing tablets from blisters
Deblistering machine
With an efficient deblistering machine, you can easily recover tablets or capsules from rejected blister packaging.
Remember, you can reject blister packaging due to the following:
i. Incorrect product in blister packaging
ii. Inventory changes in blister packaging
iii. Empty or defective product in the blister packaging
iv. Incorrect batch of blister packaging
But, how can you get the high quality and efficient deblistering machine?
Consider everything you’re going to learn in this guide.
Features of Deblistering Machine
You should consider a deblistering machine that meets the specific needs of your applications.
High-quality deblistering machine
Some of the main features include:
i. Compliance with Set Standards
All deblistering machine should comply with the set standards and regulations.
Implying, such machines will meet the required safety and contamination standards in the pharmaceutical industry.
For instance, deblistering equipment must guarantee no contamination of tablets or capsules.
Therefore, it should be CE, cGMP, RoHS, and CCC compliance, among other standards.
ii. Construction and Design of Deblistering Machine
Deblistering equipment should have an ergonomic design, with parts in direct contact with tablets or capsules made of food grade material.
In most cases, the section features stainless steel.
Furthermore, they have easy to clean, adjust, and maintain the structure.
The structure should stable, rugged, and stable.
Take, for example, quite a number of deblistering machines have unique chute device.
iii. Easy to Use
Choose a deblistering machine that is easy to use.
All buttons, touchscreen interface, should be easily accessible.
For instance, it should have easy to use hand feed system.
iv. High Recovery Rates
Everyone would wish to have a deblistering machine that guarantees 100% recovery rates of tablets and capsules.
v. Output
Deblistering machine comes in different production outputs.
It will depend on your specific application requirements.
For instance, a deblistering machine may have an output of 1200 pieces/hr. or even more.
Take a look at this:
vi. Technological Advancements
There exist various technologies in the deblistering machine industry.
Quite a number of automatic deblistering machines feature a PLC system, with touchscreen HMI.
With this, you’re able to monitor the deblistering process.
Now, with all these in mind, let’s move a step further and classify the existing deblistering machines.
Types of Deblistering Machines
Deblistering machines are available in different types.
Each of them is designed differently and meant to play a different role.
Broadly, you can classify the existing deblistering machines as:
1. Semi-Automatic Deblistering Machine
They are designed to recover tablets or capsules from blister packs.
The trays aid in the recovery of waste materials or the product and are made from long lasting and reliable materials.
It bears openable safety protections and a strong casing system that facilitate quick recovery of products and waste materials.
Sections of semi-automatic deblistering machine
Getting value for money is probably succeeding in the recovery of pharmaceutical products without any contamination or damage.
Devices from leading manufacturers bear rotating blades which cut the aluminum covering on the various pockets effectively and efficiently.
Most customers wish to achieve proper product ejection and also want the highest levels of integrity.
High-quality Semi-Automatic Deblistering machines are usually fitted with electronic counting pieces to do the counting process for you.
Remember that there is also the manual feeding of the blister and here you will need to know about the maximum size of the blister.
1. Fully Automatic Deblistering Machine
The fully automatic deblistering machine helps in the recovery of tablets, softgels, and capsules from PVC/ Aluminum blisters.
Its ergonomic and rugged design makes it ideal for all kinds of blisters with simple and quick adjustments.
You need to ensure that your device conforms to the standards.
Nutriceutical industries, pharmacies, pharmaceuticals, and hospitals depend on deblistering machines to carry out their activities.
Fully automatic deblistering machine
The fully automatic Deblistering machine is such that, you don’t have to keep changing the parts to suit the various blister packs.
Also, it bears two separate chutes, one of them is for the waste materials whereas the other is for the products.
A fully automatic machine functions by feeding a blister card in a series of rollers and that happens automatically.
One of the rollers in the device bears a set of blades which eventually cut through the sealing material, and thus you are able to remove the drug product.
Therest of the subsequent rollers move the drug product in the collection bin.
In the process, the packaging waste is moved into a separate waste bin, and thus, it is possible to keep the drug product collection bin free of any waste.
The manufacturers consider the different blister card configurations in the manufacture of deblistering machines.
They customize the devices to suit your needs in particular.
Also, the multiple sets of rollers, as well as the portability of the device, imply that you can use it on a wide range of products.
Also, you can use it on a number of different packaging lines.
1. Manual Deblistering Machines
Unlike the other two types of deblistering equipment, here, nearly all operations are done by a human.
Here, you will feed the blisters you want to recover tablets, capsules, or softgels from, then again force the machine to remove the content.
Again, you will pick the contents and the waste yourself.
Ideally, the machine only helps you to open and remove the content of the blister.
It is a good machine for small scale production.
However, for large scale deblistering process, it is slow, tiresome, and uneconomical.
Obviously, it is cheaper than a semi-automatic deblistering machine and fully automatic deblistering machine.
Parts of Pharmaceutical Deblistering Machine
A deblistering machine is an assembly of various parts and components.
All these parts coordinate to ensure you recover tablets, Softgels, or capsules without any damage.
Depending on the complexity of the design, a deblistering machine may have few or more components.
Let’s look at some of the major components:
Deblistering equipment
· Set of Rollers
It is the rollers that move the blister pack in their right position ready for deblistering.
The deblistering machine has a set of electric motors and drives.
They precisely move the blister packs, depending on the set speed.
· Set of Chute
The deblistering machine comes with two sets of the chute.
After the deblistering process, one chute will receive the waste material (broken blisters).
On the other hand, the second chute will receive products, which can be tablets, capsules, or Softgels.
· Rubber Wheel and Metal Rollers
The two work together to remove products from blister packs.
It is a well-coordinated process that ensures you remove products without causing even the slightest damage.
You can adjust the distance between the metal rollers, depending on the shape, size, and design of the blister pack.
· Collection Box
You will collect all the products from the deblistering machine.
· Touchscreen HMI Panel
Through the touchscreen HMI panel, together with the PLC, you can make various adjustments such as deblistering speed, the spacing between metal roller, etc.
Also, through the touchscreen HMI, you can monitor various operations of the deblistering machine.
· Deblistering Machine Structural Component
It is the section that hosts the entire components of the machine.
Please note that these are not the only parts of deblistering equipment.
The number of parts will vary from one part to another.
However, no matter how complex the deblistering machine may look, it must have:
- Section for receiving blisters
- Blister pack holding components
- System for emptying blister pack (of course by pressing)
- Collecting waste blister packs and products (capsules or tablets)
With all that in mind, let look at the working principle of the deblistering machine.
Operating Principle of Deblistering Machine
The working principle of deblistering machine is simple and straightforward.
But even before we go to the discussion section, you can watch this video:
Now, let’s understand the three main stages of the deblistering machine.
Stage 1: Loading Blister Pack with Products
At this stage, you will load the blister packs into the magazine or product feeding system.
Depending on the type of deblistering machine, the machine will automatically feed the blister packs.
Alternatively, the technician will feed the blister backs.
You can compare the video above, with this:
Stage 2: Positioning of Blister Packs
Normally, these machines are designed such that they can only push products from one side.
Therefore, your machine should position the blister packs in a manner that will effectively push out the products.
So, at this stage, the pack is rotated and then clamped.
The leading material is cut along the edge using particular tooling.
This is to ensure that product damage doesn’t occur at all.
Of course, the machine should have all mechanisms in place to prevent product contamination.
Stage 3: Removing Products from Blister Pack
At this stage, the products are gently pressed out of the pack and released in the removable collection section/bin.
There is also a separate waste bin in place that collects the empty blister packs.
Remember that for every pack size, a trusted provider gives out the custom tooling.
That is not forgetting fast delivery times.
Of course, both the product and waste will go to their respective collection boxes or containers.
As you can see, the working principle of deblistering machine is quite simple and straight forward.
Who Needs Deblistering Machines
Deblistering machines are used in a number of places to play specific roles.
Here is a breakdown of all of them:
a) Deblistering Machine in Hospitals
Deblistering machines are used in a hospital setting to do a number of things.
Without these machines, the dispensing of drugs could be very difficult.
They make it easier for doctors and other medical practitioners to engage with patients and offer the prescriptions needed in just a few minutes.
This enhances efficiency in hospital operation and patient satisfaction.
b) Pharmacies need Deblistering Equipment
Pharmacies also use Deblistering machines for the dispensation of medicine.
They provide an easy option that is safe, efficient, and highly modern.
The technology ensures that the right prescriptions are made and distributed to the patients accordingly.
c) Deblistering Machine in Pharmaceutical Industries
Pharmaceuticals are basically companies that make drugs.
As you can imagine, in a production line where the end product is drugs, a Deblistering machine will be needed.
In fact, the machines are probably more important in this sector than any other.
They play a very critical role in the safe production of drugs.
d) Deblistering Equipment in Nutriceutical Industries
The Nutriceutical industries have also found a wide range of applications when it comes to the use of Deblistering machines.
The use varies from one industry to another, but one thing is clear, there are so many clear benefits that these tools actually offer.
What’s the Best Deblistering Equipment
Clearly, it will depend on the specific needs and applications.
For instance, ona small scale, you can go for manual deblistering equipment.
However, for large scale, you should choose a fully automatic deblistering machine.
In a nutshell, a deblistering equipment should:
- Save time by removing products faster
- Reduce operation costs by not damaging products
- Easy to operate
- Comply with set quality standard rules and regulations
- Allow for quick change over for different types of blisters
- Optimize performance
And, that’s exactly what SaintyCo offers.
SaintyCo, a leading pharmaceutical equipment manufacturer supplies rugged, efficient, and cGMP compliant blistering machines.
SaintyCo three series of deblistering machine include:
Conclusion
As you well know, blister packs get rejected for reasons such as incorrect batch coding and empty pockets.
As such, you require an ideal deblistering machine from a trusted provider in order to increase productions yields.
Deblistering helps to reduce the impact of manufacturing processes on the environment too.
They simply make manufacturing and dispensing of drugs safely and effectively.