blog

Introduction   A sachet is a small sealed flexible package used to hold a measured amount of a product. Common examples include sugar packets, instant coffee, seasoning, shampoo samples, sauces, and supplement powders.   Sachet packaging can handle powders, granules, liquids, gels, creams, and other flowable products when the filling system and packaging material are matched to the product. This makes the format useful across food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, personal-care, and household applications.   Behind the small package is a complete packaging process: product behavior affects the filling method, protection needs influence the film structure, and the sachet design determines how the package is formed and sealed.   This guide explains what a sachet is, the main types of sachet packaging, what they can contain, the materials used, and how commercial sachets are formed, filled, sealed, and cut.   1. What Is a Sachet?   A sachet is a small flexible package that encloses a measured or limited quantity of product inside sealed packaging material. It is commonly used for portability, portion control, sampling, or one-time use.   The term sachet pack describes the finished package rather than one construction method. Common structures include three-side seal, four-side seal, and back-seal sachets, while the finished outline can be rectangular or specially shaped.   What Does a Sachet Look Like?   Most sachets are made from flexible packaging material supplied as roll film and contain three basic elements:   The package body, which surrounds and holds the product. The sealed areas, which close the package and help protect the contents. An opening feature, such as a tear notch or easy-tear edge, when required by the package design.   The packaging material can be a simple film or a multilayer laminate that combines several functions.   Different layers can provide printability, mechanical strength, moisture or oxygen protection, light protection, and heat-sealing performance.   The correct structure depends on the product. Dry seasoning, moisture-sensitive supplement powder, and liquid sauce place different demands on barrier protection, sealing performance, and package strength.   Sachet vs. Pouch: What Is the Difference?   A sachet is a type of flexible package, while pouch is a broader packaging term.   In normal packaging use, a sachet usually refers to a smaller pack containing a measured or limited amount, while pouches cover a wider range of sizes and formats, including stand-up, zipper, and spouted pouches.   There is no universal size at which a sachet becomes a pouch, so the terms can overlap between industries.   Many small sachets are formed from roll film on a sachet packaging machine, while larger or more complex pouches are often supplied premade and then opened, filled, and sealed individually.     2. What Are the Main Ty...

    Capsule Filling Machine Changeover is a routine operation for pharmaceutical manufacturers of multiple capsule sizes. A well-designed changeover system can make this process significantly easier. Instead of spending excessive time on complicated disassembly and adjustment, operators can focus on a limited number of key components and complete the changeover efficiently.   This article explains five key parts involved in capsule size changeover, common challenges during traditional changeovers, and how our machine is designed to make the process faster and more precise.   1. Capsule Filling Machine Compatibility: One Machine for Multiple Capsule Sizes   In capsule production, different products may require different capsule sizes based on their formulation, powder density, and filling volume. For manufacturers handling diverse products, the ability to produce multiple capsule specifications on the same machine can provide greater production flexibility. This part is to explore general capsule sizes handled by capsule filling machine and its benefits for manufactures.   1.1 Compatible Capsule Sizes   Capsules are available in different standard sizes to accommodate different formulations, dosage requirements, and filling volumes. For hard capsules, common sizes range from 000# to 5#, with 000# being the largest and 5# being the smallest in the standard size range.   Different Capsule Sizes   A capsule filling machine with a wide size range can be configured to handle multiple capsule specifications, from 000# to 5#, by changing the corresponding parts and making necessary adjustments. Components that directly position, separate, fill, and discharge the capsules must be matched to the selected capsule size.   Capsule Size Approx. Length (Closed) Approx. Volume 000# 26.1 mm 1.37 mL 00# 23.4 mm 0.95 mL 0# 21.7 mm 0.68 mL 1# 19.4 mm 0.50 mL 2# 18.4 mm 0.37 mL 3# 16.5 mm 0.30 mL 4# 14.8 mm 0.21 mL 5# 13.1 mm 0.13 mL   1.2 Benefits of Multi-Size Compatibility   The ability to produce multiple capsule sizes on one capsule filling machine provides manufacturers with greater production flexibility.   Produce multiple products on one machine.   Different pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and healthcare products may require different capsule sizes depending on dosage, formulation, and product requirements. A multi-size capsule filler allows manufacturers, especially CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization), to handle different products using one capsule filler.   Reduce equipment investment.   Capsule filling machine capable of handling multiple sizes can reduce the need for additional production equipment. It can also help manufacturers make better use of limited production-floor space.   Improve production flexibility.   Manufacturers producing multiple products or different batch sizes can switch between capsule specifications according to thei...

  Enteric coating is a functional protective layer designed to keep a dosage form intact while it passes through the acidic environment of the stomach. After it reaches a suitable intestinal environment, the coating is designed to disintegrate, disrupt, or dissolve so the contents can be released. Enteric coating is most commonly associated with enteric-coated tablets, but the same principle also applies to pellets, granules, capsules, and other multiparticulate forms.   This type of coating is useful when a formulation should not release its contents in the stomach. Depending on the product design, it protects acid-sensitive ingredients, prevents premature release, or moves the start of release beyond the stomach. Achieving that function requires more than simply adding a film to the surface. The coating material, tablet or particle surface, film thickness, spraying, drying, and final film formation all contribute to how the finished enteric system performs.   This guide explains how enteric coating works, why it is used, the materials that create its acid-resistant behavior, and how the coating is applied during pharmaceutical production.   What Is Enteric Coating and How Does It Work?   An enteric coating is a type of functional film coating specifically designed to resist gastric fluid. Unlike a conventional film applied mainly for appearance, handling, moisture protection, or taste masking, an enteric film has an additional job: it acts as a temporary barrier during the gastric stage and then allows release later in the gastrointestinal tract.   The broader question of film coating vs sugar coating vs enteric coating is mainly about coating purpose; here, the focus is how the enteric barrier functions. IUPAC defines enteric coating as a coating used on tablets, granules, pellets, and capsules to provide resistance to gastric fluids while allowing the dosage form to break down after entering the duodenum.   The key to this behavior is usually a pH-responsive polymer.   Many enteric polymers have very limited solubility under acidic conditions. When an enteric-coated tablet enters the stomach, the polymer film therefore remains largely intact and separates the tablet core from the surrounding gastric fluid.   As the dosage form moves into an environment with a higher pH, ionizable groups within the polymer change state and its solubility rises. Once conditions match the selected coating system, the film begins to dissolve or lose its integrity, allowing fluid to reach the tablet core and release to begin.   The basic sequence is:   Enteric-coated dosage form → stomach: coating remains intact → intestinal environment: pH changes → coating loses its barrier function → contents are released     The exact point at which this happens is not identical for every enteric-coated product. Different polymer systems have different dissolution characteristics, and coating ...

      When you open a hard capsule, you may expect to see powder. Powder is common, but it is far from the only material that can be placed inside a capsule. Depending on the formulation and production method, capsule contents can include powders, granules, pellets, mini-tablets, and suitable liquids or semi-solids.   These fill forms are not simply different in appearance. A fine powder behaves differently from free-flowing pellets, while mini-tablets need to be handled as individual units. Liquid-filled hard capsules require another dosing method and usually additional sealing considerations.   This means the material inside a capsule directly affects how the product is manufactured and what type of capsule filling configuration is required. A capsule filling machine designed for powder should not automatically be assumed to handle pellets, mini-tablets, or liquids with the same dosing mechanism.   Capsule Content What It Looks Like Typical Filling Approach Powder Fine dry particles or powder blends Powder dosing system Granules Larger, irregular particles Granule feeding and dosing Pellets Small, usually rounded particles Pellet dosing system Mini-tablets Small compressed tablets Slat/metering-drum system (counting-by-volume) Liquids and semi-solids Oils, suitable solutions, suspensions, or semi-solid fills Pump dosing and additional sealing   The following sections explain what each fill type is, why manufacturers use it, and how the material changes the capsule filling process.   1. What Can Be Put Inside a Hard Capsule?   A hard capsule has two main parts: a body, which receives the fill material, and a cap, which closes over the body after filling. The shell and the material inside it are separate parts of the finished capsule.   The capsule shell can be made from materials such as gelatin or HPMC. The capsule contents, on the other hand, are the formulation placed inside that shell. This distinction matters because discussions about what capsules are “made of” often mix the shell material with the fill material.   Hard capsules can contain powders, granules, pellets, and mini-tablets. Suitable non-aqueous liquids and semi-solid formulations can also be filled into hard capsules when the shell, formulation, capsule filling process, and sealing method are compatible. FDA dosage-form terminology also distinguishes powder-filled, pellet-filled, and liquid-filled capsules.   A capsule can also contain more than one type of material. Some formulations use combination fills, such as pellets with powder or mini-tablets with pellets. This can help keep components physically separate when they have different formulation or release requirements.   The choice of capsule contents therefore starts with the formulation rather than with the capsule filling machine. Manufacturers first determine what goes inside the capsule, how much must be filled, and how the material behaves d...

  Have you ever noticed that the tablets you take can look completely different from one another? Some are white, while others are yellow, pink, blue, green, or even brown. At first glance, these colors may seem like a simple design choice, but there is often much more behind them.   Tablet coating itself serves a variety of purposes. But how is a tablet coating color chosen? And how does a tablet coating machine create a smooth, uniform colored film around thousands of tablets? This article explores the reasons behind tablet coating, the factors that influence coating color selection, and the complete tablet coating process.   1. Understanding Tablet Coating   Before discussing about tablet coating color, this part is to take a brief glance at the definition and major types of tablet coating.   1.1 What is Tablet Coating   Tablet coating is a pharmaceutical manufacturing process in which one or more layers of coating material are applied to the surface of a tablet. The tablet before coating is usually referred to as the plain tablet. After tablets have been produced by tablet press machine, they are loaded into tablet coating machine, where they are continuously moved and exposed to a coating liquid.   Main coating materials include film-forming materials, colorants, plasticizers and solvents.   Film-forming materials are the most important component of coating formulation. Their main function is to form a continuous layer on the surface of the tablet. The type of material selected can influence important properties such as strength, solubility, and drug-release behavior. Common examples include HPMC, HPC, PVA, PVP, ethyl cellulose, and methacrylic acid copolymers.   Colorants can be used to create coating colors such as white, yellow, pink, red, blue, green, orange, or brown. The color of the tablet core, the coating thickness, and how evenly the colorant is dispersed can all affect the final appearance.   Plasticizers are used to improve the flexibility of the coating layer. Without sufficient flexibility, a coating film may become brittle and crack or peel during subsequent processing. Plasticizers help tablet coating maintain its integrity. Common examples include polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate, and triacetin.   Solvents are used to carry the coating materials through the spray system and onto the tablet surface. Water is commonly used, and other suitable solvents may be used depending on the formulation. During tablet coating process, solvents are gradually removed by hot-air drying. The remaining materials then form the final coating layer.   Sugar coating and film coating   1.2 Film Coating and Sugar Coating   Film coating and sugar coating are two major types of tablet coating.   Film coating is the application of a relatively thin layer of polymer-based coating material to the tablet surface. Because the coating layer is relatively thin, film coating...

      Why Changeover Matters More for Contract Manufacturers   For a pharmaceutical contract manufacturer, CDMO or OEM manufacturer, one blister packaging line may need to handle different products, tablet or capsule sizes, cavity arrangements and finished blister dimensions over time.   The actual frequency of format changes depends on each manufacturer’s product portfolio, customer orders and batch sizes. Some plants may run long campaigns of the same product, while others may change specifications more frequently. What matters is what happens when the next specification needs to go into production.   In this environment, the rated running speed of a blister packaging machine tells only part of the story. A machine can run quickly once production starts, but if every format change requires lengthy disassembly, manual alignment and repeated test runs, a significant amount of available production time is still lost between batches.   For contract manufacturers, changeover time is part of real production capacity.   The purchasing question should therefore not be limited to “How fast can the blister machine run?” It should also include: “How quickly can the line be prepared for the next product specification?”     What Actually Happens During a Blister Machine Changeover?   Changing from one blister specification to another is not simply replacing one mold. Depending on the product and blister layout, several working stations may need to be changed or adjusted, including:   Forming station Feeding system Heat-sealing station Batch coding station Cutting station For example, a different tablet or capsule size can require a new cavity arrangement, while a different finished blister plate size can affect both forming and cutting tooling. Each additional station becomes another potential source of adjustment time if its positioning is not repeatable.   This is why changeover design matters more than the number of screws alone. The real question is how much alignment work remains after the new tooling is installed.     Where Traditional Mold Changeover Really Loses Time       The biggest problem with traditional blister machine changeover is not simply that operators need to remove more screws or lift more mold parts. Most of the process relies on the technician’s experience and feel for the machine.   Once the upper and lower molds are installed, manual alignment is still required. Small deviations can affect forming position, sealing accuracy or cutting alignment. The technician may need to loosen the tooling, move it slightly, tighten it again and run another test. This can be repeated several times until the position is acceptable.   Because this adjustment relies heavily on personal judgment, the time required can vary greatly from one operator to another.   In our experience, even an experienced technician m...

In pharmaceutical packaging, machine materials are more than a matter of equipment design. They can directly affect regulatory compliance, product safety, and long-term performance.   Common materials such as 304 stainless steel, 316/316L stainless steel, aluminum alloy, and PTFE each offer different properties and are used for different machine components. But selecting the right material is only the first step. Manufacturers also need reliable ways to verify that the material actually used matches the specified grade.   So, how should these materials be tested beyond simply checking certificates? This article explains the role of common machine materials, practical testing methods and how buyers can verify material quality when selecting and inspecting pharmaceutical packaging machines.   Why Do Materials Matter in Pharmaceutical Packaging Machines?   Machine material selection is not simply a matter of making a pharmaceutical packaging machine strong, durable, or visually attractive. It can affect regulatory compliance, product-contact safety, and long-term production reliability.   Machine Material Selection Affects Regulatory Compliance   One of the most important reasons to pay attention to machine materials is regulatory compliance. Pharmaceutical manufacturers operate under different laws, regulations, and GMP requirements depending on their region and target market. For example, pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States is subject to FDA CGMP requirements, including requirements concerning equipment construction and product-contact surfaces. In the European Union, GMP requirements are set out in EudraLex Volume 4, which includes dedicated requirements for premises and equipment.   Particularly, for product-contact surfaces, regulators are particularly concerned about whether the material could: React with the pharmaceutical product Release substances into the product Absorb product components Promote contamination or cross-contamination Make effective cleaning difficult Corrode or deteriorate during production and cleaning   Therefore, when selecting a pharmaceutical packaging machine, buyers should not simply ask, "Is the machine made of stainless steel?" More meaningful questions are “What material is used for each critical component, why was it selected, and is it suitable for the product and regulatory requirements of my region?”   Different Components Require Different Materials   A pharmaceutical packaging machine usually contains many different components, and they do not all need to be made from the same material. Material selection should be based on contact with the product, mechanical function, operating environment, temperature, friction, and chemical exposure.   Product-contact components   As for product-contact components, machine materials generally require good corrosion resistance, cleanability, chemical compatibility, and low contamination ...

  Capsules from the same production batch are intended to contain a consistent amount of fill material, but that does not mean every capsule will show exactly the same measured weight. Small differences can appear during filling because powder does not behave like a liquid with a perfectly fixed density. Its flow, bulk density, moisture condition, and degree of compaction can all affect how much material enters the capsule.   The filling method also matters. On a dosing-disc automatic capsule filling machine, the powder for each capsule is not individually weighed before filling. Instead, the machine repeatedly fills controlled spaces in a dosing disc, compacts the powder, and transfers the measured material into the capsule body. Consistent filling therefore depends on two things working together: the powder must behave consistently, and the machine must repeat the same dosing action accurately.   This is the basic reason capsule weight variation occurs. Understanding it also explains why capsule filling accuracy cannot be judged by one machine setting alone. The dosing system, powder characteristics, mechanical adjustment, and production conditions all contribute to the final fill weight. What Is Capsule Weight Variation?   Capsule weight variation means that the measured weight of filled capsules is not exactly identical from one capsule to the next.   For example, suppose a production process is set to place about 500 mg of powder into each capsule. When several finished capsules are checked, their fill amounts might be slightly different rather than every capsule containing exactly 500.000 mg.   The important production question is therefore not: “Can every capsule be made mathematically identical?” It is: “Can the filling process keep the differences small, stable, and within the required production specification?”   To understand why differences occur, it helps to separate capsule size from capsule fill weight.   A capsule shell provides a fixed internal space, but a fixed space does not automatically hold a fixed weight of powder. Imagine filling the same measuring cup with two powders. One powder is light and fluffy, while the other packs more densely. Both can occupy the same volume, but the second cup can weigh considerably more.   The same principle applies during capsule filling.   Even when the same capsule size and the same formulation are used, the material entering the dosing area must remain reasonably consistent. If the powder becomes more loosely packed, flows unevenly, absorbs moisture, forms small agglomerates, or begins sticking to contact surfaces, the amount captured during each filling cycle can change.   The machine then adds another part of the equation. It must repeatedly create similar dosing conditions for thousands of capsules. If the effective dosing space, powder compaction, or mechanical position changes during operation, th...

Can you open a capsule and take the powder? Sometimes, but being able to pull a capsule apart does not automatically mean the contents are suitable for use outside the shell.   What matters most is what is inside. Some hard capsules contain powder or granules. Others contain coated pellets or particles designed to control how the contents are released. Softgels are different because they usually contain liquid or semi-solid material.   So there is no simple rule that applies to every capsule. Some are designed so the shell can be opened, while others need to remain intact. The formulation and the instructions for the specific product provide the answer. NHS guidance also advises checking before altering capsules rather than deciding from their appearance alone.   Why Do People Want to Open Capsules?   People usually consider opening capsules for a few practical reasons. Understanding these reasons also helps explain why the answer is not always as simple as “yes” or “no.”   Difficulty Swallowing Capsules   Some people find larger hard capsules difficult or uncomfortable to swallow. They therefore wonder whether they can open the capsule and take the contents separately.   This is a common reason for asking the question, but swallowing difficulty does not determine whether a particular capsule can be opened. That still depends on the formulation inside.   Thinking the Capsule Shell Is Unnecessary   Some people are unsure what capsule shells are made from or assume the shell is just an unnecessary outer layer. If a two-piece hard capsule can be pulled apart easily, it can seem reasonable to ask why the powder inside cannot simply be taken on its own.   But the shell does have a purpose. It keeps the fill together, makes the capsule easier to handle, and allows the complete contents to be delivered as one unit.   In some products, the shell mainly acts as a container. In others, the overall formulation is more complex. A shell being easy to open does not mean it has no function.   Wanting to Take Only Part of the Contents   Another reason is wanting to use only part of what is inside the capsule.   Opening a capsule, however, does not turn the contents into an accurate measuring system. A powder fill can contain several blended components, while granules or pellets can be present in a defined quantity or distribution.   Dividing the contents by sight does not reproduce the fill control used during manufacturing. The desire to use a smaller amount therefore explains why someone might open a capsule, but it does not mean the contents are suitable for accurate splitting.   Dietary or Religious Concerns About Gelatin   Traditional hard capsule shells are often made from gelatin, which can come from animal sources. This can matter to people with vegetarian preferences, religious requirements, or concerns about animal-derived ingredients.   No...