Explaining The Effervescent Tablet Tube Filling Machine
To ensure they don’t spoil, effervescent tablets need to be stored in an airtight and watertight container. Even the process of putting these tablets in a container must be carefully monitored.
These clever tube filling machines are designed to add a pre-determined number of tablets into a receptacle of your choice.
Usually, the container is a tube as it’s the most efficient way to pack tablets. However, tablet tube filling machines can be adapted to suit any size or shape container.
Components Of Effervescent Tablet Tube Filling Machines
An effervescent tablet tube filling machine, like most machines, integrates several key components to achieve the desired result. Before you select the right machine for your business, you should have a working knowledge of the various parts.
Tank
An effervescent tablet tube filling machine is designed to work with completed tablets. It is possible to attach the machine to your tablet creating machine.
The ready-to-sell tablets are placed in a tank, allowing the machine to access them as needed.
Hopper
The tank feeds the tablets into a hopper. This is shaped like a funnel, allowing plenty of tablets in the top while carefully controlling how many are allowed to exit.
The shape and design of the hopper also ensure the tablets leave the machine facing the right way.
Tablet Pusher
The tablet pusher is an integral and essential part of the tablet filling machine. This is the part that guides the tablet from the hopper to the tube. Its purpose is to ensure the correct orientation of the tablet to allow a smooth and efficient transfer into the tube.
The pusher can also regulate the number of tablets going into a tube.
Tube Holder
For the machine to work efficiently, the tube has to be in the right position, ready for the tablet pusher. That’s what the tube holder is for.
It will be manually or automatically loaded, depending on the machine. The conveyor belt then moves the tube into position, allows it to be filled, and moves it on.
Cap Loader
The filled tube needs to be capped as quickly and hygienically as possible. The cap loader is the first part of this process.
Caps enter the loader via a hopper. The loader is wide enough for one cap at a time. It vibrates consistently, shifting the caps into the right position as they move through the loader. This ensures they drop out of the loader and into the top of the tablet tube.
Cap Presser
The cap presser is set next to the cap loader. As the cap drops into position, the presser applies enough pressure to push the lid on and lock it in position.
The filled tube can then be transferred to labeling and packaging.
Conveyor System
The conveyor belt is a standard feature on many industrial machines, including the effervescent tablet tube filling machine. It’s this that moves the empty tubes into the correct location and carries them on, allowing the cap to be secured.
Some machines will use a conveyor system to carry the tubes through to labeling and packaging, others will require this to be done manually.
Control Panel
Before the tube filling machine is operated, the parameters need to be set. That’s the size of the tube, number of tablets, etc.
All of these things are set at the control panel, allowing the machine to do its job.
Motor
These machines use an electric motor to power each part of the machine. The power setting of the motor is defined by the manufacturer. It will need routine maintenance to ensure peak machine efficiency.
Types of Effervescent Tablet Tube Filling Machines Available
There are several types of machines to choose from. Your choice will usually be dictated by budget and the scale of your operation.
Fully Automatic
Fully automatic machines are very common and popular. These machines tend to be larger and are capable of producing a high volume of filled tablet tubes.
To successfully run your automatic effervescent tablet tube filling machine you need to tell it what you want it to do, all relevant data can be inputted at the control panel. This is followed by ensuring the tablet, tube, and cap tanks are all full.
It’s then possible to start the machine and leave it to run. No operator is required and the machine will advise you of any issues.
Semi-Automatic
The semi-automatic filling machine works in a similar manner to the automatic version. A semi-automatic tablet tube filling machine will still fill the tubes and seal them for you.
The main difference is you may need an operator to load the tubes, monitor the process, and remove them once they are sealed.
This type of machine is smaller and generally more affordable. It’s a good option for businesses with smaller production requirements, lower budgets, and less available space.
Manual
The manual option is best for specialized tablets, start-ups, and those with very low output requirements.
In this instance, everything is done by hand. You’ll need several operators to sort and select tubes, fill them with tablets, and seal the caps in place.
Benefits Of Using A Machine To Fill Tubes
You may be surprised at the array of benefits available to your business when using a semi-automatic or fully automatic effervescent tablet tube filling machine..
Speed & Efficiency
The most obvious is that it’s faster. A machine can fill multiple tubes, and seal them, in just one minute. Trying to do the same manually will take significantly longer.
Increased Productivity
Because the machine is faster and more accurate, you’ll produce a significantly larger number of filled tubes than you will manually.
The increased productivity will help you meet demand or grow your business.
Reduced Labor Costs
Manually filling tablet tubes takes multiple people. Each one completes part of the process and you’ll need a supervisor to monitor as well as quality check.
Machines, particularly the fully automatic version, don’t require any operators. That reduces your labor cost and in the long term, can make a machine cheaper even after accounting for the purchase cost.
High Levels Of Quality Control
Tablet tube filling machines are programmed, ensuring every tube is filled with the right size and weight tablet. They also ensure that every tube is filled to the same level.
You can ship your product with confidence. Operators are more likely to make a mistake than a machine, using one means you won’t need to spend hours re-checking the product
Hygienic
Effervescent tablet tube filling machines tend to be made of stainless steel. This is easy to clean and not attractive to bacteria.
In other words, it’s hygienic. It’s much more complicated to ensure all operators maintain a required hygiene standard when processing tablets and tubes manually.
As your reputation rests on the quality and hygienic nature of your tablets, investing in a machine is a sensible approach.
Easily Integrated Into Production Line
Tablet tube filling machines can work alone. They can also be easily integrated into a production line, allowing the machine to take compressed tablets directly from the tablet manufacturing machine.
At the other end, the machine can be linked to a packaging unit, ensuring the entire process is automated. You simply need operators to load the tablet ingredients and collect the packaged product.
Regulation Compliance
The tablet manufacturing industry is carefully regulated to ensure consumer safety. It’s important for all businesses to keep up to date with the latest developments and maintain standards.
This is much easier with a machine which is designed to meet existing standards and can be reprogrammed to meet new ones.
If your business doesn’t use a machine you’ll need to spend a lot of time training and checking operators to ensure regulation compliance.
Industries That Use Effervescent Tablet Tube Filling Machines
Effervescent tablets, and therefore effervescent tablet tube filling machines are required in several industries.
Pharmaceutical
Some people can’t swallow tablets. Effervescent tablets dissolve and can be drunk. This makes it easier to administer medication to anyone struggling with swallowing.
In addition, medication consumed this way generally enters the bloodstream faster. That makes them a popular and necessary part of the pharmaceutical industry.
Supplements
It’s not just medications. Supplements, such as vitamin C, are often delivered via effervescent tablets. The reasons are the same as for the pharmaceutical industry.
It’s not just about the ease with which consumers can take supplements. Effervescent tablets in tubes can be easily carried, allowing consumers to take them anywhere, at any time.
That ease of use makes this tablet format very popular in the supplement industry.
Pet Industry
There is less call for effervescents in the pet industry. It’s generally harder to get a pet to drink medication than it is to make them swallow.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when it is the best way. Effervescent tablets are often used in the pet industry to help with hygiene, such as when you need a disinfectant wash.
Food Industry
Effervescent tablets aren’t especially popular in the food industry. However, they are used on occasion. For example, for making gravy or other sauces.
Businesses in all these industries rely on effervescent tablet tube filling machines.