New Spray Header Improves Tablet Coating Operation And Saves Manufacturer US$25,000

An international manufacturer of nutritional products needed to improve its tablet coating process. The OEM-supplied spray bar in use was over-wetting tablets and causing quality defects including picking and sticking problems. The quality problems resulted in significant product loss and rework, both of which negatively impacted the company’s bottom line. In addition, the spray bar required constant attention for nozzle cleaning and alignment.

Spraying Systems Co.’s solution was a Model 54000 tablet coating header equipped with VMAU-type automatic spray nozzles. VMAU nozzles offer independent liquid, atomizing air and fan air control, ensuring consistent spray coverage of the tablets without over-wetting. The modular design of the header and nozzle bodies enables quick and easy nozzle maintenance when required.

Spraying Systems Co.’s Model 54000 header improved the manufacturer’s tablet coating process immediately. Product scrap and rework due to film coating issues have been reduced by more than 15%. Plus, less time is being spent on tablet inspection and sorting. Another benefit is reduced maintenance time. The manufacturer is saving about 30 minutes per tablet batch for clean-up and spray nozzle alignment. Together, these factors resulted in annual savings of US$25,000 and a payback period of about 10 months.