A Behind the Scenes Look at Tablet Supplement Manufacturing
The tablet supplement manufacturing process can seem mysterious. That’s why we thought we’d give you an exclusive behind the scenes look at how it’s done.
Plus, we’ll answer a few questions along the way, including why more and more companies are choosing capsules over tablets. Our answer might surprise you!
Tablet supplements are made using a piece of equipment known as a tablet press. Supplement tablets are formed with extreme pressure and force in order to get the tablet to hold its shape. Unlike capsule tablets, which only have to meet weight requirements, tablets must also meet color and shape requirements as well.
Tablets are able to maintain their shape by mixing the supplement ingredients with binders and fillers. Developing a successful formula takes a lot of time but having more experience helps to speed things up. We test a new formula repeatedly to see how much binder/filler is needed and which mold will work best in order for the tablets to hold their proper shape.
After the tablets are formed the next step is coloring and coating. The tablets are dropped into a giant drum where they are tumbled around as they are sprayed with a fine mist. At the same time, hot air is being blown onto the tablets to help them dry quickly so that there are no streaks in the color.
Why Are More Supplement Companies Choosing Capsules Over Tablets?
More and more of our customers are choosing capsules over tablets and there are a few reasons why.
Less Additives
In order for tablets to hold their shape they need added binders, fillers and liquid agents. With supplement capsules you remove the need for binders and fillers and there are minimal liquid agents. This is important because as consumers become more ingredient savvy they prefer supplements without these types of additives.
Shorter R&D Process
Tablet supplements need a lot of R&D to figure out which combination of binders, fillers, ingredients and mold shape work best. The longer the R&D process the more expensive. With capsule supplements not much R&D is needed because they don’t need to hold their shape since the ingredients are getting stuffed into a capsule. This also lessens the turnaround time.
Shorter Turnaround Time
Capsules have an overall shorter turnaround time not just because of the shorter R&D process. Tablets also have to go through coloring and coating which can double the time it takes to produce them. Capsule manufacturing cuts this step out entirely so getting the finished product doesn’t take nearly as much time.
Why Choose Quality Supplement Manufacturing
We understand that there are many manufacturers in the supplement industry to choose from but we have the experience you want in a partner! In the industry more knowledge can mean better prices for customers and a faster turnaround time. With QSM you can get top quality supplements fast and at a price that can’t be beat!
