The goal of tablet compression is to produce dosage forms that achieve the desired bioavailability and clinical effect. Traditional rotary tablet presses do not measure tablets’ tensile strength, yet this characteristic strongly influences tablet quality.The author describes a compression technique that accounts for tensile strength and produces tablets with consistent weight and disintegration time. This technique ensures tablets that are effective and readily used by the body.
Controlling tablets’ individual weight is critical to tablet pressing. Two factors that are difficult to control, yet are fundamental to a tablet’s bioavailability and clinical effect, are tensile strength and disintegration rate. This article will examine a recent development in tablet compression that enables consistent tablet production. The article will explain how the development’s flexibility can
take into account the critical factors in tablet production and improve tablet quality.
Traditional tablet presses measure a tablet’s weight either by measuring its variation in tablet height at precompression or the force at main compression. These techniques, however, overlook one fundamental characteristic: tensile strength. A tablet’s tensile strength influences its bioavailability and clinical effect, which are crucial characteristics for any dosage form.
Author: Johan Van Evelghem is a product and compression technology manager at
Courtoy, 9165 Rumsey Rd., Columbia, MD 21045, tel., 410.997.6692,
johan.vanevelghem@geacourtoy.com.
Published in Pharmaceutical Technology, May 2008.
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