THE INFLUENCE OF IMPORTANT MACHINE OPERATING VARIABLES ON SLUG FORMATION, FILL WEIGHT AND DRUG RELEASE FROM A DOSING-DISC TYPE AUTOMATIC CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE (INSTRUMENTATION, DISSOLUTION, ENCAPSULATION, STRESS RELAXATION)

The progressive formation of slugs resulting from successive tamps in a dosing-disc type automatic capsule filling machine was investigated for four fillers: anhydrous lactose, dicalcium phosphate, pregelatinized starch and microcrystalline cellulose. An evaluation of seven compaction parameters of these excipients revealed that all tamping stations and all piston positions within a station, with the exception of station...