Fette tablet presses facilitate the automation and standardization of your processing line. Do you have a question about how to operate the machine properly? Are you encountering an issue with your press? Read through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below for helpful answers and advice.

What should I do to resolve granulation loss issues?

When using a Fette tablet press, granulation loss should be minimal. However, granulation loss can occur and increase over time due to any or all of the following factors:

• Excessive Fill-O-Matic speed. If the filling process is too fast, the granule delivery will be less controlled, leading to loss of granulation.
• Improper fill cam size. If the fill cam is the wrong size for the press unit or in the event of improper installation of the component, granulation loss can occur.
• Incorrect penetration depth settings. Depth settings need to be adjusted to suit the current filling process. Otherwise, excess granulation filling the tablet die (and the subsequent loss of the excess material) can occur.
• Insufficient precompression settings. If the granules aren’t adequately compressed before the tablet forming process, some material may be lost.
• Worn Fill-O-Matic base plates. If this product control part is worn, it can’t adequately move the granules.
• Worn out scraper bars. If these parts are worn, they can’t effectively scrape and gather all traces of granules.

What should I do if the tablets are capping when checked for friability?

Tablet capping is a condition in which the tablet cap separates from the tablet body. This typically happens when air is trapped in the tablet during the compression and blending stages. If tablet capping occurs during your production operations, there are three steps you can take to try to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check for the installation of tapered dies. These parts help remove air from tablets during compression and prevent most tablet capping issues.
2. Reduce the punch penetration depth. The tablets may be excessively penetrated at the precompression and main compression stations. Adjusting the penetration depth can reduce capping incidents by allowing air to escape through the taper.
3. Slow down the press. Slowing down the speed of tableting operations increases the dwell time, which can reduce capping.

How often should I perform preventative maintenance on my Fette tablet press?

Machines operating at 30kn of force or less require less preventative maintenance as their operations typically place less stress on their parts. During preventative maintenance operations for these presses, inspectors and technicians should perform fluid changes, calibrations, and inspection of basic wear parts, such as dosing cams, Fill-O-Matic baseplates, and scrapers.

Machines operating at 50kn of force or higher should be checked more frequently, especially their precompression and main compression stations. For preventative maintenance guidelines for a specific high-performance machine, contact the experts at Fette.

How important is the SREL reading on my Fette tablet press? What is a good number to run it at?

The SREL reading indicates the consistency of tableting operations. The closer the number in parameter 8 is to zero, the better, as higher numbers denote greater variation in fill and compression force from die to die. An SREL under 3% is considered extremely good. Potential causes of a high or fluctuating SREL include:

• Bad lower punch seals
• Damaged Fill-O-Matic baseplates or dosing station ledge cams
• Improper Fill-O-Matic speeds
• Excessive punch penetration
• Loose and/or worn lower punch restrainers
• Worn out scrapers

Why do I have weight variation only on one side of my double-sided press?

Weight variation occurs when the inner and outer dosing ledge cams are no longer properly aligned. This can be caused either by:

• Improper adjustment of the outer dosing ledge, or
• A worn inner dosing ledge cam.

The former issue can be resolved by adjusting the outer dosing ledge cam to increase the amount tension placed on the tableting tool until it can rotate but not move up and down. The latter issue can be resolved by replacing the inner dosing ledge cam component so that it can pull the lower punches down to properly contain granulation during tableting operations.

I’m getting alarms on my press. How do I determine the cause?

Fette tablet presses have integrated alarms that alert the operator to various issues or malfunctions. You can find the root cause of the alarm by pressing the help function, which will prompt the machine to display a diagnostic code. Type that code into the help function to find a list of potential causes for the issues.

Fette Solutions

Fette Compacting is a leading manufacturer and seller of tablet presses for pills, tablets, and small compressed goods. In addition to providing our equipment, we offer post-purchase maintenance services to help keep machines running in optimal condition. Our services include:

When using a Fette tablet press, granulation loss should be minimal. However, granulation loss can occur and increase over time due to any or all of the following factors:

• Preventative Maintenance
• Press Calibration
• R&D Support
• Training

For additional assistance with your press, contact us today.