L.B. Bohle – The Coating-Experts

When it comes to fast, problem-free and efficient coating of tablets, the tablet coaters from
L.B. Bohle Maschinen und Verfahren GmbH (Ennigerloh) have been defining the standard for years.
Pharmaceutical film coating represents nowadays an important process step in the pharmaceutical oral solid dosage production. Most coating processes are performed for drug release modification, drug stability improvement against light or moisture and taste masking. Furthermore, patient compliance issues play an important role, as swallowability improvement or a simpler identification due to a different color.
Finally, API coating is gaining more and more importance since it enables fixed dose combinations or the combination of incompatible drugs. Also, different drug release characteristics can be realized by applying for example sustained release coatings in addition to immediate release coating layers. Such formulations sometimes consist of up to four coating layers, which leads to long processing times. To successfully develop and produce such formulations coating uniformity is a decisive prerequisite and a quality attribute.
As a coating process consists of simultaneous spraying, mixing and drying processes, a good coating uniformity can only be achieved with the choice of the proper parameters. L.B. Bohle’s tablet coaters are technology leaders in this field with the shortest process times. Furthermore, they ensure best production results and offer the best combination of the three process operations on the market:

Blending
It is essential that the tablet cores move evenly underneath the spray cones without mechanically stressing and damaging the tablet cores. The perfect solution for this is an extended coating drum (length to diameter (L/D) > 1) with L.B. Bohle’s patented mixing spirals. The mixing spirals guarantee a constant and gentle mixing of the flat tablet bed. This reduces the mass pressure within the tablet bed. The rotary movement of the coater drum produces radial mixing, resulting in a dead-zone-free tablet bed. Due to the continuous guidance by means of the double spirals, the tablets do not experience strong acceleration, so that tablet breakage or even twinning does not occur.

Spraying
Due to the drum geometry, the largest possible spray area is achieved in the moving tablet bed. This allows the use of a large number of spray nozzles. Thus, L.B. Bohle Coaters reduce the process time by approx. 30 % compared to conventional coaters on the market with L/D ratios < 1 due to higher spray rates. In addition to the suspension, the nozzle type, the number of nozzles and the distance between them and the tablets are particularly important. L.B. Bohle offers various solutions for adjusting the nozzle-to-tablet- bed distance, the spray angle of the nozzles and the pressure parameters for atomization.

Drying
L.B. Bohle tablet coaters guarantee the best energy and mass transfer through a modified air flow. The process air is fed directly into the tablet bed. The air flows directly and smoothly into the tablet bed and ensures fast drying of the sprayed suspension. The spray nozzles are not exposed to the supply air flow for the entire duration of the process, so that they remain cool during the spraying process. As a result, spray drying effects are reduced to a minimum and coating efficiencies of >95 % are achieved. This advantage is also particularly important in the coating of active ingredients, as less spraying loss and more uniform tablet coatings are produced.

Coating machine for any application
The BFC tablet coater is the high-end version of all coaters from L.B. Bohle and impresses with high efficiency, optimum performance and lowest spray losses. The BFC enables a reduction of the process time by approx. 30 % with the best coating uniformity. The integrated high-pressure washing system guarantees Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) with first-class results. The BFC coaters realize batch sizes of 50-980 liters. Due to geometric similarities, a scale-up, as with all L.B. Bohle Coaters, possible without problems.
The BTC is the economical alternative for all coating applications. With the BTC, L.B. Bohle offers a cost-saving system for more efficient and longer running processes in pharmaceutical production.
The BFC Tripan is a particularly versatile system that can be operated with three drums. Thus, batches of 7-75 liters can be realized. The drums can be changed easily and quickly by using a lifting device.
L.B. Bohle also has the perfect solution for research and development. The laboratory coater BFC 5 is designed as a stand-alone unit. The BFC 5 can be operated with two different drums, allowing a batch size range of 2-13 liters.
L.B. Bohle meets the increased demand for continuous processes with the continuous coater KOCO^®. The KOCO^® is based on the proven, patented design of all L.B. Bohle tablet coaters. The process analysis is carried out via an integrated Raman probe.

Containment – no problem
The number and scope of containment applications in pharmaceutical production has increased significantly in the last few years. L.B. Bohle has thus frequently implemented containment solutions in the coating sector in all toxicity classes. The containment coaters impress with e.g. an automatic nozzle adjustment, infrared product temperature measurement, the connection for cleaning and drying as well as the control integration of the containment valves or side doors with inflatable seals.

Slotted coating pan for mini tablets
Mini tablets offer the advantage that several tablets can be combined for the application of the required single dose. In a specially slotted coating drum, which is provided with a corresponding perforation, not only normal-sized cores but also small cores with a diameter of 1.5 millimeters can be filmed.

Go to our coating technology

Burkhard Schmidt

Sales Director
inquiry@lbbohle.de
+49 2524 – 93 23 0