A process for the production of gelatin hard hollow capsules

Abstract

The application discloses a production process of gelatin hard hollow capsules and relates to the technical field of medicinal adjuvants, and comprises the following steps: sol preparation, mold pretreatment, injection molding, preliminary drying, demolding, deep drying and the like, wherein the injection molding comprises the following steps: sending the prepared glue solution into a glue-dipping and drying integrated device, and driving the mold to be dipped into a glue storage box by a transfer cylinder in the glue-dipping and drying integrated device; the main structure of the glue-dipping and drying integrated device is a glue-dipping mold frame; T-shaped plates provided with a plurality of stainless steel rods are movably inserted on the upper and lower surfaces of the glue-dipping mold frame; small stainless steel rods are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the mold frame; and the rotatable characteristic of the mold frame is utilized, so that when the lower stainless steel rods are used for glue-dipping operation, the upper small stainless steel rods in standby state can be synchronously introduced into a cleaning station for automatic cleaning, and the overall production efficiency and mold utilization rate are obviously improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pharmaceutical excipients technology, and in particular to a production process for gelatin hard hollow capsules. Background Technology

[0002] Gelatinous hollow capsules are the outer shells for pharmaceuticals or health products made primarily from animal collagen (gelatin). They have a cylindrical, hollow structure, consisting of a tightly fitting capsule body and a cap. Manufactured through sol-gel preparation, injection molding, and segmented drying, these capsules feature high mechanical strength, controllable disintegration time, and good stability. They effectively protect the contents from external environmental influences, mask drug odors, and facilitate swallowing. During production, the capsule hardness is controlled by adjusting the glycerin ratio. Combined with the precision molds and degassing technology of the integrated capsule dipping and drying device, the uniformity of the gelatin film is ensured, resulting in high biocompatibility and safety. After several rounds of use, gelatin particles, film edges, or aged gelatin inevitably remain on the surface of the capsule molding mold. If these residues are not cleaned promptly, they will directly affect the quality of the film formed in the next round, leading to uneven film thickness, bubbles, and poor adhesion. Therefore, the molds need to be cleaned regularly.

[0003] Traditionally, this cleaning process is usually completed at a separate workstation or cleaning area. After a few uses, the mold rod needs to be removed from the main production line and sent by manual or automated equipment to a dedicated cleaning unit for rinsing with clean water, scraping off dry glue, soaking in hot water, and even disinfection before returning to the main line for continued use. However, this approach has several obvious problems: First, long idle waiting time: Mold cleaning and drying take time, and the mold cannot participate in production during the cleaning area, resulting in a decrease in mold utilization; Second, production cycle interruption: The main production line needs to wait for the mold to return, which may lead to "mold shortage" or "waiting in vain," affecting overall capacity; Third, asynchronous with the main line: The cleaning process is not synchronized with the main line's operating rhythm, making it difficult to achieve full-process automation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the problem that in existing integrated capsule coating and drying devices, the cleaning process of capsule molding molds is typically completed at a separate workstation or cleaning area after several uses. After a few uses, the mold rod needs to be removed from the main production line and manually or automatically transported to a dedicated cleaning unit for rinsing with clean water, scraping off the dried glue, soaking in hot water, and even disinfection before returning to the main line for continued use. However, this method has several significant problems. First, the idle waiting time is long: mold cleaning and drying require time, and the mold cannot participate in production during the cleaning area, leading to a decrease in mold utilization. Therefore, this invention proposes a production process for gelatin rigid hollow capsules.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A production process for a gelatin rigid hollow capsule includes the following steps: sol preparation, mold pretreatment, injection molding, preliminary drying, demolding, deep drying, cutting and fitting, and post-processing.

[0007] Optionally, the mass percentage of each component in the sol preparation is: gelatin 40-50%, glycerol 15-25%, purified water 30-40%, and the capsule hardness is controlled by adjusting the glycerol ratio.

[0008] Optionally, the sol preparation includes the following process parameters: heating temperature of 60-70℃, stirring until completely dissolved for 30-60 minutes, vacuum degassing after sol preparation with a vacuum degree of -0.08~-1MPa, until the sol solution is clear.

[0009] Optionally, the mold pretreatment includes: using a 316L stainless steel mold, electroplating or polishing the surface to a mirror finish, and preheating the mold to 40-50℃.

[0010] Optionally, the injection molding includes: feeding the prepared adhesive liquid into the interior of the adhesive dipping and drying integrated device, the transfer cylinder in the adhesive dipping and drying integrated device drives the mold to be immersed in the adhesive storage tank, the depth of the mold immersed in the adhesive liquid is 1 / 2 of the capsule length, and after 2-3 seconds, it is lifted at a uniform speed, and the thickness of the adhesive film is controlled to be 15-25 mm by the dipping speed and the viscosity of the adhesive liquid.

[0011] The integrated glue-drying and drying device includes a glue storage box, a T-shaped plate, a glue-drying mold frame, a horizontal bar, and a U-shaped frame. Multiple stainless steel bars are equidistantly arranged on the horizontal surface of the T-shaped plate. The bottom of the glue storage box is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench. A controller is installed on the side of the glue storage box. A sludge guide hopper is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench to one side of the glue storage box. A back plate is fixedly mounted at the top edge of the workbench. A first drying oven and a second drying oven are sequentially fixedly mounted on the back plate to the side of the sludge guide hopper. A horizontal groove is formed on the side of the back plate, and a horizontal bar is movably inserted into the horizontal groove. A lifting cylinder is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal bar. A U-shaped frame is fixedly installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder. An edge block is fixedly installed at the bottom of the U-shaped frame. A stepped column is rotatably connected to the side of the edge block. A glue-dipping mold frame is fixedly installed at the other end of the stepped column. T-shaped plates are movably inserted into both the top and bottom of the glue-dipping mold frame. Quick-release components for quickly assembling and disassembling the T-shaped plates are provided at the front and back of the glue-dipping mold frame. A self-limiting component that keeps the glue-dipping mold frame in a vertical position is fixedly installed at the end of the stepped column. Scraping plates are movably inserted into the outer wall of multiple stainless steel bars on the T-shaped plates. An opening is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame. The U-shaped frame has a vertical groove. A transfer cylinder is fixedly installed on one side of the top of the U-shaped frame. A drive block is fixedly installed at the output end of the transfer cylinder. A cleaning box is fixedly installed at the other end of the drive block. A lifting electromagnet is fixedly installed on the top of the cleaning box. A positioning negative pressure cleaning component is installed on the top of the cleaning box. When the lifting electromagnet moves the scraping plate to a certain position, the positioning negative pressure cleaning component automatically performs negative pressure suction and cleaning of residual adhesive particles. A safety drive component is installed on the side of the cleaning box to prevent the cleaning box from accidentally moving downward when the dip mold frame rotates. Transfer screws are threaded into both ends of the horizontal rod. The two ends of the transfer screws are rotatably connected to the two ends of the horizontal groove. One end of the transfer screw is fixedly connected to the output end of the transfer motor. The housing of the transfer motor is fixedly installed on the side of the back plate.

[0012] The quick-setting component includes a threaded post, edge blocks, and a central rod. Edge blocks are fixedly installed at both ends of the central rod. A transverse groove is provided on the side of each edge block. A threaded post is fixedly installed at the edge of the adhesive-coating mold frame. The threaded post passes through the transverse groove, and a locking handle is screwed into the end of the threaded post. The self-limiting component includes a protective cover, a locking worm gear, and a locking turbine. The protective cover is fixedly installed on the side of one of the edge blocks. A locking turbine is fixedly installed at the end of the stepped post. A locking worm gear is stably engaged at the top of the locking turbine. Both ends of the locking worm gear are rotatably connected to the side of the protective cover.

[0013] The negative pressure cleaning assembly includes an AC pipe, a top wide cylinder, a bottom narrow cylinder, and a one-way valve. The bottom narrow cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the cleaning box. A one-way valve is fixedly installed on the side of the cleaning box. The top wide cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the bottom narrow cylinder. An AC pipe is inserted vertically into the bottom narrow cylinder. An AC hole is opened on the side of the AC pipe. One end of the AC pipe is fixedly connected to a vertical spring. The other end of the vertical spring is fixedly connected to the top of the top wide cylinder. An air suction pipe is fixedly connected to the side of the top wide cylinder. The upper and lower ends of the side of the T-shaped plate have mounting grooves. An avoidance hole is opened at the top of the mounting groove of the T-shaped plate. One end of a reset spring is fixedly connected to the bottom of the mounting groove. The top end of the reset spring passes through the avoidance hole and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the scraping plate.

[0014] The safety drive assembly includes a vertical plate, a drive motor, an extension plate, and a drive gear. The side of the extension plate is fixedly connected to the side of the cleaning box, and the other end of the extension plate is fixedly mounted with the vertical plate. The drive motor is fixedly mounted on the side of the vertical plate, and the output end of the drive motor is fixedly mounted with the drive gear. One end of the locking worm gear is fixedly mounted with an auxiliary crank, and the other end of the locking worm gear is fixedly mounted with a driven gear. The driven gear and the drive gear are stably meshed. The top of the vertical plate is fixedly mounted with a mounting plate, and the bottom of the mounting plate is fixedly mounted with a photoelectric sensor. The outer wall of the output end of the drive motor is fixedly mounted with a light shield. The bottom of the extension plate is fixedly mounted with a limit post, and the top of the stepped post has a safety hole with the same diameter as the limit post and the safety hole.

[0015] Optionally, the deep drying is a two-stage drying process: the integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the second drying oven for the first stage of drying. The hot air introduced into the second drying oven has a temperature of 30°C and a humidity of 30%. The capsule preform is dried here for 2-4 hours, and the moisture content of the capsule preform is reduced to 15-18%. The integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the first drying oven. The hot air introduced into the first drying oven has a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of 20%. The capsule preform is dried here for 1-2 hours, and the final moisture content of the capsule preform is 12-14%.

[0016] Optionally, the cutting and fitting includes: laser or blade cutting, with a capsule body / cap length error of ≤5 mm; mechanical fitting pressure of 5-10 N; and polishing with food-grade lubricant after fitting.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] 1. The main structure of the integrated dipping and drying device of this invention is a dipping mold frame. T-shaped plates with multiple stainless steel rods are movably inserted into both the upper and lower surfaces of the dipping mold frame. Small stainless steel rods are arranged on both the upper and lower sides of the mold frame. Utilizing the rotatable characteristic of the mold frame, when the lower stainless steel rod is dipping, the upper small stainless steel rod, which is in a standby state, can simultaneously enter the cleaning station for automatic cleaning. This design significantly improves overall production efficiency and mold utilization. On the one hand, it avoids the waste of time caused by the alternating dipping and cleaning processes in the traditional mode, which leads to mold idle waiting. On the other hand, the rotation switching mechanism of the mold frame enables the parallel operation of the dipping and cleaning processes. While the mold on one side completes the dipping and molding work, the mold on the other side is automatically cleaned and prepared for the next use, thus forming a cyclical and efficient operation process. This not only improves the continuous working capacity of the equipment but also significantly reduces manual intervention and cleaning waiting time, helping to improve the cycle time and yield of capsule production.

[0019] 2. This invention features a scraping plate mounted on two T-shaped plates, with a cleaning box positioned above one of the T-shaped plates. The top of the cleaning box is sequentially equipped with a lifting electromagnet and a positioning negative pressure cleaning component. Utilizing the rotatable nature of the mold frame, when the lower stainless steel rods are being dipped in adhesive, the cleaning box can enclose the upper group of small stainless steel rods in a standby state. The lifting electromagnet on top of the cleaning box attracts the scraping plate to a certain position, forming a small cavity with the inside of the cleaning box. This triggers the positioning negative pressure cleaning component, which uses a suction structure on its exterior to remove residual adhesive particles, preventing contamination of other components during the cleaning process. This design not only automatically determines whether the scraping plate is in place, ensuring the cleaning process is conducted only in a sealed space to prevent adhesive splashing and environmental pollution, but also improves cleaning efficiency and the reusability of the adhesive rods, significantly reducing manual wiping and cleaning time. This reduces production costs, improves equipment automation and operating cycle time, and ensures the consistency and stability of capsule quality.

[0020] 3. This invention features a safety drive component on the side of the rotating shaft of the dipping mold holder. Specifically, the safety drive component is located on the side of the cleaning chamber. When the cleaning chamber moves down to the group of spare small stainless steel bars at the top of the dipping mold holder, the safety drive component cannot drive the dipping mold holder to rotate. This effectively prevents structural damage such as collisions and scratches caused by accidental rotation of the mold holder during cleaning, achieving a "position interlocking" mechanism. That is, the mold holder can only rotate when the cleaning chamber is in a non-interventional position, enhancing the coordination and safety of the system operation. This not only avoids the risk of device interference due to misoperation or abnormal system commands but also improves the equipment's fault tolerance and operational stability. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the adhesive dipping and drying integrated device of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another perspective structural diagram.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the U-shaped frame and its connecting parts.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure for removing the U-shaped frame.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Another perspective structural diagram.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the safety drive component.

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the negative pressure cleaning component.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the AC conduit and its connectors.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the glue-dipping mold frame and its connecting parts.

[0030] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Another perspective structural diagram.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a structural schematic diagram of a fast-fix assembly.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Glue storage box; 2. Injection pipe; 3. Controller; 4. Back plate; 41. Horizontal groove; 5. Workbench; 51. Sludge guide hopper; 6. First drying oven; 7. Second drying oven; 8. Transfer motor; 81. Transfer screw; 9. Lifting cylinder; 10. Horizontal bar; 11. U-shaped frame; 110. Vertical groove; 112. Edge block; 12. Driven gear; 13. Locking worm gear; 131. Auxiliary crank handle; 14. Cleaning box; 15. One-way valve; 16. Lifting electromagnet; 17. Narrow bottom cylinder; 18. Drive block; 19. Transfer cylinder; 20. Protective cover; 21. Vertical plate; 2 2. Mounting plate; 221. Photoelectric sensor; 23. Sunshade plate; 24. Drive motor; 241. Drive gear; 25. Extension plate; 251. Limiting post; 26. Top width cylinder; 261. Intake pipe; 27. Vertical spring; 28. AC pipe; 29. ​​AC hole; 30. Stepped post; 301. Locking turbine; 31. Safety hole; 32. Scraper plate; 321. Return spring; 33. Adhesive dip mold frame; 331. Threaded post; 34. T-shaped plate; 35. Mounting groove; 36. Clearance hole; 37. Intermediate rod; 38. Edge stop; 381. Lateral groove; 39. Locking grip. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0035] Reference Figure 1-11A production process for gelatin rigid hollow capsules includes the following steps: sol preparation, mold pretreatment, injection molding, preliminary drying, demolding, deep drying, cutting and fitting, and post-processing. The mass percentages of each component in the sol preparation are: gelatin 40-50%, glycerin 15-25%, and purified water 30-40%. The capsule hardness is controlled by adjusting the glycerin ratio. The sol preparation includes the following process parameters: heating temperature of 60-70℃, stirring until completely dissolved for 30-60 minutes, vacuum degassing after sol preparation with a vacuum degree of -0.08~-0.1MPa until the gel is clear. The mold pretreatment includes: using a 316L stainless steel mold with an electroplated or polished surface to a mirror finish, and preheating the mold to 40-50℃. Injection molding includes: feeding the prepared adhesive solution into the integrated adhesive dipping and drying device; the transfer cylinder 19 in the integrated adhesive dipping and drying device drives the mold to be immersed in the adhesive storage tank 1; the depth of the mold immersed in the adhesive solution is 1 / 2 of the capsule length; after 2-3 seconds, it is lifted at a uniform speed; the thickness of the adhesive film is controlled to be 0.15-0.25 mm by the dipping speed and the viscosity of the adhesive solution.

[0036] The integrated glue-drying and drying device includes a glue storage tank 1, a T-shaped plate 34, a glue-drying mold frame 33, a horizontal bar 10, and a U-shaped frame 11. Multiple stainless steel bars are equidistantly arranged on the horizontal plane of the T-shaped plate 34. An injection pipe 2 is installed on the top side of the glue storage tank 1. The bottom of the glue storage tank 1 is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench 5. A controller 3 is installed on the side of the glue storage tank 1; the controller 3 is a commonly used PLC controller. A sludge guide hopper 51 is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench 5 on one side of the glue storage tank 1. The sludge guide hopper 51 is used to collect the dripping glue from the bottom of the integrated glue-drying and drying device when it is transferred between different workstations. The dripping adhesive is fixedly mounted on the top edge of the workbench 5 with a back plate 4. The back plate 4 is fixedly mounted on the side of the sludge guide hopper 51 with a first drying oven 6 and a second drying oven 7. The back plate 4 has a horizontal groove 41 on its side. A horizontal rod 10 is inserted into the horizontal groove 41 in the horizontal direction. A lifting cylinder 9 is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal rod 10. Transfer screws 81 are threaded into both ends of the horizontal rod 10. The two ends of the transfer screws 81 are rotatably connected to the two ends of the horizontal groove 41. One end of the transfer screw 81 is fixedly connected to the output end of the transfer motor 8. The housing of the transfer motor 8 is fixedly mounted on the side of the back plate 4.

[0037] A U-shaped frame 11 is fixedly installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder 9. An edge block 112 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the U-shaped frame 11. A stepped column 30 is rotatably connected to the side of the edge block 112. A glue-dip mold frame 33 is fixedly installed at the other end of the stepped column 30. T-shaped plates 34 are movably inserted into both the upper and lower surfaces of the glue-dip mold frame 33. Quick-release components for quick-release and quick-release of the T-shaped plates 34 are provided at the front and rear of the glue-dip mold frame 33. The quick-release components include a threaded column 331, an edge stop 38, and a middle rod 37. Both ends of the intermediate rod 37 are fixedly provided with edge blocks 38. The side of the edge blocks 38 is provided with a transverse groove 381. The side edge of the glue-dipping mold frame 33 is fixedly provided with a threaded post 331. The threaded post 331 passes through the transverse groove 381. The end of the threaded post 331 is screwed into a locking handle 39. When the T-shaped plate 34 is inserted into the glue-dipping mold frame 33, the edge blocks 38 can be moved to the front and back of the T-shaped plate 34 to quickly fix the two sets of glue-dipping stainless steel rods.

[0038] A self-limiting component is fixedly installed at the end of the stepped column 30 to keep the glue-dipping mold frame 33 in a vertical state. A scraping plate 32 is movably inserted into the outer wall of multiple stainless steel bars on the T-shaped plate 34. A vertical groove 110 is opened on the side of the U-shaped frame 11. A transfer cylinder 19 is fixedly installed on one side of the top of the U-shaped frame 11. A drive block 18 is fixedly installed at the output end of the transfer cylinder 19. A cleaning box 14 is fixedly installed at the other end of the drive block 18. A lifting electromagnet 16 is fixedly installed on the top of the cleaning box 14. A negative pressure cleaning component is installed on the top of the cleaning box 14. When the lifting electromagnet 16 drives the scraping plate 32 to move up to a certain position, the negative pressure cleaning component automatically performs negative pressure suction and cleaning of residual glue particles. A safety drive component is provided on the side of the cleaning box 14 to prevent the cleaning box 14 from accidentally moving down when the glue-dipping mold frame 33 rotates.

[0039] The self-limiting assembly includes a protective cover 20, a locking worm 13, and a locking turbine 301. The protective cover 20 is fixedly installed on the side of one of the edge blocks 112. The locking turbine 301 is fixedly installed at the end of the stepped column 30. The locking worm 13 is stably engaged at the top of the locking turbine 301. Both ends of the locking worm 13 are rotatably connected to the side of the protective cover 20.

[0040] The negative pressure cleaning assembly includes an AC pipe 28, a top wide cylinder 26, a bottom narrow cylinder 17, and a one-way valve 15. The bottom narrow cylinder 17 is fixedly connected to the top of the cleaning box 14. The one-way valve 15 is fixedly installed on the side of the cleaning box 14. The top wide cylinder 26 is fixedly connected to the top of the bottom narrow cylinder 17. The AC pipe 28 is inserted vertically into the bottom narrow cylinder 17. An AC hole 29 is opened on the side of the AC pipe 28. One end of the AC pipe 28 is fixedly connected to a vertical spring 27. The other end of the vertical spring 27 is fixedly connected to the top of the top wide cylinder 26. An air suction pipe 261 is fixedly connected to the side of the top wide cylinder 26. The air suction pipe 261 is externally connected to the dust extraction system.

[0041] The T-shaped plate 34 has mounting grooves 35 at both the top and bottom ends of its side. The T-shaped plate 34 has clearance holes 36 at the top of the mounting grooves 35. The bottom of the mounting grooves 35 is fixedly connected to one end of the reset spring 321. The top of the reset spring 321 passes through the clearance holes 36 and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the scraper plate 32. The scraper plate 32 is made of iron. When the reset spring 321 is at its original length, the scraper plate 32 is attached to the surface of the T-shaped plate 34.

[0042] The safety drive assembly includes a vertical plate 21, a drive motor 24, an extension plate 25, and a drive gear 241. The side of the extension plate 25 is fixedly connected to the side of the cleaning box 14, and the other end of the extension plate 25 is fixedly provided with the vertical plate 21. The side of the vertical plate 21 is fixedly provided with the drive motor 24, and the output end of the drive motor 24 is fixedly provided with the drive gear 241. One end of the locking worm gear 13 is fixedly provided with an auxiliary crank 131. The auxiliary crank 131 facilitates the user to rotate the locking worm gear 13 to drive the entire structure to reset. The other end of the locking worm gear 13 is fixedly provided with a driven gear 12. The driven gear 12 meshes stably with the drive gear 241. The drive gear 241 is located below the driven gear 12. When one end of the locking worm gear 13 is not subjected to external force, the locking worm gear 13 cooperates with the locking turbine 301 to maintain the entire adhesive application mold frame 33 at the required angle.

[0043] A mounting plate 22 is fixedly installed on the top of the vertical plate 21, and a photoelectric sensor 221 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the mounting plate 22. A light shield 23 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the output end of the drive motor 24. The light shield 23 can enter the gap of the photoelectric sensor 221. The setting of the light shield 23 and the photoelectric sensor 221 is used for the reset of the output end of the drive motor 24. A limit post 251 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the extension plate 25. A safety hole 31 is opened on the top of the stepped column 30. The limit post 251 and the safety hole 31 have the same diameter.

[0044] Deep drying is a two-stage drying process:

[0045] Both the first drying oven 6 and the second drying oven 7 have equidistant air vents on their sides. The first drying oven 6 and the second drying oven 7 are connected to different drying devices. The drying temperature and humidity of the gases generated by the two drying devices are different. The integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the position of the second drying oven 7 for the first stage of drying. The hot air introduced into the second drying oven 7 has a temperature of 30°C and a humidity of 30%. The capsule preform is dried here for 2-4 hours, and the moisture content of the capsule preform is reduced to 15-18%.

[0046] The integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the position of the first drying oven 6. The hot air introduced into the first drying oven 6 has a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of 20%. The capsule preform is dried here for 1-2 hours, and the final moisture content of the capsule preform is 12-14%.

[0047] Cutting and fitting include: laser or blade cutting, with a capsule body / cap length error of ≤0.5 mm; mechanical fitting pressure of 5-10 N, followed by polishing with food-grade lubricant.

[0048] The specific implementation steps and principle of the capsule dipping and drying integrated device of the present invention are as follows:

[0049] When the stainless steel rods below the dip mold frame 33 are working normally, the scraper plate 32 is in contact with the surface of the dip mold frame 33. At this time, the communication port 29 is retracted inside the bottom narrow cylinder 17, and the dust collection system connected to the external suction pipe 261 is not connected to the communication pipe 28. When the stainless steel rods at the top of the dip mold frame 33 need to be cleaned, both the transfer cylinder 19 and the lifting electromagnet 16 are activated, extending and driving the cleaning box 14 to move down and wrap around the stainless steel rods at the top of the dip mold frame 33. The lifting electromagnet 16 will generate a magnetic field. The scraper 32 moves upward, and when it moves to a certain position, it pushes the AC pipe 28 upward and compresses it. The AC port 29 enters the top wide cylinder 26. At this time, the external vacuum system is connected to the cleaning box 14. At the same time, the drive gear 241 at the output end of the drive motor 24 moves downward and separates from the driven gear 12. At this time, due to the presence of the locking worm gear 13 and the locking turbine 301, the entire glue-dipped mold frame 33 remains stable and still. Meanwhile, the limiting post 251 is inserted into the limiting hole 301.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manufacturing process for gelatin hard hollow capsules, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Sol preparation, mold pretreatment, injection molding, preliminary drying, demolding, deep drying, cutting and fitting, post-processing; The mass percentages of each component in the sol preparation are: gelatin 40-50%, glycerin 15-25%, purified water 30-40%, and the capsule hardness is controlled by adjusting the glycerin ratio. The sol preparation includes the following process parameters: heating temperature is 60-70℃, stirring until completely dissolved, time is 30-60 minutes, vacuum degassing is performed after sol formation, vacuum degree is -0.08~-0.1MPa, until the sol solution is clear; The mold pretreatment includes: using a 316L stainless steel mold, electroplating or polishing the surface to a mirror finish, and preheating the mold to 40-50℃. The injection molding process includes: feeding the prepared adhesive solution into the integrated adhesive dipping and drying device; the transfer cylinder in the integrated adhesive dipping and drying device drives the mold to be immersed in the adhesive storage tank; the depth of the mold immersed in the adhesive solution is 1 / 2 of the capsule length; after 2-3 seconds, it is lifted at a uniform speed; the thickness of the adhesive film is controlled to be 0.15-0.25 mm by the dipping speed and the viscosity of the adhesive solution. The integrated glue-drying and drying device includes a glue storage box, a T-shaped plate, a glue-drying mold frame, a horizontal bar, and a U-shaped frame. Multiple stainless steel bars are equidistantly arranged on the horizontal surface of the T-shaped plate. The bottom of the glue storage box is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench. A controller is installed on the side of the glue storage box. A sludge guide hopper is fixedly mounted on the top of the workbench to one side of the glue storage box. A back plate is fixedly mounted at the top edge of the workbench. A first drying oven and a second drying oven are sequentially fixedly mounted on the back plate to the side of the sludge guide hopper. A horizontal groove is formed on the side of the back plate, and a horizontal bar is movably inserted into the horizontal groove. A lifting cylinder is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal bar. A U-shaped frame is fixedly installed at the output end of the lifting cylinder. An edge block is fixedly installed at the bottom of the U-shaped frame. A stepped column is rotatably connected to the side of the edge block. A glue-dipping mold frame is fixedly installed at the other end of the stepped column. T-shaped plates are movably inserted into both the top and bottom of the glue-dipping mold frame. Quick-release components for quickly assembling and disassembling the T-shaped plates are provided at the front and back of the glue-dipping mold frame. A self-limiting component that keeps the glue-dipping mold frame in a vertical position is fixedly installed at the end of the stepped column. Scraping plates are movably inserted into the outer wall of multiple stainless steel bars on the T-shaped plates. An opening is provided on the side of the U-shaped frame. The U-shaped frame has a vertical groove. A transfer cylinder is fixedly installed on one side of the top of the U-shaped frame. A drive block is fixedly installed at the output end of the transfer cylinder. A cleaning box is fixedly installed at the other end of the drive block. A lifting electromagnet is fixedly installed on the top of the cleaning box. A negative pressure cleaning component is installed on the top of the cleaning box. When the lifting electromagnet moves the scraper plate to a certain position, the negative pressure cleaning component automatically performs negative pressure suction and cleaning of residual adhesive particles. A safety drive component is installed on the side of the cleaning box to prevent the cleaning box from accidentally moving downward when the dip mold frame rotates. Both ends of the horizontal rod are threaded with transfer screws, and both ends of the transfer screws are rotatably connected to the two ends of the horizontal groove. One end of the transfer screw is fixedly connected to the output end of the transfer motor, and the housing of the transfer motor is fixedly installed on the side of the back plate. The quick-setting component includes a threaded post, an edge stop, and a middle rod. Edge stops are fixedly provided at both ends of the middle rod. A transverse groove is provided on the side of the edge stop. A threaded post is fixedly provided at the edge of the side of the adhesive-dip mold frame. The threaded post passes through the transverse groove, and a locking handle is screwed into the end of the threaded post. The self-limiting assembly includes a protective cover, a locking worm gear, and a locking turbine. The protective cover is fixedly disposed on the side of one of the edge blocks. A locking turbine is fixedly disposed at the end of the stepped column. A locking worm gear is stably engaged at the top of the locking turbine. Both ends of the locking worm gear are rotatably connected to the side of the protective cover. The negative pressure cleaning assembly includes an AC pipe, a top wide cylinder, a bottom narrow cylinder, and a one-way valve. The bottom narrow cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the cleaning box. The one-way valve is fixedly installed on the side of the cleaning box. The top wide cylinder is fixedly connected to the top of the bottom narrow cylinder. The AC pipe is inserted vertically into the bottom narrow cylinder. An AC hole is opened on the side of the AC pipe. One end of the AC pipe is fixedly connected to a vertical spring. The other end of the vertical spring is fixedly connected to the top of the top wide cylinder. An air suction pipe is fixedly connected to the side of the top wide cylinder. The T-shaped plate has mounting grooves at the top and bottom ends of its side. The T-shaped plate has clearance holes at the top of the mounting grooves. The bottom of the mounting grooves is fixedly connected to one end of a reset spring. The top end of the reset spring passes through the clearance holes and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the scraping plate. The safety drive assembly includes a vertical plate, a drive motor, an extension plate, and a drive gear. The side of the extension plate is fixedly connected to the side of the cleaning box, and the other end of the extension plate is fixedly mounted with the vertical plate. The drive motor is fixedly mounted on the side of the vertical plate, and the output end of the drive motor is fixedly mounted with the drive gear. One end of the locking worm gear is fixedly mounted with an auxiliary crank, and the other end of the locking worm gear is fixedly mounted with a driven gear. The driven gear and the drive gear are stably meshed. The top of the vertical plate is fixedly mounted with a mounting plate, and the bottom of the mounting plate is fixedly mounted with a photoelectric sensor. The outer wall of the output end of the drive motor is fixedly mounted with a light shield. The bottom of the extension plate is fixedly mounted with a limit post, and the top of the stepped post has a safety hole with the same diameter as the limit post and the safety hole.

2. The production process of a gelatin hard hollow capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deep drying process is a two-stage drying process: The integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the second drying oven for the first stage of drying. The hot air introduced into the second drying oven is at a temperature of 30°C and a humidity of 30%. The capsule preform is dried here for 2-4 hours, and the moisture content of the capsule preform is reduced to 15-18%. The integrated glue-drying and drying device moves the formed capsule preform to the position of the first drying oven. The hot air introduced into the first drying oven has a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of 20%. The capsule preform is dried here for 1-2 hours, and the final moisture content of the capsule preform is 12-14%.

3. The production process of a gelatin hard hollow capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting and fitting process includes: laser or blade cutting, with a capsule body / cap length error of ≤0.5 mm; mechanical fitting pressure of 5-10 N; and polishing with food-grade lubricant after fitting.

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