Successful Solid Dose Equipment Training

By Mike Tousey

The global oral solid dosage pharmaceutical formulation market is expected to grow from $493.2 billion in 2017 to $926.3 billion by 2027, becoming the most commonly used dosage form.¹ Their popularity can be attributed to their chemical and physical stability, cost-effective production, and ease of manufacturing. But like all manufacturing equipment, solid dose machinery is still susceptible to wear, breakage, and downtime. Having a well-trained manufacturing team familiar with the various aspects of the technology can ensure these issues are kept to a minimum.

Whether you have new or legacy equipment; new or experienced operators, well-trained operators make for stronger production teams. These teams should know how to set-up, operate, disassemble, inspect, repair, and perform preventive maintenance. Equipment that is not installed or maintained properly is subject to wear and damage—even during normal handling conditions. If operators are unfamiliar with the equipment or don’t handle daily maintenance, they may misinterpret mechanical problems when they occur. In addition, downtime can cost upwards of half a billion dollars to pharmaceutical manufacturing, so operators may be under pressure to quickly make repairs, but these may not be the right repairs.