Rethinking tablet strength loss at high manufacturing speeds
In the fast-paced world of pharmaceutical manufacturing, maintaining both speed and quality can often be a challenge. In the tabletting space, this is evident by the reduction of tablet tensile strength at high production speeds. While compression speed has typically been assumed to be the most likely cause, new research from CMAC PhD Researcher Musab Osman has highlighted other possible reasons for the reduction in tensile strength.
Funded by AstraZeneca under an Industrial CASE (iCASE) studentship from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Musab’s research has shown that the combined effect of feedframe paddle rotational speed and lubrication at high production rates is a contributing factor in tablet strength loss.
In summary:
As production speed increases, the feedframe paddles rotate faster.
This increased rotation speed improves the distribution of lubricant within the powder blend.
The increase in lubricant distribution results in weaker particle bonding and a reduction in tablet tensile strength.
CMAC partnered with leading bespoke automation and specialist machinery provider Huxley Bertram to integrate their HB50 compaction simulator into this research. This cutting-edge tool has played a vital role in advancing our work, enabling the team to:
Independently control compression speed and feedframe paddle speed to isolate their effects.
Maintain consistent in-die tablet thickness to prevent mechanical changes affecting the results.
Replicate industrial conditions by mirroring the compression profiles, dwell times, and punch speeds of full-scale rotary presses.
This research has demonstrated that lubrication, rather than compression speed, is the primary driver of strength loss at high speeds.
This research would not have been possible without the exceptional support from the engineering team Huxley Bertram. Special thanks go to Martin Bennett, whose expertise and technical guidance were instrumental in fine-tuning the compaction simulator settings and navigating complex experimental challenges.
With the growing demand for pharmaceutical manufacturing, research like this plays a vital role in bridging the gap between speed and quality. The work undertaken by CMAC’s research community is helping to shape the future of efficient, high-quality medicines manufacturing.
If you're curious to see how this and our other collaborations are shaping the future of medicines development, manufacture, and supply, join us at the CMAC Open Days from 24–26 March 2026.
This work was supported by a strategic research grant funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
