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Fluid Bed Systems
Fluid Bed Systems

Fluid bed processor

Unlike other solutions, our fluid bed lines allow you to dry, granulate and coat more efficiently with one and the same product container. With an ideal air distribution and an efficient filter system, you can achieve maximum drying efficiency at minimum product losses. Heat transfer and drying are more homogenous and faster, with a high flexibility in batch size.

Through the uniform fluidization and the nozzles positioned in the bottom, a perfect liquid distribution is obtained, creating granules with a unimodal particle size distribution. The same set-up can be used for pellet and particle coating resulting in much faster and more homogenous layering.

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Key benefits

Faster and robust processes
up to 50%* shorter process times: robust, reproducible & uninterrupted

*up to 50% for pellet coating, up to 25% for granulation
One fits all
Our fluid bed systems allow you to dry, granulate and coat with just one product container.
Go for full service
Whether you need formulation support, rental equipment, or a service agreement – we take your molecules to production.

Fluid bed processor technology & features

Huettlin-diskjet

Hüttlin Diskjet air distribution plate​

Controlled mixing and fast drying requires efficient process air distribution. Our unique Hüttlin Diskjet accelerates and guides the airflow, preventing the bed from sticking and clogging. The results are homogenous batch fluidization, shorter process times and reduced filter loads. This is also the basis for high flexibility in batch size.

 

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Three-component nozzle

In addition to the spraying liquid and atomizing air, the nozzles provide our unique Microclimate, an air shield that protects the nozzles from clogging while supporting the liquid distribution. By positioning the bottom spray nozzles in the direction of the Diskjet’s process air flow, you obtain higher spray rates and better yield.

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Flexible spraying options

Besides our unique bottom spray technology, you can either choose traditional top spray or tangential spray. This spraying flexibility helps you support already registered formulations that rely on, e.g. top spray technology.

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Dynamic filter

The sequential cleaning of each filter element in combination with an increased filter surface by internal filter cones enables high performance processes without impacting the product’s fluidization. CIP-able metal filters are available as option.

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Superior granule characteristics

Our unique bottom spray system helps you achieve a homogenous fluidization, leading to unimodal particle size distribution, as well as excellent flow and tableting properties of granules. At the same time, you can achieve higher yields and shorter process times.

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Pellet coating unchained

In contrast to the traditional Wurster system, the Hüttlin coating approach is less complex as no tubes are required. Hence, more spray nozzles can be implemented and 100% of process air and container volume is used for the coating process. This results in shorter process times and higher yield.

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Cleaning – automated and efficient

Depending on your cleaning requirements, you have the choice from a basic automated cleaning system up to an advanced automated UltraClean system. On three different positions a moving retractable jet cleaner with a 360° rotating nozzle efficiently cleans all surfaces for reproducible and validatable results. 

Are you looking for a solution for early-stage development?

Our tabletop unit Solidlab 1 enables you to test small R&D batches in a fast and easy way. As an ideal solution for your feasibility studies, it can be equipped either with a fluid bed or a drum coater module. The fluid bed version comes with two different product containers for batches from 0.05 to 1 kg, contributing to versatile product development and accurate recipe examination.

Unlike most other solutions in the market, the Solidlab 1 comes with our PROVICON control system featuring open recipe creation and management for time-saving product development.

Solidlab

Use cases

granulat
Outstanding granule quality

Whether you compress granules into tablets or fill them into capsules or sachets, e.g. for nutraceuticals – our fluid bed means outstanding quality for any dosage form 

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Tablets at their best

Outstanding granule properties like smooth flowability and an ideal particle size distribution result in excellent compression characteristics – even at very low API concentration, e.g. for cancer therapy. 

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Perfect pellets

Design and produce high-quality pellets with precisely applied multifunctional layers that release active pharmaceutical ingredients in a controlled way. 

MUPS
MUPS: Multi-unit excellence

Our high-quality pellets enable their compression into stable multi-unit pellet system tablets (MUPS) with an excellent release profile, e.g. for proton pump inhibitors such as Esomeprazole. 

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Yes we capsule

Granules, pellets and mini tablets are perfectly suitable for fixed-dose or personalized combination capsules, e.g. anti-infective drugs. Our fluid bed granulators ensure optimum quality of the individual components. 

Technical data of our fluid bed processor

starting from  
g product
more than  
kg batch size
up to 
% shorter process times
3 processes in  
process container
Technical data overview
  Solidlab 1

R&D scale
Solidlab 2 Plus

R&D scale
Pilotlab

Pilot scale
HD/HDG/HDGC

Production scale
GranuLean

Production scale
Batch size 50 g to 1 kg 250 g to 12 kg 4 kg to 50 kg 25 kg to 1,600 kg 15-480 kg
At a density of 0.5 kg/l 0.5 kg/l 0.5 kg/l 0.5 kg/l 0.5 kg/l
Service Agreements
Service Agreements

Find out more about our Service Agreements here.

Digital Solutions
Digital Solutions

Find out more about Digital Solutions here.

Maintenance
Maintenance

Find out more about Maintenance here.

Technical Support
Technical Support

Find out more about Technical Support here.

Modernizations
Modernizations

Find out more about Modernizations here.

Training
Training

Find out more about our Training here.

Expert Services
Expert Services

Find out more about our Expert Services here.

Why choose a Syntegon fluid bed processor?

About us


Oral solid dosage forms (OSD) are our specialty: in the course of our long business history, we have been supporting countless industry players across the globe and sharing our rich expertise in fluid bed processing. As an innovation-driven company, we are far from maintaining the status quo: over the last few years, we have been actively pursuing new ways to advance OSD manufacturing. Download our selection of brochures to find out more. 

 
Inventor of the Diskjet, dynamic filter and microclimate
 
>
years of expertise
 
>
installed base worldwide

Fluid bed processor downloads

Fluid bed brochure
Fluid bed brochure

Our solutions have one thing in common – Quality

R&D Equipment
R&D Equipment

Our R&D equipments

Containment Brochure
Containment Brochure

Industry requirements and Syntegon’s containment solutions for OSD forms

GranuLean
GranuLean

Pharma Solid
Pharma Solid

Hüttlin Services
Hüttlin Services

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Frequently asked questions

Fluid bed systems allow to dry, granulate, and coat pharmaceutical ingredients using a combination of technologies. An air distribution plate guides conditioned process air to mix and dry the materials in a uniform way, while special spray nozzles apply granulation and coating solutions into the fluidized product. 

Fluid bed granulation is a key process step of solid dosage production, during which binding agents are added to the fluidized powdered product. As a result, the product forms granules, i.e., larger particles than those present in the initial mixture. Particle sizes can be controlled via pre-defined parameters. The goal of granulation is a uniform granulate that supports both optimum flow characteristics and good compressibility, resulting in high content uniformity and a reproducible dissolution profile of the final tablet. 

A fluid bed processor refers to the entire system comprising air handling components, an air distribution plate, spraying system, a product container and filters. A fluid bed dryer is limited to the drying function and has no spraying system. 

Coating in the fluid bed system is based on a controlled particle movement, guiding neutral pellets (inert spherical particles made from sugar starch, cellulose, tartaric acid, for example) through a spraying zone to apply functional layers homogenously on the pellets with simultaneous drying. Several spraying system arrangements are available: top spray, Wurster technology, tangential spray and bottom spray.

The parameters of a fluid bed processor include process air flow, spray rate and spray pressure, inlet humidity of process air and inlet temperature of process air.

Process time can be impacted by various parameters. First, by increasing the speed of the inlet process air in order to optimize the airflow and achieve a better heat transfer, resulting in an effective process air usage and a perfect movement of the product inside the fluid bed. When achieving a homogenous movement of the product through the spraying area and maximizing the spraying zones, spray rates can be increased and lead to significantly reduced process times.

The maximum weight gain of pellets depends on the machine size and the flexibility of the equipment to handle different batch sizes. Ideally the entire batch can be coated without the need for batch splitting. The minimum fill level in a machine is 10% of the container volume, so the maximum weight gain is 9 times the original weight of the pellet.

With an optimized end process a yield of more than 99% can be achieved with a bottom spray system. 

The goal of any granulation process is to achieve a unimodal particle size distribution with a small standard deviation. This leads to minimized fines and a more precise volumetric dosing in the tablet press. Based on experience a D50 particle size distribution of 250 µm is ideal for good flowability.

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Interested in fluid bed processors?

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