Zero-waste operations refer to designing and managing products and processes to decrease the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover resources, and refrain from incineration and landfill use. Thomas Processing explains the benefits of zero-waste operations and how to achieve them in the tablet coating industry.
The Benefits of Zero-Waste Operations
There is a wide range of benefits to becoming a zero-waste business in the tablet coating industry:
- Reduces waste management and disposal costs
- Prevents regulatory complications associated with waste management
- Helps achieve a green business status
- Improves material flow and your bottom line
How To Develop Waste Prevention and Reduction Strategies in Tablet Coating
Here are some approaches you can take to achieve zero-waste status in the tablet coating industry:
Improve Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency at your tablet coating facility is seamless. You can turn off lights and production coating equipment when they’re not in use, install occupancy sensors, and optimize your heating and cooling systems.
Implement Reusable Packaging
Packaging materials are one of the largest portions of generated waste. You can achieve zero- waste operations by switching to reusable alternatives for pallets or containers.
Use Efficient Unit Load Design and Packaging Reduction
Unit load design refers to optimizing the shipment of finished products by using a more efficient approach. You can save money and prevent packaging waste by using stiffer pallets or modified stacking patterns.
Specify Recycled or Natural Content
Many businesses achieve waste reduction by using recycled or naturally sourced materials. Using natural materials for your operations also improves the overall demand for recycled materials, reducing the need for manufactured resources that harm the environment.
Consider Purchasing New Tablet Coating Equipment
In the tablet coating industry, zero-waste operations should extend beyond landfill diversion. A significant way to reduce waste in tablet coating is to buy equipment with innovative tablet coating spray guns that feature zero-waste gun sequencing.
What Is Zero-Waste Gun Sequencing?
The zero-waste gun sequencing process aims to ensure that some of your tablets are fully coated, and the other half have a minimal coating. The process starts by filling the machine with tablets before the spray system turns on. Once the tablets are in the machine, they’re moved from right to left in the coating drum. For the first 40 minutes of the coating process, a protective coating is sprayed on the tablets to prevent damage. The protective coating gives the tablets a .3% weight gain. Once the zero-waste gun sequencing process is complete, all tablets meet a 2.5% target weight gain.
Next, the computer controls a sequence of three spray guns, turning them on at a predetermined time. The tablets under the spray bar are coated, which brings their weight gain up to 1.5%. The process continues until all tablets reach 2.5% weight gain and are ready to discharge, resulting in fully coated, uniform tablets. As new tablets are pushed into the machine, the fully coated tablets are discharged, and the continuous coating process starts again. With zero-waste gun sequencing, you never waste materials or products and achieve zero-waste operations seamlessly.
The Accela-CTC 500: Supporting Zero-Waste Operations
At Thomas Processing, all of our continuous coating machines support zero-waste operations. Our latest zero-waste innovation is our Accela-CTC 500, an improved continuous coating machine equipped with tablet coating spray guns that ensure uniform coating and prevent product waste.
With the Accela-CTC 500’s zero-waste gun sequencing feature, you never waste materials or products.
When coating with other machines, it’s difficult to verify that your tablets are fully coated and uniform. The spray system starts and pushes tablets through the machine, causing some tablets to get pushed to one side without any time under the spray zone, which forces you to throw away the first 50 kg of your product.
But with the Accela-CTC 500’s sophisticated zero-waste gun sequencing process, spray guns are turned on and off at different times, so all tablets are fully coated evenly and product is never wasted. Contact Thomas Processing today to learn more about our Accela-CTC 500.
