Softgel capsules are widely used as pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, offering effective and user-friendly products. Their production involves the use of delicate materials like gelatin and requires specific production processes. Humidity levels in production areas play a critical role in softgel manufacturing. High relative humidity can damage the capsule structure and reduce the effectiveness of the filling material. To prevent these issues and ensure ideal production conditions, dehumidifiers are indispensable in softgel production facilities.
The first step in softgel production is the preparation of gelatin. Gelatin is typically melted with water and a plasticizer (usually glycerin or sorbitol). This mixture forms the outer shell of the softgel capsule. Active ingredients or substances to be used in the softgel capsules are prepared in liquid, semi-liquid, or gel form. The filling material is brought to the right consistency and concentration before being filled into the gelatin shell. A component called a "spread box" or "gelatin spreader" is used to spread the melted gelatin mixture into a thin layer. The spread box is placed between two rotating drums (cylinders), ensuring the gelatin mixture spreads evenly into a thin layer. The distance between the drums determines the thickness of the layer. Gelatin and the filling material are then combined to form the softgel capsules. This process usually involves injecting the filling material between two flat layers of gelatin, which are then sealed to form the capsules.
Without the use of dehumidifiers, high humidity levels during the process can damage the outer shell, causing the product to become too soft or deformed. Uncontrolled high humidity levels can also affect the filling material inside the softgel capsules. High humidity can react with the active ingredients, reducing their effectiveness or causing unwanted chemical changes.
The newly encapsulated softgel products are then loaded into a pre-dryer. The fans inside the pre-dryer apply a steady airflow designed to remove excess moisture from the capsules. A rotating drum moves the capsules through the drying chamber, ensuring each tablet surface is exposed to the drying air. As moisture is removed from the capsules, they harden and solidify, giving softgel tablets their popular shape. It is important to ensure that the softgel products do not stick to the inside of the pre-drying drum. The drum's edges must be smooth to prevent damage to the softgel surfaces. The areas where pre-drying occurs must be stable in terms of temperature and humidity, with dehumidifiers maintaining the relative humidity balance.
In drying rooms (drying tunnels), maintaining a temperature of around 20°C and a relative humidity (RH) of 20% is crucial for the effective and proper drying of softgel capsules. To achieve these conditions, selecting dehumidifiers of the correct capacity and ensuring efficient air circulation to balance the humidity inside the room is critical. After the pre-drying process, the final surface shaping of the softgel products takes place in these drying tunnels, resulting in the final form demanded by consumers. The design of humidity-controlled areas using dehumidifiers is also important for the shelf life of the product during packaging. Designing a humidity-controlled area from the start to the final stages of softgel production using dehumidifiers is a common practice in industrial facilities to ensure process stability.
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