How to Use Gravimetric Dosing for Added Efficiency - METTLER TOLEDO

How to Use Gravimetric Dosing for Added Efficiency

Continuous dosing provides significant efficiency and quality benefits in tablet production—but it can also pose substantial process-development challenges. Get insights on the capabilities of gravimetric dosing systems.


 

Continuous Dosing
Continuous Dosing

For many years, continuous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry has been a promising yet seemingly unattainable vision. However, years of development have resulted in the first approved continuous production lines, turning the vision into reality.

Continuous manufacturing of oral solid dosage (OSD) forms provides significant efficiency and quality benefits—but it can also pose substantial process-development challenges. Let's take a closer look at an essential element of continuous OSD production and what you need to consider when purchasing such a system:
 

Role of continuous dosing

The continuous dosing-mixing module typically consists of gravimetric feeders for API and excipients and a mixer. The module feeds directly into the tablet press, granulator or extruder and can currently process between 50 grams and 250 kilograms per hour.


Weighing for High-Quality Products

Product quality is significantly determined by the accuracy and consistency of upstream gravimetric dosing processes. Any errors result in a deviation from target quality. In addition, dosing of micro-components, such as APIs, requires a level of accuracy that only can be achieved with gravimetric dosing feeders. Other technologies for powder dosing, such as flow meters, are significantly less accurate.

How to Use Gravimetric Dosing for Added Efficiency
How to Use Gravimetric Dosing for Added Efficiency

Requirements for consistent feed quality

The weighing sensor must combine high accuracy with a large capacity. The capacity is essential because the sensor has to carry the screw feeder with the feed hopper, which contains the dosing material. In addition, the weighing sensor must provide a high measurement update rate and fast transmission of weighing data to the controller. This is necessary to accurately control the screw feeder and ensure constant material throughput.

When you are specifying a continuous-dosing system, make sure the gravimetric feeder is designed to fulfill your process specifications. Also consider how the weighing sensor and feeder design can contribute to improved testing and cleaning procedures.


Key Benefits of continuous dosing

  •   Better quality: Easy integration with downstream processes reduces segregation risk.
  •   Improved efficiency: Fully automated process with integrated monitoring and control technologies
  •   Faster time to market: Time consuming scale-up from lab to pilot to production is no longer needed.
  •   Less floor space: Footprint of such a module is just 2x2x2 meters.