Medicine Preparation Tank for Softgel Production

1. Overview & Purpose

The Medicine Preparation Tank is a critical piece of pre-processing equipment in the manufacture of softgel capsules. Its primary function is to prepare, heat, mix, and homogenize the liquid or semi-solid fill contents (fillers) to an exacting standard of uniformity, viscosity, and temperature required for flawless operation of a softgel encapsulation machine. This preparation is vital for preventing defects during the encapsulation process and ensuring the dosage accuracy and shell integrity of every softgel capsule.

2. Construction & Design Excellence

• Premium Material: Fabricated from high-grade SUS 304 or 316 stainless steel, offering excellent corrosion resistance, chemical inertness, and ease of cleaning, which is paramount for pharmaceutical applications.
• Triple-Layer Structure: The tank features a robust three-layer design:
  • Inner Layer (Process Chamber): A fully polished, seamless inner vessel that holds the material. Its smooth surface prevents material adhesion and allows for complete discharge.
  • Heating Jacket: The middle layer that encircles the inner tank. It is designed for the circulation of hot water or thermal oil, providing an indirect and uniform heating source.
  • Insulation Cladding: The outer protective layer that incorporates insulation materials. This design dramatically reduces heat loss to the environment, ensures operator safety, and improves thermal efficiency and temperature control stability.

3. Advanced Heating System

• Hot Water Circulation Heating: The system employs forced hot water circulation through the jacket. This method guarantees gentle, even, and consistent heat transfer across the entire surface area of the inner tank, eliminating local hot spots that could degrade sensitive pharmaceutical ingredients.
• Performance: It is characterized by fast heating speeds and exceptional temperature uniformity throughout the batch, which is crucial for maintaining the solubility and homogeneity of the fill formulation destined for thesoft gelatin encapsulation machine.

4. Dual-Agitation Mixing System

• Combined Agitation Technology: For superior mixing performance, the tank integrates two agitation mechanisms:
  • Slow-Speed Frame Agitator: A large, one-way frame-type paddle rotates at a slow speed. This primary agitator ensures broad, sweeping motion within the tank, promoting overall bulk movement and heat transfer, and preventing stratification.
  • High-Speed Bottom Homogenizer: A high-shear homogenizer (often an emulsifier) is located at the bottom of the tank. This powerful unit works in tandem with the frame agitator to break down agglomerates, reduce particle size, and create a perfectly smooth, homogeneous, and fine fluid. This texture is essential for the precise pumping and dosing mechanisms of a downstream softgel machine.
• Drive Performance: The transmission system is engineered for compactness, smooth operation, and remarkable stability, ensuring consistent mixing results batch after batch.

5. Vacuum & Pressure Capabilities (Closed System Processing)

• Fully Enclosed & Airtight Inner Tank: The design ensures excellent vacuum retention and pressure resistance.
• Automated Feeding via Vacuum: By evacuating the tank, raw materials can be sucked in directly from sealed containers through sanitary pipelines. This negative pressure feeding minimizes operator exposure, reduces contamination risk, and is ideal for integrating with automated supply lines.
• Automated Discharging via Pressure: After the filling contents are fully prepared, clean compressed air can be introduced into the headspace of the tank. This positive pressure safely and efficiently pushes the finished material out through the bottom outlet, directly to the holding tank or feed pump of the softgel capsulemachine, enabling a continuous and automated production workflow.

6. Compliance & Sanitation

• GMP Compliance: Every aspect of the design, from material finishes to weld quality and cleanability, adheres strictly to current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines for pharmaceutical equipment.
• Hygienic Design: The fully enclosed process, polished surfaces, and absence of dead zones make the tank easy to clean, sterilize, and validate, ensuring the highest standards of product purity.

7. Key Features Summary

• Essential for preparing homogeneous fill material for softgel capsule makingmachine lines.
• SUS 304/316 stainless steel construction.
• Triple-layer structure with efficient insulation.
• Uniform and fast heating via hot water jacket.
• Dual mixing system: slow-speed frame agitator + high-speed bottom homogenizer.
• Capable of vacuum (auto-feeding) and pressure (auto-discharging) operations.
• Excellent thermal insulation and vacuum performance.
• Full compliance with GMP hygiene standards.
• Stable, smooth operation with outstanding mixing results.

In conclusion, this Medicine Preparation Tank is not just a mixing vessel; it is a sophisticated, automated preparation system that guarantees the quality, consistency, and processing efficiency of softgel fill contents. It is a fundamental and indispensable component for any modern, high-output soft capsule machine production facility, ensuring optimal performance of the entire encapsulation line.