156 _ Equipment for Sugar Coating and ‘Thinner layers in combination with reduced drying times make the film coating process far less time-consuming than sugar coating operations (see Chapter 1.4, Types of Coat ings). Most coating processes consist of the unit operations [5] mixing, spraying and dry- ing. 7.1.1 Mixing and Tumbling Motions in Coating Equipment ‘The unit operation of mixing the cores is im- Portant to obtain smooth, uniform coatings. ‘The requisite mixing effect is achieved by ‘tumbling and rolling the core bed in a defined ‘manner (6, 7} Care must be taken, however, that the shear effects do not become so pronounced as to cause excessive abrasion, Conventional coating pans provide a very Processes favorable motion of the core bed for coating purposes. They rotate on an inclined axis, sq that two basic motions are superimposed, ‘The resulting combined motion lies between the two limits, ic. a aumbling motion about the horizontal axis and a cerarifugal motion about the vertical axis (Figure 7-1). In order to achieve the most favorable ‘overall motion, the speed of rotation of the pan must first be regulated to ensure cascad ing ofthe cores, with the coating bed describ. ing @ tumbling motion. Pan speeds must never be so high as to cause cataracting ofthe cores or induce them to fall freely. The larger the coating pans, the lower the required num. ber of rotations per minute (Table 7-1, The sizes and shapes of the cores also have an in- fluence on the most favorable pan speed. At. tempts have been made to determine the ‘most effective number of pan revolutions from the core cycling time and the pan ro- tational speed (8). Large pans normally have a constant number of revolutions and are usually not inclined from the horizontal. Intuanoe of ental ter oy Waa ——— Fig. 7-1. Rotation about vertical and horizontal axes ‘Table 7-1, Speeds of rotation for vatlous pa sizes limits ofthe motions occurring in pans rotating on Pan diameter in am 500-600 = a00-1300 1600 Speed rage in rpm 35 2 2s 175 _~158s Fig. 7-2. Zones of the core bed ina coat ‘The kinetic processes occurring in coating pans were first analyzed using cine-cameras in 1968. This resulted in the definition of three arcas of tumbling action, identified by the Roman numerals I 10 IIL (Figure 7-2) ‘They can be clearly distinguished in the transparent model coating pan (Figure 7-3) In area I (thick dotted circle), referred to asa slow-moving vortex, the cores move in a largely uncontrolled manner and without turning over. They remain at the surface for a prolonged time, describing a serpentine-like motion. Area 1 i one end of the “dead” or Process Parameters 157 slow-moving zone, which extends beneath the surface of the entire core bed. “Dead” zones are created wherever countercurrent layers meet Area II represents the main tumbling ac- tion. It is subdivided into partial movements Ha-e, In area Ia the coating bed is pressed against the pan wall under its own weight and by centrifugal force. It moves upward in the direetion of the rotating pan, at the same speed. This is the area of pure apparent or relative motion. In area I1b the radial upward movement Ha ends, since gravitation now dominates over centrifugal force, The ap- parent motion changes to proper motion, and the cores start rolling downward. In area He the cores have the highest potential energy: In area Td the peak of proper motion is reached, ie. the coating bed develops its max: imum kinetic energy. In area Ie the motion of the downward-rolling cores is checked by ated bed or the pan wall, and the ace most of their energy is lst in the form of im- pact foree, Between the core bed layers rising in lative motion and those flowing downwaed by proper motion lies the “dead zone.” This extends beneath the surface aeross the entire bed, and only in coating pans rotating ona illed axis does it emerge at the surface at an exactly defined point. Figure 7-3 outlines (by thin dotted lines) the loca TET BFE Fig. 7-3. (a) Zones of tumbling action t be observed in tansparent,coating pan [7]- Figure () shows the slow ‘moving aren land the thin doted line isthe ane of fastest surface movertent fhe extension ofthis zone beneath the surface, eros the cove bed. (oy and () are oF less the eross Sections (Tor detalls see te) Fig 730d >tion ofthe invisible “dead” zone [9]. Areas in which little motion occurs ean have an un favorable influence on coating results, At- tempts have been made to reduce this in- fluence by the provision of baffles and blades. In doing so, it must be borne in mind that the downward-flowing layers are flatter and the upward-moving ones deeper. Thorough mixing ofthe core bed is as important for uni- form application of the coating formulation as for effective drying, Area III (thick dotted circle) is the zone with the fastest surface mo- tion. The coating fluid should be sprayed or ppoured into this zone if rapid distribution is desived 7.1.2 Spraying and Spray Systems Spraying processes belong to the unit opera- tion of comminution (5) Pharmaceutical coating formulations can be atomized by means of airless spray nozzles with high-pressure pumps or ar-driven spray nozles with compressed air (10). Spraying With high-pressure airless nozzles is hy: drodynamie process. The formulations to be sprayed or atomized have 10 be exposed to hhigh pressures (50-150 bar), using pumps or compressors. The spray effect of airless nozzles depends not only on the viscosity and surface lension of the coating fluid and the nozzle desiga, but also on the uniformity and intensity of the applied pressure. Thus, con- sistent results can only be achieved at con- stant pressure. Spraying with low-pressure air nozzles is a kinematic atomization process, “The coating fluids have to be accelerated to high speeds, cg. by means of a blast of com: pressed ait. This is usually done at pressures of 0 to 3 bar. Air nozzles have larger aper tures than airless ones and are therefore ‘more robust and flexible in use, especially as far as the spraying of suspensions, dispersions ‘or high-viscosity fluids is concerned, The clogging tendency is considerably reduced. Another advantage of air nozzles is that spray and fluid delivery rate are easier to control than with airless nozzles, which are highly sensitive to pressure fluctuations. It must be borne in mind that atomization by com- pressed air has a much higher evaporation ef- fect. This may be advantageous for aqueous formulations, but is a disadvantage in the presence of organic solvents if the atomized particles dry before reaching the cores. When air nozales are used (0 spray into conven- tional pans that are either unvented or not sufficiently vented, a certain degree of air blockage or backup has to be accepted. This phenomenon does not occur with airless nazzles. In the case of coating equipment ‘with improved or optimized air circulation, eg, perforated pans, fluid-bed or air-suspen. sion equipment, air blockage cannot occur. so that air nozales are not a problem. The sprays emerging from the latter show both an effec- tive zane and a scatter zone (Figure 74). A certain distanee between nozzle and coating bed must, therefore, be observed to ensure adequate and uniform wetting of the largest [: Arey BSS cucne win ae ee Satie sets Shen ces nono a Fig. 7-4, Spray of om air nozzle Process Par: 59 possible numberof cores. Since nl pe tues cannot be enrged indefitly. the Ma every ate most en ness by sing several noses or nowles with several Phe latest development in this field is the ihcrchanel or thre-componen rem Thais an ano with an ational hen nel (igre 3) chrogh which a second ps Gr comprnen ean be inidiced wo eeate a spec microdimate sound the nae! very afl when ai ocr with area tel high minim li-forming tempera ture (MPT) i used. The MET of aqteous Site spensns, for example, Hes be tween 3 and 33%: depending onthe Past fore required for coating operations. 1 ince chanel worl employed. owevet foweemperaure ait canbe. introduced through the adtona chanel. The ada tage a ths provedre fete fnation of renvely ool mierclinate around the now nse the spray Hi fst passes thazone of moderate temperature ahd ex cesie spay drying or logging ofthe nozle i prevented. Only when the droplets have Teac the surface of the cores ithe ol tone (macrorliate) does the tal ying proces begin