Coating Pan: A Complete Guide

A coating pan is an essential machine for any pharmaceutical company. The tablet coating process that you can perform in this device enhances the appearance and flavor of the product. It also provides protection against environmental factors such as moisture, oxygen, and light. Moreover, we have included all the essential things about this machine here!

It is an ultimate guide on coating pans that aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the coating pan. We have introduced tablet coater working principle, its components, types, advantages, and maintenance. Additionally, it will also cover more with the factors that influence the selection of a coating pan for a specific product.

Introduction to Coating Pans

Definition and Purpose of Coating Pans

Coating pans are equipment used in the food and pharmaceutical industries for coating a variety of products such as nuts, candies, tablets, and capsules. These pans come in various sizes, shapes and are made of stainless steel, aluminum, or copper.

The coating material is melted or dissolved in a liquid, and the product is rotated in the pan to ensure an even coating. Some coating pans have additional features, such as heated or cooled walls, to aid in the coating process.

Types of Coating Pans

Generally, there are three types of tablet coating machines:

Standard Coating Pans

The standard coating pans consist of a metal pan that is circular in shape. The diameter of the pan ranges from 15 and 200 cm which is about 6 to 8 inches. It is tilted on the workbench stand. An electric motor is integrated in the machine to rotate the pan. Besides, the coating pan has the characteristics of an air-atomized spray system for even distribution of material of coating.

Perforated Coating Pans

The perforated coating pans are the equipment that has a fully or partially perforated drum. It rotates on the horizontal axis while the overall system remains enclosed. For the effective coating there is a spraying nozzle in the machine. Some examples of the perforated coating pans are: Hi-coater/Accela-cota, Driacoater, and Glatt coater systems.

Fluidized Bed Coating Pans

A chamber with a vertical cylinder is present in the fluidized bed coater. Usually, the pellets’ fluidization is attained by the upward air flowing column directed from the cylinder's bottom center. The work process involves the tablets moving upside down when the air flows. The tablets fall outwards and downwards to the chamber wall and then re-enter with the air flow from the bottom of the column.

Coating Pan Equipments By iPharmachine

BYC-400 Tablet Coating Machine

iPharmachine is a renowned brand that offers operational and excellent quality pharmaceutical equipment. BYC-400 is a tablet coating machine by iPharmachine that has the capacity to coat the surfaces of Chinese and Western tablet medicines. The machine has a main machine with the hot air system that is controllable to room-temperature. The main motor integrated in the machine works great for the speed adjustment with conversion of frequency.

SOME FEATURES OF BYC-400:

• The device offers completely reliable operations and stable performance for better results.
• It meets different pharmaceutical process requirements with the control system design composed of PLC and HMI.
• Effective applications in different areas like food, chemical, pharma, research, hospitals, and more.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

The BYC-400 model of tablet coating machine has some technical specifications. A few technical parameters of the machine are available in the table below:

MODEL	BYC-400
COATING POT DIAMETER	400 mm
MAIN MOTOR POWER	0.55 kW
HEATING POWER	1.5 kW
OVERALL DIMENSION (L*W*H)	700*400*850 mm

QUICK MAINTENANCE TIPS:

• Check if any foreign material is residing in the coating pot.
• Ensure about the bolts and nuts. They should not be loose.
• Properly clean the coating pan machine before and after coating.

BYC-1250 Tablet Coating Machine

Another coating pan machine by iPharmachine is the BYC-1250 model. It is an excellent device for coating the medicine tablet cores with even layers of film or sugar. The elements that are integrated in the machine are hydraulic pressure, pneumatics, strong, and weak current. BYC 1250 tablet coating machine parts include the main machine, automatic liquid and air feeding spray system, and others. Moreover, controllable room-temperature is there for effective drying of the tablets.

SOME FEATURES OF BYC-1250:

• The machine provides the advantage of simple operations and thus the user of the device can perform work easily.
• Another benefit of the machine is that it helps in saving the auxiliary materials for efficient machine and material use.
• It is an optimal machine that offers the desired smoothness and brightness to the coated tablets.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

The BYC-1250 model of tablet coating machine has various technical parameters. Some of them are mentioned in the following table:

MODEL	BYC-1250
COATING POT DIAMETER	1250 mm
MAIN MOTOR POWER	2.2 kW
TANK VOLUME	10L
COMPRESSED AIR CONSUMPTION	300L/min

QUICK MAINTENANCE TIPS:

• Regularly replace the lubricating oil and grease in the reduction gearbox and inner cavities respectively.
• Prevent the spray head from getting blocked by washing the sprayer with clean water before every shift.
• Ensure to keep checking and replacing the greaseproof sealing regularly at the worm shaft end.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Coating Pans

Benfits of Coating Pans

• UNIFORM COATING

The main advantage of using the coating pans is that it offers the uniform coating. It means the coating material will be evenly applied to the tablets.

• EFFICIENT COATING

Coating pans offer the efficient coating of the tablets. It means it gives the best results in an optimized way to bring the desired coating results.

• EASY TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN

When it comes to cleaning and maintaining the coating pans, the process is simple. You will not need to put extra effort into the maintenance.

• VERSATILE

The coating pan machines are versatile and are great to use for different coatings. For instance, you can use the machine for jelly beans, medicines, dried fruits, and more.

Disadvantages of Coating Pan

• HIGH INITIAL COST

One significant downside of the coating pan machine is that its initial cost is high. So, it can seem expensive to many buyers.

• LIMITED CAPACITY

The coating pan has a specific size and as a result, the results it provides are limited. It can be a disadvantage when you want larger production.

• MAY REQUIRE SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Only an expert person can run the coating pan machine. A beginner might find it challenging to operate the machine for tablet and food coating.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Coating Pan

If you want to buy a coating pan, you should consider some essential pointers beforehand. Some of the common and vital factors that you should look for are:

• SIZE

Usually, the coating pans or tablet coating machines come in different sizes. Selecting the effective size is a crucial part where you need to check your requirements, assessment of workspace, and the available space.

• AIR CAPACITY

The number solvents that will evaporate and dry during the drying process depends on the compressed air amount that is delivered to the coating pan bed. So, check the air capacity of the coating pan you will purchase.

• SPEED

Mostly, the speed changes between different process steps which is inconsistent. Checking the speed of the coating pan machine as a consistent speed is required for all the phases. You can also customize the coating pans for RPMs requirements.

• TECH-ORIENTED

When you invest in a big machinery for your pharmaceutical business, make sure to check the modern technology integration. The coating pan models with the technological-advancements provide better results and increased benefits.

• SERVICEABILITY

Last but not least factor to buy a coating pan is the factor of serviceability. It is because the serviceable coating pans are easily repairable. It means that if any minor issue occurs, an ordinary person can manage to deal with it.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

What common safety measures should be taken when applying tablet coating?

It's important to maintain a moderate temperature during the process. If the temperature is too high, the coating film may not be evenly applied. Conversely, if the temperature is too low, the drying process may be too slow, and the coated granules may become stuck together.

What is the reason for using polymers in tablet coating?

Polymers with pH-dependent solubility or water-insoluble properties are employed in enteric film coating. It helps prevent early drug release in the stomach and ensure that the drug is released primarily in the small intestine. These polymers can be applied singularly, in combination, or sequentially to guarantee delayed drug release.

What are different types of coatings?

Tablet coating types can be diverse. However, they can mainly be classified into three groups: Architectural, Industrial, and Special Purpose.

Final Recommendations and Tips

Undoubtedly, coating pans are extremely vital for different manufacturing industries including healthcare, food, pharmaceutical and more. The main tips for buying are mentioned above. However, every business has different needs. So, we recommend you to adequately examine the requirements of your enterprise before getting the machine.

Moreover, the prominent online platform where you can get the best quality coating pans is iPharmachine. You can visit the website and select a tablet coating equipment.