Manufacturing
Managing the Mass-production of Tablets with Efficient Processes The growing demand for increased tablet quantities and the goal of reducing time to market is putting pressure on tablet manufacturers. In order to keep up with this requirement, innovative processes and systems need to be adopted to improve production efficiency. Here we look at the importance of tool management systems and online training in the quest to produce high quantities of quality tablets. Tablet Tool Management The availability and condition of tools is of primary importance for uninterrupted production. This is especially important in the pharmaceutical solid dose manufacturing environment where productivity is key. Shorter lead times and cost implications are putting pressure on manufacturers to invest in new technologies and processes. One area where investment is being made to meet demand is through new software solutions. The implementation of a comprehensive tool management system (TMS) is critical for a successful operation which improves the efficiency of manufacturing quality tablets. A primary objective of a TMS is to ensure that tooling is never a cause for delay in the production schedule. Ask yourself these questions: Do you know where your tools are? Do you know what condition they are in? Is all the tooling available when required to ensure production runs smoothly? If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, it is time to invest in a proficient TMS. Operating a manufacturing process without the appropriate management in place will affect productivity and profitability. Effective tooling management will not only increase efficiency, but also keep up with growing industry demands.
of maximised press uptime. Gone is the time when tool monitoring was achieved through modest manual methods. Recording data on paper is not sufficient or productive for today’s demanding high-volume manufacturing processes, which must be tightly controlled. Any problems within tool inventory management can have serious implications on the bottom line. In addition, manufacturers should have a complete audit trail covering tooling usage and maintenance. This is not only good practice but an important regulatory requirement in many tablet manufacturing environments. Without a robust management system that controls and documents the procedure efficiently, the consequences will be costly. Tablet tooling was once considered an expendable part of the manufacturing process and deemed part and parcel of production. But there are less obvious costs to consider, for example, those generated by the unavailability of tools due to avoidable damage or unexpected replacement – both leading to tablet press downtime. Through the development of computerbased monitoring systems, viewing tablet compression tooling as consumable items is changing and manufacturers are now maximising productivity per punch.
The growing requirement for quality mass-produced tablets has highlighted clear trends within modern tablet production. They include the increase of capacity, flexibility, the speed of response and robust traceability with the core objective
A core feature of a TMS is its capacity to keep track of the tooling maintenance. This is critical in obtaining the maximum life from punches and dies. It is important to maintain a logical, planned and professional approach to tooling maintenance to ensure
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tablet tooling failures are avoided; a TMS helps to achieve this. By implementing an advanced management system, problems like wear to punch heads and tips can be detected before they impact on production. It can also highlight when specific punch and die cleaning actions are required. These can be essential to avoid issues such as sticking and picking, cross contamination and corrosion. Implementation of a tooling management system can also drastically improve tooling inventory availability. Without this information, either unnecessary tooling replacements are made, reducing productivity, or punches are deployed when they should be in maintenance or replaced. The latter circumstance produces problems with the end tablet when it is found that the tooling being used does not meet the highly demanding process of tablet manufacture. Rejected tablets, wasted formulation, very expensive press damage and press downtime is a common result. In addition to this, not having a clear picture of tooling availability may lead to the loss of opportunities in a fast-moving and competitive environment. Key Points to Finding the Right System With a number of different tool management systems on the market, it is important to choose one which can effectively record everything required for greater productivity. Make sure the TMS covers the following essential features: Winter 2020 Volume 12 Issue 4
