Gummy Manufacturing Process

Dry syrup powder filling machine is equipment you can use in package dry syrup powder in different bottles.

It is a simple machine that is very easy to use as long as you have the necessary expertise.

Today’s guide covers all the vital aspects you need to know about the syrup powder filling equipment.

This includes the benefits, limitations, uses, types, working principles and many more that will make you an expert.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Why Package Dry Syrup in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The dry syrup is a powder mixture that requires you to add a certain amount of water during the dispensation time.

It consists of:

• Solid Particles
• Loose, and dry particles of varying degrees of fineness
• One or more active ingredients.

You will use water in most dry syrups for reconstitution unless you get further specifications.

You may also refer to them as reconstitutable oral suspensions or dry powders for oral suspension.

 Dry syrup

Why is it in powder form?

Let us answer that question by looking at the benefits of dry syrup.

Benefits of Dry Syrup

i. The powder ensures adequate chemical stability of the drug

ii. It also avoids physical stability problems such as changes in viscosity, incompatibility, caking, and crystal growth among others.

iii. Dry syrup powders also minimize the overall weight of the final product.

iv. Provides a solution for the capsules and pills lack of dosing flexibility for use in dysphagic and pediatric conditions.

v. Dry syrups are more attractive for transport and storage over the liquid oral dosage.

vi. Dry syrups also increase the shelf life of the antibiotics.

Despite the numerous advantages, dry syrups also have their limitations.

Limitation of Dry Syrup

i. Many end users face numerous problems when it comes to the reconstitution of the dry syrups.

ii. Seriously ill patients, pediatrics, and geriatrics find a lot of difficulty in swallowing dry powders.

iii. Some of the dry syrups refuse to compress into dense compacts.

iv. Despite being a solution to drug instability, you are likely to experience instability of pediatric dry syrups.

Packaging Containers for Dry Syrup

 Dry syrup in bottles

These are the containers with special features that will enable you to package, store and transport dry syrup.

Bottles come in varying sizes and shapes with standard neck sizes for different closures and caps.

The packaging containers also have special materials that will maintain the properties and nature of dry syrup for long.

You should also make sure that the containers are airtight and ensure the safety of dry syrup from moisture.

In many cases, you will be using bottles as the main container for the dry syrup.

The bottles can either be plastic, glass, HDPE, PET, and LDPE bottles.

The bottles that you will be using must have the following properties:

i. Assures an easy flow of the content (dry syrup)

ii. Perfect barrier to external contaminants such as light, moisture, and gas.

iii. Excellent finish that ensures the container is leakage proof and tamper resistant.

iv. Assures perfect resistance against chemical reactivity

With that in mind, let us look at the advantages of using the dry syrup powder filling machine.

Benefits of Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

As sensitive as the pharmaceutical industry is, you need to be as accurate as possible with the syrup formulations.

 Dry syrup filling machine

For that reason, you will need to use the dry syrup powder filling machine.

Apart from the accuracy, here are some of the benefits of the dry syrup powder filling machine:

i. Reduces the packaging time for the dry syrups.

ii. A ccommodates packaging containers and bottles of different sizes.

iii. Most of the machines are automatic thus reducing the level of manpower you need.

iv. Has a PLC control system that allows you to program and control the machine from a distance.

v. It also has a monitoring system that allows you to accurately monitor the packaging process.

vi. The machines are available in different types thus allowing you a wide variety to choose from.

Limitations of Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

You may also experience some demerits of using the machine.

Some of them include:

 Automatic dry syrup powder filling machine – Photo courtesy: ADINATH

i. The initial cost of acquiring the machine is high

ii. Power consumption of the machine is high thus increasing the cost of production.

iii. Dealing with powders might be unhealthy to the operators especially when they inhale the dust from the dry powder.

iv. Most of the machines are big thus limiting the ability to move it freely from one place to another.

v. Damages on the parts of the machine limit production as the machine remain idle during replacement periods.

vi. Some parts are not easy to access thus making it very difficult to clean and maintain.

With that in mind, let us have a look at the major uses of dry syrup powder filling machine.

Uses of Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

You can use a powder filling machine to accomplish the following tasks:

i. Filling the dry syrup containers with the dry syrup

ii. Bottle lifting and neck holding system that reduces the spillage of powder on the bottle shoulders.

iii. Transporting the containers from one station to another through the conveyor belt

iv. Ensures the integrity of the dry syrup powder by ensuring it is clean through the sterilizing system

v. Some of the machines come complete with a capping and sealing system.

It covers and seals the bottles immediately after filling it to capacity.

Types of Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

Selecting a powder filling machine may pose a great challenge for you.

This is mainly because of the different types of dry syrup powder filling machines that can confuse you.

Let’s have a look at the main types of dry syrup powder filling machine to eliminate the confusion.

 Rotary dry syrup powder filling machine

1. Rotary Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

This type of machine works on the principle of vacuums and air systems to fill the containers.

It has a unique bottle lifting and neck holding system that will reduce spillage of dry syrup powder.

Apart from that, the machine may have 12 or 16 funnels that rotate as the feel the bottles

2. Auger Type Dry Syrup Filling Machine

The machine has proven the auger type filling system that fills a high volume of powder in single doses.

It has two separate filling heads on the machine top plate on the same line.

Additionally, it has a pneumatic bottle holder for holding the bottles during the filling process.

3. Vaccumetric Type Dry Syrup Filling Machine

This type of machine depends solely on the volumetric system to fill the bottles.

The working principles slightly vary from the rotary dry syrup filling machine due to the lack of air systems.

All the above types can either be automatic or semi-automatic as you are about to find out.

4. Semi-automatic Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

You will need additional manpower to assist in operating this machine.

The manpower will assist you in performing some of the tasks that the machine cannot perform.

Apart from that, the machine is fully capable of performing some of the key tasks such as filling the containers.

5. Fully Automatic Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

The machine is capable of performing almost all the tasks.

You will limit your operations to programming and monitoring the progress of machine performance.

Despite the automation, you cannot rule out the possibility of additional manpower.

You will still require some people to assist you with certain tasks.

After looking at the different types, let us look at the parts of a dry syrup powder filling machine.

Parts of a Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

The main parts of the dry syrup powder filling machine include

 Dry syrup powder filling station

. In Feed Turn Table

This is the part of the machine that receives the bottles from the source and guides them to the machine.

It has enough space that allows the bottles to rotate as they allow others to move into the machine.

· Flat Conveyor Belt

The conveyor belt acts as the main transport system of the machine.

It assists in transporting bottles to the filling station and away from the filling station for further processing.

· In Feed Star wheel

The star wheel has a number of tooth disks that hold and guide the bottles on the conveyor belt.

It assists in guiding the bottles to other stations for further processing such as filling, inspection and even capping.

· Funnel

The machine has numerous funnels that will guide the dry syrup powder into the bottles.

It reduces the possibility of spilling and wasting the powder syrup on to the shoulders of the bottles.

· Powder Filling Head

It is the main part of the machine that does the actual filling of the dry syrup powder.

It controls the movement of the powder by releasing and blocking the specific amount of powder into the bottles.

· Lifter Assembly

It receives the bottles, holds them and lifts them to the level of the funnels and the powder filling heads.

Additionally, it will lower the full bottles and allow them to proceed as it picks and lifts more bottles.

· Powder Hopper

It is the container that will receive and hold dry syrup powder for a while as the filling process continues.

It also allows for the agitation of the dry syrup powder by mechanical agitators to maintain bulk density and consistency.

· Powder Wheel

It consists of a piston in every port and vacuum plate that assist in sucking the dry syrup powder.

It assists in determining the different fill sizes of the dry syrup powder.

· Doctor Blade

This is an adjustable blade that clears of excess dry syrup powder from the powder wheel back to the powder hopper.

You can easily adjust the doctor wheel from outside with interfering with the powder hopper.

· Vacuum Plate

It is the part of the machine with very high holding forces that assist in the determination of full capacity.

It has integrated thread grid holes that improves the flexibility thus enhancing its efficiency.

Let us proceed and look at the working principles of the dry syrup filling machine in the next section.

How to Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine Works

Well, from the previous section, you already know that there are different types of dry syrup powder filling machines.

Implying that the working principles of these machines may differ accordingly.

In this section, we are going to look at the working principles of an automatic rotary dry syrup filling machine.

· Step 1: Preparing Powder Syrup

You need to have uniform concentrates of the ingredients that you will require for preparing the powder syrup.

The uniform concentrates will ensure that the dry syrup does not break into a non-homogenous mixture during the reconstitution process.

The ingredients that you will need in the preparation of powder syrup include:

i. Excipients for stabilization of ingredients

ii. Granule Disintegrates helps in reducing aggregation during the reconstitution process

iii. Granular Binder ensures the dry syrup particles settle in the suspension

iv. Powder Blends

v. Coloring agents, sweeteners or flavor

The process begins with weighing, dispensing, and sieving at different stages to ensure a homogenous powder.

You will transfer the mixture to a drum mixture where it will mix the whole mixture in two steps.

The first step involves mixing with a key excipient that will ensure proper dispersion.

The second step involves mixing the other excipients that are sensitive to heat such as flavors.

From this stage, you will transfer the complete mixture of the dry syrup powder to the filling machine.

· Step 2 Preparing Powder Syrup Filling Container

Before loading the powder mixture into the filling machine, you need to prepare the syrup filling container.

The container can be a plastic or a glass bottle depending on the filing requirements.

You can either decide to purchase the containers from a different supplier or make them yourself.

The containers can also be of different shades and shapes depending on the dry powder syrup that it will hold.

Well, with the containers in place, let us look at how you will clean these containers.

· Step 3: Sterilizing/Cleaning Syrup Powder Filling Container

You have to clean and sterilize the syrup powder filling container to ensure that it does not have any contaminants.

Contaminants may compromise the integrity of the dry syrup powder so you have to get rid of all of them.

You can use different cleaning and sterilizing agents such as hot water that will kill all the germs.

Make sure that the container is dry and does not have any liquid to prevent early reconstitution of the dry syrup powder.

· Step 4: Loading Container for Dry Syrup Filling

After cleaning and sterilizing the containers, you can load them onto the dry syrup filling machine.

This may be the last task that you will perform using your hands.

From this point, the machine will pick the containers through the infeed turntable.

The infeed turntable will guide the containers to a flat conveyor belt moving at a certain speed.

The container moves on the conveyor belt to the feed worm for the right spacing.

It reaches the feed star wheel which will transfer the bottles and position them properly below the funnels.

Since we are using an automatic rotary dry syrup filling machine, it can either have 12 or 16 funnels.

At this point, the containers are in a position to receive the filling powder.

· Step 5: Filling Container with Dry Syrup

The machine has a lifter assembly that will lift the containers and fit them perfectly under the funnels.

As this continues, you will load the dry syrup powder from the powder mixer on to the powder hopper.

Before loading the dry syrup powder, make sure that it passes through thorough sterilization.

In the powder hopper, mechanical agitators, agitate the powder to ensure that it maintains uniform bulk density and uniformity.

At the same time, the powder wheel rotates gently below the powder hopper.

The powder wheel then determines the amount of dry syrup powder to fill into the containers.

It follows the specifications that you enter and fills the containers through the powder filling head and funnel.

Time dose sterilized compressed air assists in pushing the dry syrup powder into the containers.

The machine fills all the bottles in approximately 5 to 6 seconds before lowering the full bottles.

It gives space for filling more containers and the filling process continues.

The full bottles proceed on to the inspection stage.

· Step 6: Inspecting Filled Dry Syrup Container

With the help of an inspection machine, you have to ensure that the containers contain the right amount of syrup.

In case of any wrong miscalculations, the machine will reject the container with the contrary specifications.

It will allow the perfect containers to proceed to the capping and sealing stage.

· Step 7: Capping Container Filled with Dry Syrup

At this point, the machine will place a cap on every container.

Most containers have standard sealing so you should not worry much about getting caps.

The machine screws the caps on the bottles tightly and seals them properly.

The seal will make the bottle tamper proof and block any contaminants from entering the container.

· Step 8: Labeling Dry Syrup Containers

The container is never complete without a label.

The label will inform you and other end users of the components of the dry syrup container.

It will also give ingredients and the instruction on how to use the dry syrup among other important specifications.

Speaking of specifications, let’s have a look at the key specifications that you will look at before purchasing the machine.

Features to Consider when Buying Dry Syrup Powder Filling Machine

As you shop for a good dry, syrup powder filling machine, there are certain specifications to look at.

Here are some of the specifications.

Dry syrup powder filling machine

i. Model/brand

Go for a model or a brand that many people recommend.

They recommend such models because of their high quality.

ii. Low Maintenance

Any production process requires the use of machines that are clean and easy to maintain at low costs.

iii. Easy Installation

The process of installation may be challenging to choose a machine that will give you easy installation experiences.

iv. Simple Operation

Some machines are very difficult to operate.

You should consider going for a machine that is very simple in its operations.

v. cGMP and FDA Compliant

The machine must also comply with the set quality standards to avoid rubbing shoulders with the law.

vi. Technology – PLC with touchscreen HMI

Go for a modern machine with the most modern technology such as the PLC with touchscreen HMI.

vii. Syrup Filling Accuracy

Different machines have different filling accuracies.

You should consider a machine that will accurately fit your filing requirements.

 viii. Low Noise Level and Power Consumption

To maximize profit using these machines, make sure that you reduce noise pollution and power consumption.

ix. Production Capacity

You should take a machine that is flexible and can fill different capacities of bottles.

x. Dimension

The dimension of the machine you will choose will depend on the dimensions of the machine that you need.

Conclusion

Well, I believe that you have all the information that you need at your fingertips.

With this information, you can make proper adjustments in your search for a dry syrup powder filling machine.

You are also sure that after purchasing the machine, you will be able to operate it perfectly.

What are you waiting for?

Call your supplier and order for the dry syrup powder filling machine of your choice.