The Challenge of Achieving Precise Dosing While Safeguarding Against Exposure

When the employee learned about Kubota’s DDSR20 loss-in-weight feeder at a pharmaceutical manufacturing exhibition, his interest was piqued by the model’s continuous dosing ability and sealed design. He was prompted to inquire further. The feeder had been installed by pharmaceutical manufacturers in Europe, a region known as a leader in the pharmaceutical manufacturing business, another fact that caught the employee’s attention.

DDSR20

“I learned that German manufacturer Brabender Technologie has an impressive record in the medical field and that its machines are used by tablet presser manufacturers. The feeder’s use in Europe was a big plus when pitching it to others in the company, although we still needed to test it on our own materials to make a final decision,” he says.

The employee and his co-workers borrowed a demonstration model, which they used to run advanced tests on the manufacturer’s materials. After verifying the DDSR20’s performance with a detailed test report, the manufacturer judged it to be capable of consistent dosing.

“We now had numbers to back up the feeder’s claims, thereby allaying one of our concerns. I felt that we were finally able to give the model positive consideration,” he says.

They also verified that they would have access to the code for the feeder’s control program. The ability to demonstrate that the feeder is capable of appropriate dosing is important when a variety of materials are to be fed. The team also liked the ease of cleaning afforded by the feeder’s OEB (Occupation Exposure Band) 5-compliant sealed design and removable hopper cover.

“Exposure safeguards were our top priority. After seeing the design, we decided that this feeder would ensure the safety of our production line,” says the employee.

The fact that a team of Japan-based technicians could be called out at short notice also made for peace of mind.

After an overall evaluation, the manufacturer decided to install the DDSR20. The company is currently running trials with the machine in preparation for its integration into a continuous production line.