Medicinal cannabis is a growing industry, with regulations constantly evolving through different states and countries. As these regulations adjust, so do the products and the potential delivery methods.
For medicinal cannabis and the surrounding products, much like the pharmaceutical industry in general, accuracy and control remain an important factor in the production process.
The GKF, a solution offered by pharmaceutical machinery leaders Syntegon, and their local partners in Australia and New Zealand, Nupac, is one such option which is proven to provide accurate and flexible capsule filling technology, suited to the medicinal cannabis industry.
Liquids into hard shell capsules
Filling liquid into hard shell capsules requires highly accurate filling stations to develop consistent product. As with any medicinal product, accuracy is paramount, therefore machinery which can consistently provide high levels of precision is imperative.
The Syntegon GKF hard capsule filling machine series offers high precision pump doses according to volumetric adjustment, allowing it to provide accuracy levels of 2.5% Relative Standard Deviation (RSD), with some products running at below 1% RSD. This proven technology is used throughout the pharmaceutical industry and has been extensively tested with liquids derived from medical grade cannabis plants.
Another critical feature of the GKF is it’s pullback of liquid in the filling nozzles. This stops both drops at the end of the filling process and splashes from bottom up filling. Reducing waste and keeping the machine clean helps keep the entire process at a high standard and allows for maximum efficiency and quality, saving costs for manufacturers.
In addition to this, the GKF has a “no capsule no filling” feature, which ensures that the filling process is only started when both the capsule cap and body are in place. This also prevents the loss of valuable product and keeps the machine clean throughout its operation.
The GKF batch report and audit trail function of the control software provides reliable and auditable documentation of the production process. In addition to its high flexibility, a strong focus of this liquid product filling technology is on the cleanability of the machine parts and stations, amongst other reasons to avoid product carry-over.
Powder filling into capsules
With different variants of products in the medicinal cannabis industry, the GKF also supports powder filling into hard capsules. With powdery plant extracts also used in the industry, the GKF continues to offer high accuracy dosing of dry product. Dry extracts are also being trialed and produced in tablet form, with Syntegon and Nupac providing separate solutions for the compression of these tablets.
Watch the GKF 2600 in action
As the industry continuously evolves a range of alternative delivery methods and products will blossom, with Nupac providing solution effects to help manufacturers accurately, effectively and economically produce and package their products.
Are you manufacturing pharmaceutical or cannabis products? We are always open to supporting manufacturers with advice or solutions. Contact us today.