Gamlen Tableting Ltd: Low cost, instrumented force- and displacementcontrolled tableting press for replication of full-scale production pharmaceutical tablets from a laboratory-scale device

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Gamlen Tabletting (GT) is an SME, established in 2012 to develop an accurate, easy to use,small scale, low cost, instrumented tableting machine for the pharmaceutical industry andacademia. The launch product, a 500kg load Gamlen Tablet Press (GTP) has been in themarket for a year, and has been independently verified by GSK as manufacturing tabletswhich accurately replicate the characteristics of those from full-scale production machinery.The 500kg GTP has found use in pre-formulation studies, formulation development, processcontrol, QC testing, teaching and R&D, where it has found widespread acceptance.Feedback from current and potential users indicates the need for higher compaction loads (toenable the compression of a wider range of powders) plus additional instrumentation to betterassess powder characteristics. The 500kg GTP already operating at industry-leadingtolerances; developing a larger, higher capacity machine while maintaining accuracy posessignificant technical challenges to GT in terms of both construction and control.GT proposes a 15 month project to develop and demonstrate a prototype enhanced GTP.Work will focus on:• Machine improvements: to increase the load rating of the machine to more accuratelyreplicate full-scale production processing conditions;• Bolt-on additional functionality: tablet ejection force measurement and tablet labellingmodules;• Compression curve analysis: to enable the study material properties during the compressionevent. This will further extent utility and increase market potential;• Developing standardised powder compressibility tests: this will allow users to easily identifypowders that will make high quality tablets.GT will maximise value for money by conducting aspects of the work in-house, whilesubcontracting tasks that are outside of current capability.