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Tableting Cohesive Bulk Materials Enhancing Die Filling Performance with Poorly Flowable Powders

A guest post by Federica Giatti (Process technologist, Ima Active Competence Center), Caterina Funaro (Process technologist and Manager, Ima Active Competence Center), Fabrizio Salvatore Consoli (Tableting Technical Manager, Ima Active) 6 min Reading Time

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IMA Industria Macchine Automatiche SpA

Poorly flowable powders remain one of the biggest challenges in tablet manufacturing. They can lead to inconsistent die filling, tablet weight variation, and reduced product quality – especially at high production speeds. Optimized feeder geometry, paddle configuration, and HMI-controlled die loading can significantly improve process robustness without changing the formulation.

Ima’s Domina tablet press with Dynamicam technology was evaluated for its ability to improve die filling and process robustness when tableting poorly flowable powders.(Source: Ima)
Ima’s Domina tablet press with Dynamicam technology was evaluated for its ability to improve die filling and process robustness when tableting poorly flowable powders.
(Source: Ima)

Reliable powder flow is one of the prerequisites for robust tablet production. It determines how consistently dies are filled and, consequently, influences tablet weight, content uniformity, and mechanical strength. Powder flowability is commonly assessed using empirical methods such as the angle of repose, Carr Index, and shear-cell testing, all of which help predict powder behaviour in hoppers, feed frames, and dies.

Can Process Design Compensate for Poor Powder Flow?

Many pharmaceutical formulations, however, exhibit inherently poor flow properties. Fine particle size, irregular particle morphology, and electrostatic effects increase powder cohesiveness, promoting bridging and ratholing in hoppers and reducing the uniformity of die filling. Environmental conditions such as humidity, together with machine settings including press speed, hopper geometry, and feeder design, further influence powder behaviour.