Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Kiyoshi Araume

Yuichi Nishiyama

Hiroaki Muto

Toru Chiba

An apparatus for manufacturing capsules which causes a solution of thermo-gelling material to gelatinize, and then drys the gel, whereby the process of manufacturing capsules is less affected by drying conditions, thus providing capsules of uniform wall thickness without wrinkles. In the apparatus of this invention, circulating capsule pins are dipped in the solution of thermo-gelling material, thus the solution adheres to the pins, and, the pins are rotated upside down, thus thickness of the solution adhering to the pins becomes uniform. Then, the pins are retained in the vessel maintained at a higher temperature than the gelling temperature of the solution, and the solution adhering to the pins is accelerated to gelatinization. The formed gel is dried in a drying device, and the dried gel bodies, i.e. capsules, are removed from the capsule pins.

Apparatus for manufacturing hard capsules for medicament use

A method for manufacturing capsules causes the solution of thermo-gelling material to gelatinize once, and then drys the gel. Therefore the process of manufacturing capsules is less affected by drying conditions, thus providing capsules of uniform wall thickness without wrinkle. In the apparatus, circulating capsule pins are dipped in the solution of thermo-gelling material, thus the solution adheres to the pins. The pins are rotated upside down, thus thickness of the solution adhering to the pins becoming uniform. Then the pins are retained in the vessel maintained at a higher temperature than the gelling temperature of the solution, and the solution adhering to the pins is gelatinized. The thus-formed gel is dried through a drying device, and the dried gel, i.e. capsules, is removed from capsule pins.

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Iwatsuki, Japan

Kiyoshi Araume