Capsule Printing Regeneration Unit for Defective Print Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing processes for capsules, especially softgels, result in a high rate of defective prints when operating at high production speeds, leading to costly scrap, particularly when filled with expensive pharmaceutical substances.
Innovation Solution
A printing process that involves providing capsules in a reservoir, transferring them to a printing station, inspecting the printed indicia, sorting based on quality, and using a regeneration unit to remove defective prints, which includes a mixture of water and organic solvent to effectively remove ink without damaging the capsules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional printing processes are used for capsule production, then printing can be performed on capsules, but a high rate of defective prints occurs leading to costly scrap
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection of capsules before printing to identify defects, and conducts post-printing inspection to detect printing defects. This preliminary and follow-up action allows defective capsules to be identified and removed from the printing process, preventing waste of printing materials and reducing scrap of finished products.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where printed capsules are inspected and defect information is fed back to control the printing process. This feedback mechanism allows real-time adjustment of printing parameters and identification of defective capsules, improving overall print quality and reducing scrap rates.
2Productivity
If high production speeds are used in capsule printing, then productivity increases, but the rate of defective prints increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual or simple mechanical printing inspection with automated optical inspection systems and sensors. This substitution allows for high-speed automated detection of printing defects, enabling the system to maintain high production speeds while ensuring print quality through rapid, accurate inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
Real-time feedback from automated inspection systems allows immediate detection and sorting of defective capsules during high-speed production. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain productivity while minimizing defective prints through rapid identification and removal of defective items from the production stream.
3Reliability
If expensive pharmaceutical substances are used in liquid fill, then therapeutic value increases, but the cost of scrap increases when printing defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection before printing to identify capsules with potential issues, and conducts post-printing inspection to detect printing defects. This preliminary action prevents defective capsules from entering the expensive printing process or being distributed, thereby protecting the investment in expensive pharmaceutical substances by minimizing scrap of high-value filled capsules.
4Loss of substance
If regenerating unit is added to remove defective prints, then waste is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a regeneration unit that recovers capsules with defective prints by removing the defective print and applying a new print. This recovering process allows capsules that would otherwise be discarded as waste to be restored and reused, reducing material waste while the automated integration minimizes the operational complexity burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The regeneration unit serves multiple functions: it removes defective prints, inspects capsules, and reapplies correct prints. This multi-functionality consolidates several operations into a single integrated system, reducing overall process complexity while achieving waste reduction through effective recovery and reuse of defective capsules.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process ensures consistent quality of printed capsules without the need for scrapping defective ones, reducing waste and maintaining the integrity of the capsules.
Implementation Method 1
a regeneration unit to remove the indicia from the dosage forms in a regeneration step
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A printing process for dosage forms selected from hard or soft capsules, the process comprising the steps of: (i) providing a plurality of said dosage forms, preferably filled with a liquid composition, in a reservoir; (ii) transferring a predetermined number of the dosage forms from said reservoir to a printing station; (iii) printing indicia over each of the dosage forms; (iv) transferring the printed dosage forms to an inspection station arranged to sense a predetermined characteristic of the indicia; (v) sorting the dosage forms based on the sensed predetermined characteristic of the indicia by separating dosage forms that meet the predetermined characteristics from dosage forms that do not meet the predetermined characteristics; wherein the dosage forms that do not meet the predetermined characteristics are collected and further processed through a regenerating unit arranged to remove the indicia from the dosage forms in a regeneration step, and further re-processed according to steps (i) to (v).