The machine allows scale-up to be achieved with no need for product re-registration, according to the company.
The AFT-LAB is capable of speeds up to 6,000 capsules an hour and is part of a wide range of capsule filling machinery made by Indian machinery specialist PAM that is now represented in the UK by S&B.
The machine employs the same powder tamping principle used on PAM's range of full-scale production machines, which are capable of speeds up to 90,000 capsules an hour. This means that capsules made on the AFT-LAB are reproducible in term of slug properties such as fill weight, hardness, dissolution and stability to those on their high-throughput cousins.
It can also be equipped with a pellet, liquid and tablet filling attachment to allow a variety of combination capsules to be produced for experiments with delivery systems.
To suit laboratory conditions, the AFT-LAB is able to operate with small quantities of powder - typically 1-1.5 kg - and can be set to produce 100 capsules or less for trials. And with minor modifications, the machine can be scaled up to deliver output up to 25,000 capsules per hour, allowing scale-up for capsules and, with the appropriate attachment, pellet, liquid and tablet filling.
For more information on the AFT-LAB, visit S&B's website or e-mail Linda Waite.