Compression Machine Capacity Calculation

Compression machines are used to compress tablets in pharmaceutical industries. Different types of compression machines are used for this purpose.

First of all, a single punch compression machine was made, as the name indicates a single punch machine consists of only one set of punch. Later on, the multi-station compression machine was developed and it consists of more than one set of punches.

Single Feed System

Some Compression machines have a single feed system.
It has only one-hopper.
This type of compression machines compresses one tablet by an individual punch in a complete round.
A single hopper compression machine having 33 punches compresses 33 tablets in a round.

Double Feed System

Advanced compression machines have a double feeding system.
They have two hoppers.
In Double feed system machines, two tablets are compressed by each punch in complete round.
For double feed or double hopper compression machines having 33 punches,66 tablets are compressed in a complete round.

Capacity Calculation

To calculate the capacity of the compression machine following parameters are required,

Number of punches
Revolution per minute(rpm)
Number of feed system(single hopper or double hopper)

Number Of Punches

Number of punches in a compression machine is fixed mean different compression machines have different number of punches depending on the number of holes in the die table and punch holders in the turret.

Some general types of compression machine on basis of the number of punches are

17 Punch Compression machine
19 Punch Compression machine
23 Punch Compression machine
33 Punch Compression machine
37 Punch Compression machine

Revolutions per minute(rpm)

Revolutions per minute is the speed of the compression machine in one minute.
Revolution per minute is the measure of rounds completed by a turret of a compression machine in one minute.
Revolutions per minute can be counted manually at the slow speed of the compression machine.
Fast running machine’s rpm is calculated by the Teko meter.

Number of feed system

Single hopper machines are single feeding machines.
Double hopper machines are double feeding system machines.

How to calculate the capacity

Following formula is used to calculate the compression machine capacity.

Machine Capacity=Number of punches×rpm×Number of feed system

Suppose we have a compression machine having 35 punches and running at 30 rpm. The machine has a double feed system and capacity is calculated by putting values in the formula as follow,

Number of punches×rpm×Number of feed system

35×30×2=2100 Tablets/min

It means 2100 tablets are compressed in one minute. so for one hour multiply it by 60 and answer is as follow

2100×60=126000 tablets/hr

It means 126000 tablets are compressed in one hour.

So final formula for compression machine capacity in one hour is as follow.

Machine Capacity = Number of Punches×rpm×Number of feed system×60

Conclusion

The capacity of a compression machine is an important factor to calculate the efficiency or productivity of a compression machine. We can calculate the theoretical running hours of a compression machine to complete the compression of a specific batch.