Method for manufacturing tablet, and device for manufacturing tablet

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a tablet with an easy maintenance in a convey process.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a tablet includes: a forming process for compressing a material including a magnesium oxide; and a convey process in which the formed tablet which has been formed in the forming process is fallen into a convey member from the previous process which is a post forming process, and conveying the formed tablet to the following process. Also, a surface of the convey member on which the formed tablet falls has a specific material that meets the following physical properties (a) and (b): (a) a friction coefficient is 0.15 or less; and (b) tensile elasticity modulus is 2.0×103 MPa or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing tablets and a tablet manufacturing apparatus, and particularly to a method for manufacturing tablets obtained by compression molding a raw material containing magnesium oxide and a tablet manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Tablets containing magnesium oxide as the main component and active ingredient are widely used for various purposes such as antacids, laxatives, magnesium supplementation, and anti-hypomagnesemia.

[0003] Such tablets are manufactured, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, by mixing magnesium oxide powder and additives, tableting them, and printing identification information such as letters or symbols on the surface as necessary.

[0004] When manufacturing such tablets, when transferring tablets after tableting (hereinafter also referred to as "formed tablets") obtained by compression molding magnesium oxide powder and additives using a tableting machine or tablets after printing using a printing machine (hereinafter also referred to as "printed tablets"), a conveying step may be provided in which the tablets are dropped onto a conveying member and conveyed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, when producing a large amount of formed tablets by the above-described tablet manufacturing method, there is a risk that maintenance of the conveying step becomes complicated.

[0007] One of the problems of the present invention is to provide a tablet manufacturing method in which maintenance in the conveying step is simple. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0008] As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the present inventors have found that by using a material having specific physical properties on the surface of a transport member on which tablets fall in the transport process, maintenance in the transport process becomes simple, and thus the present invention has been achieved.

[0009] The present disclosure provides, for example, the following aspects. [1] A method for manufacturing tablets, including a molding step and a transport step. In the molding step, a raw material containing magnesium oxide is compression molded. In the transport step, the molded tablets formed by the molding step are dropped onto a transport member from a previous step after the molding step, and the molded tablets are transported to a subsequent step. The surface of the transport member on which the molded tablets fall has a specific material satisfying the following physical properties (a) and (b). (a) The coefficient of friction is 0.15 or less. (b) The tensile elastic modulus is 2.0 × 103 MPa or less. [2] In the method for manufacturing tablets according to [1] above, the specific material further satisfies the following physical property (c). (c) The tensile strength is 50 MPa or less. [3] In the method for manufacturing tablets according to [1] or [2] above, the specific material is selected from a fluororesin, a polyethylene-based resin, and a polypropylene-based resin. [4] In the method for manufacturing tablets according to any one of [1] to [3] above, the transport member is a lifting member of a lifting mechanism that places the molded tablets and moves up and down between above and below in the vertical direction. [5] The method for manufacturing tablets according to any one of [1] to [4] above further includes a printing step of printing on the molded tablets. In the transport step, the molded tablets printed in the printing step are dropped onto the transport member. [6] In the method for manufacturing tablets according to any one of [1] to [5] above, the transport member includes a base material and the specific material provided on the base material. [7] In the method for manufacturing tablets according to [6] above, the conveying member has a shock-absorbing portion that absorbs the shock of the formed tablets between the base material and the specific material. [8] A tablet manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus includes a conveying device that drops formed tablets obtained by compression molding a raw material containing magnesium oxide onto a conveying member and conveys the formed tablets to a subsequent process. The surface of the conveying member onto which the formed tablets drop has a specific material that satisfies the following physical properties (a) and (b). (a) The coefficient of friction is 0.15 or less. (b) The tensile elastic modulus is 2.0 × 10 3 MPa or less.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the method for manufacturing tablets of the present invention, maintenance in the conveying process is simple.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3

Figure 4

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail according to specific embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be implemented in any form without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0013] [Introduction] One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing tablets. Such a manufacturing method includes a molding step of compression-molding (appropriately referred to as "tableting") a raw material containing magnesium oxide, and a conveying step of dropping the tablets (appropriately referred to as "molded tablets") compression-molded (tableted) in the molding step from the previous step after the molding step onto a conveying member and conveying the molded tablets to the subsequent step. Further, such a method for manufacturing tablets may further include a printing step of printing on the molded tablets. In this case, the conveying step may further include dropping the molded tablets (appropriately referred to as "printed tablets") after printing by the printing step onto the conveying member.

[0014] Here, according to one aspect of the present invention, the surface of the conveying member on which the tablets (molded tablets) fall after compression molding (tableting) has a material (appropriately referred to as "specific material") that satisfies predetermined physical properties. Further, when the method for manufacturing tablets further includes a printing step, the surface of the conveying member that conveys the molded tablets (printed tablets) after printing by the printing step may also have the specific material.

[0015] According to the studies of the present inventors, in the case of magnesium oxide molded tablets, during the manufacturing process, when the molded tablets are transported, it is inevitable that powder of the molded tablets is generated due to impacts during transportation, etc., and the generated powder tends to adhere to the surface of the molded tablets due to static electricity. The powder of the adhered magnesium oxide tablets tends to fall onto the surface of a transport member with a large impact. The powder that has fallen onto the surface of the transport member tends to absorb moisture in the air and be easily transformed into magnesium hydroxide. The present inventors have found that especially when producing a large amount of molded tablets, the powder of the magnesium oxide molded tablets is transformed into magnesium hydroxide over time, which causes adhesion to the transport member. The adhesion of the powder (hereinafter also referred to as "tablet powder") generated from such molded tablets to the transport member may hinder the transportation of the tablets or reduce the quality of the tablets. In addition, especially when the tablet powder after printing adheres to the transport member, there is a risk that the tablets transported thereafter may be colored by the transport member to which the tablet powder after printing has adhered. Therefore, in the transportation process, maintenance for periodically removing the adhesion to the transport member becomes a complicated task.

[0016] In order to prevent the adhesion of the tablet powder to such a transport member, it is desirable to use a material having high cushioning properties and sliding properties for the transport member in order to prevent the adhesion of the powder generated from the tablets. However, on the other hand, since magnesium oxide tablets have high hardness, durability is also required for the material of the transport member.

[0017] As a result of intensive studies based on such a premise, the present inventors have obtained the idea of constructing the surface of the transport member on which the molded tablets fall using a specific material having a friction coefficient and a tensile elastic modulus within a predetermined range. Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent the adhesion of the tablet powder while maintaining sufficient durability capable of receiving the fall of the magnesium oxide tablets. In addition, by particularly preventing the adhesion of the tablet powder after printing to the transport member, it is also possible to prevent the occurrence of coloring of the tablets transported thereafter.

[0018] First, after explaining the specific materials used for the conveying member, examples of the conveying member using such specific materials will be described next, and then examples of the method for manufacturing tablets using such a conveying member will be described.

[0019] [Specific Material] According to one aspect, the specific material used for the conveying member is characterized in that specific physical properties described below satisfy predetermined ranges, respectively.

[0020] According to one aspect, the coefficient of friction of the specific material is usually 0.15 or less. Among them, it is preferably 0.14 or less, and more preferably 0.13 or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, 0.01 or more. In this specification, the "coefficient of friction" refers to the dynamic coefficient of friction unless otherwise specified. The coefficient of friction of a given material can be measured by a method such as JIS K 7125.

[0021] According to one aspect, the tensile modulus of elasticity of the specific material is usually 2.0×10 3 MPa or less. Among them, it is preferably 1.5×10 3 MPa or less, and more preferably 1.0×10 3 MPa or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, 1.0×10 MPa or more. The tensile modulus of elasticity of a given material can be measured by a method such as JIS K 7161.

[0022] According to one aspect, the flexural modulus of elasticity of the specific material is preferably usually 2.0×10 3 MPa or less. Among them, it is preferably 1.5×10 3 MPa or less, and more preferably 1.0×10 3 MPa or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, 1.0×10 MPa or more. The flexural modulus of elasticity of a given material can be measured by a method such as JIS K 7171.

[0023] According to one aspect, the tensile strength of the specific material is preferably normally 50 MPa or less. Among them, it is more preferably 45 MPa or less, and still more preferably 40 MPa or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 0.5 MPa or more. The tensile strength of a given material can be measured by a method such as JIS K 7161.

[0024] According to one aspect, the compressive strength of the specific material is preferably normally 50 MPa or less. Among them, it is more preferably 45 MPa or less, and still more preferably 40 MPa or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 0.5 MPa or more. The compressive strength of a given material can be measured by a method such as JIS K 7181.

[0025] Such a specific material is not limited, but for example, it can be selected from fluororesins, polyethylene resins, polypropylene resins, and polycarbonate resins. Among them, fluororesins, polyethylene resins, and polypropylene resins are preferred, and fluororesins are particularly preferred.

[0026] Examples of fluororesins include, but are not limited to, tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer (PFA) resin, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP) resin, tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE) resin, vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, chlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) resin, and chlorotrifluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer resin (ECTFE) resin. Among them, tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin is preferred.

[0027] Examples of polyethylene resins include, but are not limited to, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) resin, polyethylene (PE) resin, low density polyethylene (LDPE) resin, and high density polyethylene (HDPE) resin. Among them, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) resin or polyethylene (PE) resin is preferred.

[0028] Examples of polypropylene-based resins include, but are not limited to, polypropylene (PP) resin. Among them, polypropylene (PP) resin is preferred.

[0029] Note that any one of the specific materials may be used alone, or any two or more of them may be used in combination at any ratio.

[0030] According to the study by the present inventors, by selecting and using a specific material that satisfies the above physical properties as the material of the surface of the transport member that transports tablets (formed tablets) after compression molding (tableting), adhesion of tablet powder to the transport member can be suppressed, and generation of attracting and then sticking can be prevented. Also, as the material of the surface of the transport member that transports the formed tablets (printed tablets) after printing, by selecting and using a specific material that satisfies the above physical properties instead of such a conventional material, it becomes possible to prevent coloring of the subsequent tablets by the transport member to which the printed tablet powder has adhered.

[0031] [Conveyor Member] According to one aspect, the surface of the transport member that transports tablets (formed tablets) after compression molding (tableting) has the above specific material. According to one aspect, the surface of the transport member that transports the formed tablets (printed tablets) after printing may also have the above specific material. Except for these points, the structure and material of the transport member are not particularly limited and can be arbitrary.

[0032] Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a transport member used in a method for manufacturing tablets according to one embodiment. Figure 2A shows a bucket-shaped transport member, and Figure 2B shows a long box-shaped transport member. Figure 2B(a) is a side cross-sectional view, and Figure 2B(b) is a top view. However, the transport members shown in these figures are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited by these figures in any way.

[0033] The bucket-shaped conveying member 10A shown in Fig. 2A has a cage-like structure with an open top surface. Such a bucket-shaped conveying member 10A is configured to receive the formed tablets from the previous process therein and move in the horizontal or vertical direction to convey such tablets. Here, at least a part, preferably substantially all, of the inner surface Sa of the bucket-shaped conveying member 10A where the formed tablets are received from the previous process is configured to have the above specific material.

[0034] The long box-shaped conveying member 10B shown in the side sectional view of Fig. 2B(a) and the top view of Fig. 2B(b) has a long box-shaped structure with an open top surface and a side surface at one end (the right side in the figure), and the inner surface at the other end (the left side in the figure) is formed as an inclined surface. In such a long box-shaped conveying member 10B, the formed tablets T from the previous process are introduced along the inclined surface from the left side of the paper surface in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2B, the introduction direction is indicated by the arrow D1 in the figure. Further, the conveying member 10B is vibrated by a vibrator (not shown) connected to the conveying member 10B. The conveying member 10B is configured to convey the formed tablets T toward the right side of the paper surface in Fig. 2 by the vibration of the vibrator. In Fig. 2B, the conveying direction is indicated by the arrow D2 in the figure. Here, at least a part, preferably substantially all, of the inclined surface Sb of the conveying member 10B where the formed tablets T are introduced is configured to have the above specific material.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of a conveying member used in the method for manufacturing tablets according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3A shows a single-layer structure conveying member, Fig. 3B shows a two-layer structure conveying member, and Fig. 3C shows a three-layer structure conveying member. However, the cross-sectional structures of the conveying members shown in these figures are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited by these figures at all.

[0036] The cross-sectional structure 20A of the conveying member shown in Fig. 3A is a single-layer structure consisting only of the base material layer La1. In this cross-sectional structure 20A, the exposed surface (the upper part in the figure) of the base material layer La1 constitutes the surface S that comes into contact with the formed tablets. Then, the base material layer La1 has the above specific material.

[0037] The cross-sectional structure 20B of the conveying member shown in FIG. 3B is composed of a base material layer La2 and a surface layer Lb2, and has a two-layer structure in which the surface layer Lb2 is laminated on the base material layer La2. In this cross-sectional structure 20B, the exposed surface (upper side in the figure) of the surface layer Lb2 constitutes the surface S that contacts the molded tablet. Accordingly, the surface layer Lb2 has the above specific material.

[0038] The cross-sectional structure 20C of the conveying member shown in FIG. 3C is composed of a base material layer La3, a surface layer Lb3, and a shock-absorbing portion Lc3, and has a three-layer structure in which the shock-absorbing portion Lc3 is inserted between the base material layer La3 and the surface layer Lb3. In this cross-sectional structure 20C, the exposed surface (upper side in the figure) of the surface layer Lc3 constitutes the surface S that contacts the molded tablet. Accordingly, the surface layer Lc3 has the above specific material.

[0039] According to one aspect, the layer constituting the surface of the conveying member (the base material layer La1 in the case of the cross-sectional structure 20A, the surface layer Lb2 in the case of the cross-sectional structure 20B, and the surface layer Lb3 in the case of the cross-sectional structure 20C) may be composed only of the above specific material, but may contain any one or two or more other materials as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0040] However, even when the layer constituting the surface of the conveying member contains one or two or more other materials in addition to the above specific material, it is preferable that the ratio of such other materials is small. According to one aspect, the content ratio of the specific material in the layer constituting the surface of the conveying member is not limited, but is usually 50% by mass or more, particularly 60% by mass or more, or 70% by mass or more, or 80% by mass or more, or 90% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more, or 98% by mass or more, or 99% by mass or more, or substantially 100% by mass.

[0041] According to one aspect, it is preferable that the surface of the conveying member has a predetermined inclination with respect to the base so that the molded tablet and its powder can easily fall off. According to one aspect, the inclination angle (angle θ in FIGS. 3A to 3C) of the surface of the conveying member with respect to the base is usually 5° or more, particularly 10° or more, and usually 30° or less, particularly 20° or less.

[0042] [Tablet Manufacturing Method and Manufacturing Apparatus] As described above, according to one aspect, a method for manufacturing a tablet includes a molding step of compression molding (tableting) a raw material containing magnesium oxide, and dropping the tablet (molded tablet) compression molded (tableted) by the above molding step from the previous step after the above molding step onto a conveying member, and a conveying step of conveying the above molded tablet to a subsequent step. Further, such a method for manufacturing a tablet may further include a printing step of printing on the above molded tablet. In this case, the above conveying step may further include dropping the molded tablet (printed tablet) after printing by the above printing step onto a conveying member.

[0043] Hereinafter, as an example of a tablet manufacturing apparatus for implementing such a method for manufacturing a tablet, a tablet manufacturing apparatus for magnesium oxide-containing tablets according to one embodiment will be described. However, the method for manufacturing a tablet and the manufacturing apparatus to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below at all.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a tablet manufacturing apparatus for magnesium oxide-containing tablets according to one embodiment. The tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 in FIG. 4 includes a tableting machine 200, a lifter 300, a printing machine 400, a vibrating feeder 500 for container packing, and a tablet collection container 600.

[0045] The tableting machine 200 is configured to compression mold (tablet) a raw material containing magnesium oxide to produce a molded tablet, and has a tablet discharge chute 202 for discharging the produced molded tablet. The configuration of such a tableting machine 200 is the same as that of a conventionally known tableting machine.

[0046] The elevator 300 is configured to convey the formed tablets produced by the tablet press 200 upward, and includes a receiving portion 302, a bucket 304, an elevating mechanism 306, and a tablet discharge chute 308. The receiving portion 302 is configured to receive the formed tablets discharged through the tablet discharge chute 202. The bucket 304 is configured to accommodate the formed tablets received by the receiving portion 302 and move upward or downward along the vertical axis. Such a bucket 304 corresponds to a conveying member and is configured as a bucket-shaped conveying member shown in, for example, FIG. 2A. The elevating mechanism 306 is configured to move the bucket 304 upward or downward along the vertical axis. The tablet discharge chute 308 is configured to discharge the formed tablets accommodated in the ascending bucket 304. The configuration of such an elevator 300 is the same as that of a conventionally known elevator.

[0047] The printing machine 400 is configured to print identification information such as characters and symbols on the surface of the formed tablets conveyed by the elevator 300, and includes a hopper 402 and a tablet discharge chute 404. The hopper 402 is configured to receive the formed tablets discharged through the tablet discharge chute 308 and guide them into the printing machine 400. The tablet discharge chute 404 is configured to discharge the formed tablets (printed tablets) printed by the printing machine 400. The configuration of such a printing machine 400 is the same as that of a conventionally known tablet printing machine.

[0048] The vibrating feeder 500 for containerized collection is configured to horizontally move the molded tablets (printed tablets) printed by the printing machine 400. The vibrating feeder 500 for containerized collection has a conveying path 502 and a vibrator 504. The conveying path 502 is introduced with the printed tablets discharged from the printing machine 400 via the tablet discharge chute 404 and functions as a path for horizontally conveying them. The conveying path 502 corresponds to a conveying member and is configured as, for example, the long box-shaped conveying member shown in Fig. 2B. The vibrator 504 is connected to the conveying path 502 and vibrates it, thereby having the function of advancing the printed tablets introduced into the conveying path 502 in the longitudinal direction along the inner surface of the conveying path 502. The configuration of such a vibrating feeder 500 for containerized collection is the same as the configuration of a conventionally known tablet feeder.

[0049] The tablet recovery container 600 is configured to accommodate and recover the printed tablets conveyed by the vibrating feeder 500 for containerized collection. The configuration of such a tablet recovery container 600 is the same as the configuration of a conventionally known tablet container.

[0050] Those skilled in the art can, in consideration of the prior art (for example, the technology described in Patent Document 1) and common general knowledge in the art, appropriately implement the determination, modification of the functions and configurations of the respective components of the tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 in Fig. 4, and the omission, change, and / or addition of one or two or more components.

[0051] When implementing the tablet manufacturing method using such a tablet manufacturing apparatus 100 in Fig. 4, the details are not particularly limited, but are as follows, for example.

[0052] The method for manufacturing magnesium oxide powder, which is the raw material for magnesium oxide tablets, is not limited, but methods such as burning and oxidizing metallic magnesium or firing and thermally decomposing magnesium salts are used. Examples of magnesium salts used as raw materials include magnesium hydroxide and magnesium carbonate.

[0053] The method for producing magnesium oxide powder used as a raw material for magnesium oxide tablets is not limited, but methods such as burning and oxidizing metallic magnesium or firing and thermally decomposing magnesium salts are used. Examples of magnesium salts used as raw materials include magnesium hydroxide and magnesium carbonate. The magnesium oxide powder thus obtained can be used as it is or, optionally, mixed with one or more other materials to obtain the raw material powder for magnesium oxide tablets.

[0054] The raw material powder for magnesium oxide tablets is tableted by a tableting machine 200. The pressure during tableting is not particularly limited. For example, as the punch pressure per tablet, the upper limit can be 20 kN or less, or 18 kN or less, or 16 kN or less. For example, the lower limit can be 2 kN or more, or 3 kN or more, or 4 kN or more. The shape of the punch of the tableting machine 200 is also not limited. For example, the shapes include standard R, double-stage R, sugar-coated R, corner R, corner plane, and rounded corner plane. The tablets (formed tablets) after tableting are discharged through a tablet discharge chute 202 and received by a receiving portion 302 of an elevator 300.

[0055] The formed tablets received by the receiving portion 302 of the elevator 300 are accommodated in a bucket 304. The bucket 304 containing the formed tablets moves upward along the vertical axis by an elevating mechanism 306. When the bucket 304 reaches a tablet discharge chute 308, the formed tablets accommodated in the bucket 304 are discharged by the tablet discharge chute 308 and received by a hopper 402 of a printing machine 400.

[0056] The formed tablets received by the hopper 402 of the printing machine 400 are guided inside the printing machine 400, and identification information such as characters and symbols is printed on the surface thereof by the printing machine 400. The formed tablets (printed tablets) on which printing has been performed are discharged from a tablet discharge chute 404 and placed on a vibrating feeder 500 for container filling. The printed tablets placed on the vibrating feeder 500 for container filling are conveyed by the vibrating feeder 500 for container filling and collected by a tablet collection container 600.

[0057] Here, according to one aspect, the inner surface S1 of the bucket 304, which is a conveying member for conveying tablets (formed tablets) after compression molding (tableting) by the tableting machine 200, has the above specific material. As a result, with respect to the bucket (conveying member) 304, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of tablet powder and prevent attraction and sticking while maintaining sufficient durability to receive the fall of magnesium oxide tablets having high hardness.

[0058] Also, according to one aspect, the upper surface S2 of the container canning vibration feeder 500, which is a conveying member for conveying formed tablets (printed tablets) after printing by the printing machine 400, may also have the above specific material. As a result, with respect to the container canning vibration feeder (conveying member) 500, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of tablet powder and prevent attraction and sticking while maintaining sufficient durability to receive the fall of magnesium oxide tablets having high hardness. Furthermore, it is also possible to prevent the occurrence of coloring on the tablets conveyed by the container canning vibration feeder (conveying member) 500 thereafter.

Example

[0059] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail in accordance with examples, but these examples are merely examples shown for convenience of explanation and the present invention is not limited to these examples in any sense.

[0060] [Test Example 1: Examination of Physical Properties of Materials Used for Conveyor Member] Various physical properties were measured for specific materials (fluorine-based resins: tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin; polyethylene-based resins: ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) resin, polyethylene (PE) resin; polypropylene-based resins: polypropylene (PP) resin), and materials that do not meet the requirements of the specific materials (this is appropriately referred to as "non-specific material"; polyoxymethylene (POM) resin).

[0061]

Table 1

[0062] [Test Example 2: Examination of Adhesion and Fixation of Tablet Powder to Specific Material] Resin samples of specific materials (fluorine-based resin; tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin) (Example 1) and resin samples of non-specific materials (polyoxymethylene (POM) resin) (Comparative Example 1) were prepared, and the adhesiveness and fixity of tablet powder were verified.

[0063] Specifically, each resin sample was fixed to the bottom of a container, and 1000 printed tablets (500 mg magnesium tablets) were put in. After mixing the above container in a mixer (TSUKASA: cross rotary mixer) at 30 rpm for 3 hours, the resin sample was taken out and the adhesiveness of the tablet powder was confirmed. Then, the tablet powder on the surface of the resin sample was removed by air blowing. The tablet powder that could not be completely removed was regarded as fixed and observed with an optical microscope (manufactured by Hirox).

[0064] Optical microscope photographs of each resin sample before and after the test are shown in Fig. 1. In the resin sample of non-specific material (polyoxymethylene (POM) resin) (Comparative Example 1), a large amount of adhesion and fixation of tablet powder were observed after the test. On the other hand, in the resin sample of specific material (fluorine-based resin; tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin) (Example 1), almost no adhesion and fixation of tablet powder were observed after the test.

Industrial Applicability

[0065] The present invention has extremely high applicability in the industrial field related to the manufacture and conveyance of tablets, particularly in the fields of pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution.

Explanation of Signs

[0066] 10A, 10B Conveying members 20A, 20B, 20C Cross-sectional structures of conveying members 100 Tablet manufacturing apparatus 200 Tableting machine 202 Tablet discharge chute 300 Elevator 302 Receiving part 304 Bucket (conveying member) 306 Elevating mechanism 308 Tablet discharge chute 400 Printing machine 402 Hopper 404 Tablet discharge chute 500 Vibration feeder for container canning 502 Conveyor path (conveyor member) 504 Vibrator 600 Tablet collection container La1, Lb1, Lc1 Base material layer Lb2, Lc2 Surface layer Lc3 Impact absorption part S Surface of the conveyor member having a specific material T Molded tablet

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing tablets, comprising: a molding step of compression-molding a raw material containing magnesium oxide; one or more conveying steps of dropping the molded tablets formed by the molding step from a previous step, which is after the molding step, onto a conveying member and conveying the molded tablets to a subsequent step; and a method for manufacturing tablets, wherein the surface of the conveying member onto which the molded tablets fall has a specific material satisfying the following physical properties (a) and (b). (a) The coefficient of friction is 0.15 or less. (b) The tensile elastic modulus is 2.0 × 10 3 MPa or less.

2. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1, wherein the specific material further satisfies the following physical property (c). (c) The tensile strength is 50 MPa or less.

3. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1, wherein the specific material is selected from fluororesins, polyethylene resins, and polypropylene resins.

4. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member is a lifting member of a lifting mechanism that places the molded tablets and moves up and down between above and below in the vertical direction.

5. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1 further includes a printing step of printing on the molded tablets, and the conveying step further includes dropping the molded tablets printed in the printing step onto the conveying member.

6. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 1, wherein the conveying member includes a base material and the specific material provided on the base material.

7. The method for manufacturing tablets according to claim 6, wherein the conveying member has a shock absorption portion between the base material and the specific material for absorbing the impact of the molded tablets.

8. A tablet manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a conveying device that drops the molded tablets obtained by compression-molding a raw material containing magnesium oxide onto a conveying member and conveys the molded tablets to a subsequent step, wherein the surface of the conveying member onto which the molded tablets fall has a specific material satisfying the following physical properties (a) and (b). (a) The coefficient of friction is 0.15 or less. (b) The tensile elastic modulus is 2.0 × 10 3 MPa or less.

Images