From unveiling our ODT Delivery System to integrating our lab with new technology, here at Vitaquest, we don’t shy away from change. These process improvements have been critical to our overall growth and sustained success as a company. That is why we are proud to share our latest acquisition: the Enclony Planet 6G-TC Automated Tablet & Capsule Inspection Machine. This new tool will greatly enhance our tablet and capsule manufacturing processes.
The Tablet & Capsule Inspection Process
All tablets and capsules must be thoroughly inspected to ensure they meet their specifications for appearance and fill weight while meeting stringent limits for defects.
The inspection process at many nutraceutical manufacturers typically relies on employees to visually inspect tablets or capsules as they travel on a roller conveyor belt. Capsule defects they look for include:
- Incorrect print or lettering
- Holes, spots, or dents on the capsule
- Empty or underfilled capsules
- Splits or defects in the joint of the capsule
Meanwhile, employees who are responsible for inspecting tablets carefully look for irregularities such as:
- Chipped edges, engravings, or top coatings
- Missing letters
- Broken surfaces
- Spots, stains, bumps, or cracks
As with any complex manual process, there is always a chance for a defective tablet or capsule to avoid detection. The inspection conveyor belt must be run slowly which also increases labor costs.
While this manual tablet and capsule inspection process may be the “status quo” in the industry, our team looks for any opportunity to innovate the employee and customer experience. The new Enclony Planet 6G-TC Automated Tablet & Capsule Inspection Machine does just that! It revolutionizes nutraceutical manufacturing and inspection by automating our quality assurance AQL process.
Tablet & Capsule Manufacturing Made Swift & Simple
This state-of-the-art machine uses advanced optical recognition technology. Each capsule is inspected by 10 interdependent cameras capturing the complete surface area. An additional infrared camera identifies and rejects empty or underfilled capsules. This allows us to significantly increase our daily capsule inspection capability by an additional 140,000 capsules per hour while simultaneously eliminating the risk associated with human error. Tablets can be inspected at speeds up to 350,000 per hour. The inspection is thorough. This machine has a 100% accuracy rate and can detect all the above defects and more.
Tablets are inspected using ten interdependent 2D cameras that capture the tablet’s complete surface area. Meanwhile, two additional 3D cameras capture the surface image of both the top and bottom of each tablet. Whether the tablet is a traditional square or round shape or a heart, diamond, or hexagon shape, our new machinery can capture the product from eight different angles with no blind spots.
Other features of the Enclony Planet 6G-TC include:
- Smart, accurate, and precise inspection
- Dust-protected cameras
- Jam-free sorting
- Humidity & temperature sensors
- Time-saving new product setup with Smart HMI
- Rapid changeover
- cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) design
Not only is the process faster and more accurate, but this innovation has also made tablet and capsule inspection more cost-effective, leading to better lead times and an improved customer experience. Our customers can get their products to market more quickly and more confidently.
Innovate with Vitaquest
The nutraceutical industry is highly competitive, as evidenced by the hundreds of vitamins and supplements you see online or on store shelves. Dozens of new companies may enter the market, but becoming and remaining an industry leader takes innovation, dedication, adherence to best practices, and commitment to customer experience.
Our work is far from over, however. Whenever there is a chance to challenge the status quo, innovate, and improve, we will be at the forefront, ensuring Vitaquest remains the gold standard for quality products in the nutraceutical industry.
For more information on how we can help your supplement business “Deliver What’s Next” in tablet and capsule supplement manufacturing, call 800-526-9095 to speak with one of our knowledgeable sales executives or request a competitive nutraceutical manufacturing price quote if you already have your project requirements.
