What are the advantages of using a fluid bed to form granules?

Answer 1

Dry granulation requires specialised heavy duty tablet presses to form slugs or roller compacters to produce ribbons. High compression forces are needed to produce tablets and this may affect their dissolution rate. The material also have to be compressed for cohesive properties. In addition, dry granulation often produce a large amount of fines and they may result in cross-contamination.

Answer 2

Dry granulation is suitable for drugs which are sensitive to heat or moisture. The tablets produced can disintegrate more efficiently as their particles are not bonded together by a binder as in wet granulation. The materials of the tablet can also mixed more nicely as the active ingredients will not migrate as in the drying process of wet granulation.

Answer 3

It is easier to control the process of roller compaction. It also has a higher manufacturing efficacy per hour as tablets are produced continuously whereas slugging produces batches of tablets. The mechanical strength applied to each tablet is also more consistent. For floating gap roller compactors, the distance between the rolls vary according to the amount of powder available so the force applied to the material remains consistent.

Answer 4

The high-dose tablets produced have better cohesion and flow properties, and the low-dose tablets produced will have their active pharmaceutical ingredients more evenly distributed. A wide variety of excipients can be used. The colour in the tablet matrix will be more evenly distributed and dusty powders are more easily handled. Wet granulation improves the dissolution of hydrophobic drugs. In addition, it prevents the ingredients from segregating from each other.

Answer 5

Using a fluid bed means that there isn't a need for a separate drying stage. It is easily automated and doesn't require much equipment.