In pharmaceuticals industries different types of machines are used to perform different activities. In this article on Machine learning, we will try to understand and learn about working principles and parts of blister machines.
Blister Machine
Blister machines are used to pack the tablets, capsules and pills in the form of blisters. Different types and models of Blister machines are used in the pharmaceutical industries.
Types of Blister Machine
Following are types of blister machines that are used to form blisters depending on the type of cavity forming foil used.
- Thermoforming Blister Machines
- Cold Forming Blister Machine
Thermoforming Blister Machines
This type of Blister machines is used to form blisters using foil which forms cavities or pockets using heat and air.
Cold Forming Blister Machine
This type of Blister machines is used to form blisters using foil which forms cavities or pockets by pressure using punches.
Working Principle of Blister Machine
Blister Machines works on a simple and basic principle which is as follow
- Cavity forming foil is unwinded and passes through the forming station.
- In the case of thermoforming foil, it is preheated first before sending to the forming station.
- In the case of cold forming foil Cavities or pockets are formed by applying pressure using Teflon punches.
- In the case of thermoforming foil, cavities are formed by applying air pressure to the preheated soften foil and cavities formed are cold by using chilled water circulation.
- The cavities formed are then delivered to the feeding station to feed the product in it.
- After feeding,the lidding foil is unwinded from the second roll and is placed over the cavities containing the product.
- This is then passed through the sealing station which seals the lidding foil over the cavity-forming foil and protects the product.
- It is then passed through a cooling station because the sealing station gives heat to the blister.
- The blister formed is then passed through an embossing station which embosses a specific batch no and expiry over it.
- After embossing, the long blister rail passes through the cutting station which divides it into individual blisters.
Components of Blister Machine
For machine learning, it is very important to know about all parts of the machines and the parts of blister machine are as follow
- Un-winding Rod
- Heating Station
- Forming Station
- Feeding Station
- Guiding Cam
- Inspection Camera
- Sealing Station
- Cooling Station
- Embossing Station
- Cutting Station
- Web Winding Rod
Un-winding Rod
- As the name indicates, unwinding rods are used to unwind the rolls of foils.
- Usually, two unwinding rods are present in a blister machine.
- One unwinding rod is used to unwind the cold or thermoformable foil roll or in simple words roll of cavity-forming foil.
- The second unwinding rod is used to unwind the roll of lidding foil.
- Cavity forming and lidding foil rolls are inserted into specified unwinding rods and foils continue to unwind as the strokes of the blister machine keep running.
Heating Station
- Heating station is present in thermoformable blister machines.
- Heating stations heat the foil and make it soft and flexible.
- Two heating plates are present and foil passes through these plates.
- The temperature of foils is adjusted according to the values given in the Batch manufacturing record.
Forming Station
- Forming station is the major part of a blister machine and it is the part that results in the production of cavities by using forming foil.
- Two forming plates are present, one is above foil and the other is below the foil.
- In thermoformable compression machines both upper and lower plates contain cavities and soften foil is pushed from lower plates by air pressure to upper plates and formed cavities are cooled by circulating chilled water.
- In cold forming blister machines, lower plates contain cavities and upper plates contain Teflon punches.
- When foil passes through the plates Teflon punches apply pressure on the forming foil and cavities are formed.
Feeding Station
- The feeding station is an important part of a blister machine.
- Feeding Station is the place that feeds our product like tablets or capsules into the cavities which are formed by forming stations.
- Usually, two types of feeding station are present depending upon the machine type and model.
- Conventional Brush type
- Advance Auto Driven
Guiding Cam
Guiding cam is conveoyr like structure which delivers cavity formed structure towards the Sealing station.
Inspection Camera
After filling the product in cavities it is delivered by the guiding cam to the sealing station and during its route of delivery it is inspected by the camera to check any empty pockets or cavities.
Sealing Station
- After passing below the inspection camera the cavities filled with the product are covered by the lidding foil which is unwound from the unwinding rod and forms a covering over the cavities.
- This is then passed through the sealing station.
- The sealing station has two hot plates which seal the lidding foil over the cavity-forming foil.
Cooling Station
- The cooling station has two plates,upper and lower in which Chilled water is circulated.
- After sealing it cools the blister formed and makes the sealing durable.
Embossing Station
- An embossing station is used to emboss the Batch no and expiry date.
- The embossing station has two plates.
- Digits are installed in one plate and it is pressed on another plate when blisters rail pass below it and digits are embossed over the blisters.
Cutting Station
- In our machine learning phase cutting station is a very sharp part installed in a blister machine.
- It cuts or divides the long blister rail structure into individual blisters.
Web Winding Rod
After cutting,the waste foil is winded over a web winding rod.
- Types of airlocks in pharmaceutical industries.
- Advancements Granulation Techniques.
- End point determination or wet granulation.
- Glass Packaging In Pharma.