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Softgel Manufacturing

Softgel Manufacturing Considerations to Maximize Your Operations

CapPlus Technologies

  • Leads the industry in innovation
  • World class products
  • Broad and deep experience
  • From a single machine to a complete manufacturing and packaging facility
  • Pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and paintball industries

We understand softgels – from formulation through packaging.

We can help with your formulations, determine the best equipment for your needs, and design your entire facility. Our understanding of softgels goes well beyond manufacturing equipment. We understand the day to day challenges of running a plant at peak efficiency. We use that knowledge and our customer’s feedback to build the best softgel manufacturing equipment available.

The experts speak softgel at: Natural Products Insider Magazine

Plant Layout and Design

The following plant requirements interact one with another and need to be carefully evaluated:

  • Climate control
  • Facility constraints
  • Formulation development
  • Machine costs (both capital and operating)
  • Product handling and packaging needs
  • Production objectives

CapPlus Technologies couples its extensive experience in plant and equipment design with it’s knowledge of day to day operations of softgel manufacturing. These parallel experiences make us uniquely qualified to assist in the design of your facility.

Temperature and Humidity Control

Controlling temperature and humidity are vital to a successful softgel manufacturing operation. Questions to consider include:

  • What are the required conditions for manufacture?
  • What are the dimensions of the area to be conditioned?
  • Will there be an internal heat load and if so, how much and where is it?
  • How much humidity is allowed in the specialized areas?
  • How will humidity be increased or decreased by the process and equipment in the facility?
  • Are there special environmental requirements?
  • How might the climate of location affect the facility? Altitude, seasons?
  • How are the requirements altered with additional shifts?

We can guide you through the process of optimizing your environmental and operating plans. Or, we can also do it for you with a turnkey solution.

Product Development

CapPlus Technologies understands product development. We can help you save time and money often associated with product development.

Our team has expertise in a wide range of softgel formulations, including: oils, gels, suspensions, emulsions and pastes. We will help you develop an efficient, scalable, transferable process that optimizes your product’s stability and bioavailability characteristics.

Process Documentation

The quality of your product will be directly affected by the quality of your process documentation. Our IQ, OQ, and PQ, validation processes help you assess, develop and implement the appropriate processes to meet your quality and regulatory requirements.

We can provide you with any of the following documentation:

  • FAT – Factory Authorize Test
  • IQ – Installation Qualification
  • OQ – Operational Qualification

The Five Steps of Softgel Manufacturing

Gelatin Preparation – the process of blending and heating granulated gelatin and other ingredients in warm water in a gelatin melting tank. With appropriate heat, mixing and vacuum, the ingredients form a thick syrup called a “gel mass” for use in encapsulation. Color may be added during the melting process or in a separate machine.

Fill Material Preparation – the process of preparing the non-aqueous oil or paste that will be encapsulated. Preparation equipment may include: processing tanks, mixers, vacuum homogenizers, sieves and mills. Heated and unheated transfer tanks may be used for the fill material and gelatin while waiting for encapsulation.

Encapsulation – the process of converting the gel mass into a thin layer of gelatin and wrapping it around the fill material to form a softgel.

Drying – the process which removes excess moisture from the gelatin shell to shrink and firm up the softgel. Drying occurs either by tumbling or by a combination of tumbling and tray drying.

Cleaning, Inspection and Sorting – often required prior to packaging based upon the intended use of the softgel.

Installation and Training

Our installation and training are custom tailored to fit your needs.

We can:

  • Completely install your equipment
  • Customize training to specific needs of your employees
  • Offer full spare part support
  • Conduct real time ethernet troubleshooting

CPT Innovations

CapPlus Technologies has pioneered many innovations in softgel production. Below are some examples
of our continued efforts to advance the capabilities of our softgel equipment:

 Innovation
Increases
Production   
Improves
Quality
Reduces
Operator
Involvement
Speeds
Product
Changeover
ARC™ Automatic Ribbon Control
• Automatically controls gel ribbon thickness
• Reduces gelatin loss and set up time by 84%
• Extends die roll life
AGF™ Automated Gel Feeder
• Ensures consistent gelatin supply
Independent Clutched Fill Material Pump Drive
• Allows fill pump to be stopped and started without affecting gel flow or machine timing
Radically Improved Wedge Design
• More effective softgel sealing at higher speeds
• Superior heat control
Improved Spreader Box
• Superior heat control
• Swing out feature
• Lightweight
Improved Cooling System
• Never requires additional water
• Superior cooling
• Internal design
Simplified Timing Verification
• Requires only one person
• Independently lit and magnified
Remote Troubleshooting Via Internet
• Capable of online connection to CapPlus technicians
Continuous Tumble Drying
• High velocity blowers
• Extra large baskets
Insight 100™ Automatic Inspection System
• Up to 100,000 softgels/hour
• Self adjusting sensors
• Significantly increased accuracy from other inspection methods
• CFR 21 Part 11 and cGMP compliant
• No tooling for changeover
ISMA – Instant Softgel Moisture Analyzer
• Hand held for ease of use on production floor
• Results within 5 seconds
• Simplifies setting drying controls
CPT SG500 Automatic Softgel Polisher
• Feeds softgels directly from dryers
• Fast enough to keep up with any encapsulation machine
• Continuous and intermittent flow controls
• Electronic timers capable of multiple settings