Aspects of the Lubrication Requirements for an Automatic Capsule Filling Machine

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Abstract
Aspects of the lubrication requirements for an automatic capsule filling machine, instrumented to monitor compression and ejection forces, were studied under various filling conditions. Three common capsule fillers (compressible starch, micro-crystalline cellulose, and anhydrous lactose) were filled into No. 1 gelatin capsules. Two main sets of runs were made. The first set was designed to study the influence of powder bed height, piston height and compression force on the ejection forces generated during the filling process. The second set was aimed at comparing lubricant type and levels. It was shown that the ejection force is increased by increasing the powder bed height, piston height and compression force. Compressible starch and micro-crystalline cellulose required relatively low levels of magnesium stearate as compared to anhydrous lactose. The performance of stearic acid and especially magnesium lauryl sulfate compared favorably with magnesium stearate in compressible starch.

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