FZ Series Fluid-bed Granulator

What is granulation?

Granulation is the process of expanding particles through agglomeration techniques. That is, the process by which small particles form particles or granules.

It is a technology that has been adopted in many materials processing industries such as pharmaceutical, food and chemical, to name a few.

For example, it is a common process for the production of solid-dose pharmaceuticals that alter formulations by improving compaction and flow properties.

Ideally, this process will ensure that the final product has consistent hardness and uniform content.

Why Granulate Powders in Material Processing?

Generally, granulation is an important part of material processing due to the following main advantages:

Improved flow and compaction    

Improve compressibility in tablet manufacturing process    

Reduce dust during material processing    

Homogeneous distribution of basic ingredients within the particles    

In order to achieve the desired quality of the final product, you need to choose the right granulation technology.    

Let's take a quick look at the various types of pelletizing processes.    

Types of Granulation Processes    

Generally, there are two types of pelletizing techniques, they include:    

· Dry granulation technology    

Dry granulation technology is the process of forming granules without any liquid or solution.    

It is perfect for moisture sensitive materials.    

This is a schematic diagram illustrating the dry granulation process. 

Image credit: National Institutes of Health    

Ideally, it is the process of compacting and densifying powders to form granules.    

There are many machines you can use in this process, a good example is a drum compactor for dry granulation.    

While this method is simple and inexpensive, sometimes repeated compression cycles can result in poor tablet quality.    

· Wet granulation technology    

In wet granulation technology, you will introduce a binder/liquid that causes the particles to aggregate.    

This process may seem a little technical, especially in making the bed of liquefied material you intend to process.    

Until then, you need to be aware of the following key aspects of wet granulation technology:

1. Wet granulation requires the use of liquids, while dry granulation technology does not 2. The granulation liquid is a volatile solvent, which is easy to be removed by drying 3. Should be non-toxic The choice of liquid will depend on the type of material you intend to handle. For example, you can choose water, ethanol, isopropanol, or any other aqueous solution. So, I want you to remember that wet granulation technology is basically a fluid granulation. Let’s review the core aspects of the fluidized bed granulation process:

How Fluidized Bed Granulator Works

Studies of the fluidized bed granulation process have shown that the process is generally the same regardless of machine design. This is because the location of the fluidized bed spray system is always the same. That said, you can choose between top spray granulation or side/tangential spray systems. In this section, you will learn how the fluidized bed process works. But first, I would like to review the overall design and structure of the wet granulator.

Fluidized Bed Granulator Design and Construction

Fluid bed granulators come in many shapes and designs depending on their function. For example, you might have a fluid bed granulator and coater or a fluid bed dryer and granulator. In these two wet granulators, you will notice certain structural differences.

FEATURES

1. Follow the regulations of c GMP, PIC/S GMP,

2. FDA PID precision control

3. Double shaking filter bags

4. High processing efficiency

5. Ex-proof system available

6. WIP systems

ADVANTAGES

1. Small footprint

2. R&D and scale up

3. Process can be controlled by time, volume and power

4. Multipurpose-drying, granulating, coating and pelletizing