Tableting Technology

Rotary Tablet Presses for Pharmaceutical and Industrial Applications

GEA Courtoy industrial presses have been the standard in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and related industries ever since Edouard Courtoy invented the rotary press in 1928.

Today GEA Pharma Systems offers a full range of state-of-the-art GEA Courtoy rotary presses, from manual to fully automatic machines, from low-capacity R&D to high-volume production units, plus all accessories. GEA Courtoy presses feature tomorrow¹s technology backed by more than 80 years of experience.

Standard Courtoy rotary tablet presses may be equipped with specific features for increased machine productivity and tablet quality. Some of these features are unique to the GEA Courtoy technology, making GEA Courtoy rotary presses the standard for the future.

• Modular machine design allows for a total isolation of the compression zone from the technical sections of the machine. This isolated compression zone allows for better product containment and reduces considerably the area to be cleaned during product change over.
• The "Fast Changeover" design has drastically reduced the time needed to clean the machine and perform a format change. This has been achieved by:
  • Minimizing the number of parts in the compression zone to an absolute minimum
  • All removable parts can be dismounted without the use of any tools
  • All removable parts are made of light materials and designed for easy cleaning
  • All removable parts can be cleaned in an automatic washing machine
  • Excellent accessibility to punches and dies
  • Removable punch scraper seal plates and removable die seat plates
  • Isolated compression zone for minimal area to be cleaned
  • The use of a fast changeover kit
• The die table is made out of forged steel for maximal strength, is entirely nickel plated, and has a hard chromium plated work-area. Forged steel offers superior protection over cast iron against possible turret damage in case of an overload.
• The top punches in the turret feature replaceable guiding bushes. Since these bushes are replaceable, they are simply replaced when worn out instead of replacing the complete turret. Thanks to the replaceable bushes and the forged steel material, a Courtoy die table has lifetime guarantee and never needs replacement.
• The "constant level feeding system" features an automatic monitoring and control system for the powder column height above the feeder. This device guarantees a constant powder pressure inside the feeder, eliminating any influence from the powder feeding system above the press and any risk for feeder jamming. Furthermore, this system allows a consistent filling of the dies even at very high production speeds, reducing considerably the number of out-of-tolerance tablet rejects.
• The use of a "double rotary paddle feeder" with independent drive motors for both paddles allows maximum flexibility to find the optimal feeding conditions for a wide range of powders and granules with different flow characteristics. The system allows at the same time an extremely simple feeder design, making disassembly and cleaning of the feeder extremely easy and fast.
• The use of the unique Courtoy "Air Compensator" at pre-compression generates an extended dwell time, allowing much lower pre-compression forces. Such an extended pre-compression force profile guarantees a more uniform granule distribution within the die and a better de-aeration of the powder before final compression. This results in better quality tablets and eliminates capping problems.
• The air compensator at pre-compression is at the same time an active punch protection system, reacting much quicker then any other hydraulic or electric compensation system.
• All machines are equipped with a cooling unit for temperature control inside the machine, allowing 24-hour continues operation.
• Totally separated and automatic lubrication systems for bottom and top punches.

Applications

Rotary tablet presses are used in a very wide range of applications:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Dietary supplements
• Veterinary medicine
• Ceramics
• Nuclear fuel
• Electronic components
• Powder metallurgy
• Transformer cores Tool tips and bits
• Balls for pens
• Batteries
• Detergent
• Candy
• Pet food
• Nutraceuticals