Automatic Material Feeding Solutions for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, material transfer between production stages must be carefully controlled to minimize dust dispersion, reduce the risk of cross-contamination and maintain the quality of mixtures throughout the process. For powders, granules and empty capsules, pneumatic conveying is an option for automating material feeding and reducing reliance on manual handling.
Nilfisk develops pneumatic conveyors for pharmaceutical and food applications. These machines are designed to transfer materials from containers or collection points to mixers, dosing machines, tablet presses, capsule filling machines and other production equipment.
Applications of Material Feeding Systems in Pharmaceutical Production
Nilfisk material feeding systems can be used at different stages of pharmaceutical production, depending on the material and process requirements:
- Feeding mixers: Conveying powdered ingredients to mixing equipment, supporting automatic feeding and reducing manual material transfer.
- Feeding tablet presses: Transferring powder blends to tablet presses and supporting a consistent material flow according to production requirements.
- Feeding capsule filling machines: Conveying powders or material blends to capsule filling machines for processes that require a stable material supply.
- Transferring granules and intermediate products: Moving granulated materials between equipment such as granulators, containers and subsequent processing systems.
- Empty capsule feeding: Using a blowing-based conveying system to transfer empty capsules to capsule filling lines while minimizing unnecessary mechanical impact during transport.
Nilfisk Material Feeding Machine Series
1. Nilfisk 3-Series – Powder and Granule Feeding Machines
The Nilfisk 3-Series is a range of pneumatic conveyors designed to automatically feed production equipment such as capsule filling machines and tablet presses using fine powders. The range includes both compressed-air-powered and electrically driven configurations.
Key features published by Nilfisk include:
- Conveying powders and mixtures using dense phase conveying technology, which helps minimize segregation of the mixture components.
- Processing capacity of up to 1,500 kg/h across the range, depending on configuration and operating conditions.
- Filtration for fine powders, with filtration performance specified down to 0.2 µm for the product range presented.
- Design intended for pharmaceutical hygiene requirements, using materials such as AISI 316L stainless steel, silicone, polyurethane, EPDM, PTFE and Sustarin®, depending on configuration.
- Compact construction and quick disassembly without tools, as described by the manufacturer.
- A range of accessories for flexible configuration according to production line requirements.
For selected versions, Nilfisk specifies food-contact suitability and ATEX Z1/21 marking. The exact machine code and configuration should therefore be confirmed before selecting equipment for production areas with specific safety requirements.
2. Nilfisk PCM – Material Feeding Machines for Pharmaceutical and Food Applications
Nilfisk PCM is a range of pneumatic conveyors designed for pharmaceutical and food applications. The machines are intended to convey fine powders, tablets or empty capsules and to continuously feed production equipment such as tablet presses and capsule filling machines.
Features described by Nilfisk include:
- Design developed to address the demanding technical and hygiene requirements of the pharmaceutical sector.
- HEPA filtration on the downstream side to help protect the environment and upstream filtration to protect the motor, depending on the configuration.
- An additional HEPA filter at the discharge point is available for versions equipped with the corresponding 4-inch Tri-Clamp discharge interface.
- The filter inside the 3VT hopper is also available in a fully stainless-steel version, allowing sanitization in an autoclave according to the manufacturer's information.
- Electric motors can be positioned outside the production area using modular trolley systems, depending on the configuration.
3. Nilfisk 9-Series – Empty Capsule Feeding Systems
For capsule filling operations, the Nilfisk 9-Series is specifically designed to convey empty capsules using a blowing-based system. It helps transfer capsules to capsule filling machines while aiming to preserve their condition during transportation.
According to Nilfisk, selected 9-Series configurations can convey up to 65,000 capsules per minute. Actual capacity depends on the equipment version and production line conditions.
Benefits of Nilfisk Material Feeding Machines
- Automated material feeding: Reduces manual material transfer between production stages and supports integration with production machinery.
- Reduced dust dispersion: Materials are conveyed through an enclosed system from the pickup point to the discharge point, helping limit dust release into the working area.
- Support for mixture consistency: Dense phase conveying technology on applicable models helps minimize segregation of the components in a mixture.
- Support for hygiene requirements: Material options, filtration systems and construction features can be selected according to the cleaning requirements of each process.
- Flexible installation: Electrically driven or compressed-air-powered configurations and suitable accessories can be selected to match the feeding and receiving equipment.
What to Consider When Selecting Pharmaceutical Material Feeding Machines
Machine selection should be based on material characteristics, production requirements and the actual configuration of the production line. Businesses should assess the following factors:
- Material type: Fine powders, powder blends, granules, tablets or empty capsules.
- Required capacity: The quantity of material to be conveyed per hour or the number of capsules to be fed per minute.
- Conveying distance and layout: The distance between the pickup point and receiving equipment, feeding height and pipeline arrangement.
- Hygiene requirements: Materials in contact with the product, disassembly, cleaning and sterilization requirements under the factory's procedures.
- Filtration and dust control: Filter class, filter location and dust-control requirements for each production area.
- Safety conditions: Dust characteristics, explosion hazards and ATEX area classification, where applicable.
- Integration capability: Connection requirements for mixers, dosing machines, tablet presses, capsule filling machines and existing equipment.
Equipment should not be selected solely on the basis of its nominal capacity. Material characteristics, pipeline configuration, filtration, pickup and discharge points, and hygiene requirements must all be assessed to determine a suitable solution.
PAN – Pharmaceutical Material Feeding Solutions
PAN provides Nilfisk equipment solutions for industrial material conveying and feeding applications. Based on material type, required capacity and production line layout, PAN supports businesses in identifying suitable machine series and configurations for each application.
Contact PAN for advice on selecting material feeding machines for powders, granules or empty capsules in pharmaceutical production lines.
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