Inventions are born out of necessity. The development of capsules as a drug delivery system was motivated by the need for a more convenient and user-friendly approach to provide the body chemicals and medications that taste bad yet would be difficult to swallow.

It was observed that many patients were failing to adhere to the prescribed course of therapy because the taste and texture of the medication was just revolting and an agonising experience.

By allowing patients to take medication orally, the capsule reduced the invasiveness of treatment compared to the use of suppositories and needle injections. The use of capsules has gained popularity among the general public throughout time.

The development of manual capsule filling machines was a result of the growing use of capsules in the pharmaceutical sector and the necessity for a quicker method of capsule packaging.

A wide variety of goods can be produced using this method, and the machine is best suited for manufacturing requirements requiring small to medium batch sizes. Hard gelatin capsules containing powders and grains can be filled and sealed manually.

Capsule filling equipment is an automatic device that has long been a driving force in several industries, including the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical ones. Encapsulators, also known as capsule fillers, are employed to add powders, granules, semi-solids, liquids, etc. to empty gelatin capsules. These components include active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), a combination of active pharmacological ingredients, and excipients. Encapsulation is the phrase used to describe the entire process of filling the empty capsules.

Numerous filling machine types have been developed as a result of technological improvement in order to boost production. The new encapsulators come in three different varieties: manually controlled, semi-automated, and automatic.

A bed with 200–300 holes, a loading tray with 200–300 holes, and a powder tray are all features of manually operated machines. The pin plate, the sealing plate with the rubber cap, and the lever are additional crucial components of this device. On average, a handle with a loading tray and 250 holes all around can produce about 6250 capsules in an hour. This kind of encapsulator is used by hospitals and small-scale manufacturers for on-the-spot preparations.

• Depending on the model and design of the machine, a large number of capsules can be filled in one hour.
• Depending on their needs for manufacturing, various clients can choose from a variety of models.
• apparatus made to handle a wide range of capsules.
• Low downtimes are caused by simple installation, user-friendly operation, and part replacement.
• Simple assembly and disassembly for maintenance and cleaning.
• As required by good manufacturing practises (GMP) regulations, the equipment can be completely washed.
• Newer, better designs guarantee a higher return on investment and have fewer final product rejections.
• To prevent contamination and facilitate easy cleaning, contact parts are composed of stainless steel and non-corrosive materials.
• long lifespan and trouble-free performance.
• To suit the unique requirements of the business and certain formulas, table and partial filling attachments can be provided.
• superior loading plates.

For manually operated machines, the two capsule halves are separated, placed on the loading tray, and the front knob examined. The filling components are placed into the empty capsules, which are then sealed. Pulling the locking lever forward is done. The ability to remove the caps from the bodies is provided via a lengthy handle. After this step, capsule bodies are raised to meet the filling surface at eye level. The remaining components are moved to the shelf while the powder to be placed inside is already measured. The powder is put inside the capsules. If necessary, the machine can even compress his powder. The next step is to seal off the filled capsules after the capsules have been filled with the filling substance. For locking, it has now been transported to the stage. The component that handles the bodies is put back into the capsules all at once, securing them. As the capsules exit the machine for packaging, they are now arranged across a tray. Two popular techniques used to fill the capsule are vacuum assisted and double sliding procedures.

These capsule-filling devices demonstrate their dependability in maintaining the integrity of the filled capsules and are incredibly durable. It can make different sizes of capsules, including type 00, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, at a rate of up to 55000 to 60000 per hour. The capsule can range in size from 400mm to 300mm in both length and width. The device has a spare slot for an additional attachment, such as an empty capsule ejector, dust extractor, damage capsule sorter, or online capsule polishing machine.

Because of this, the machines as they have been described above are helpful in greatly expanding production. One of the main sectors that needs to produce these capsules on a regular basis is pharmaceutical. Thus, machine production has replaced manual production as a result of technological advancement.

The Manual Capsule Filling Machine has three basic steps which are:

• Inserting the machine’s empty capsules
• putting powder inside the capsules
• the capsules being covered.

With these straightforward operating processes, the process can be performed at least three times in an hour, and depending on machine capacity, more than 1000 capsules can be produced every hour.

This simplicity of operation and the moderate output has made the machine very suitable for:

• Low volume, wide diversity, and encapsulating operations
• tiny industrial facilities
• pharmacies and hospitals
• formulation filling, RND laboratories, pharmacy schools, and producers of natural medicines.

On the other hand, the manual capsule filler’s non-contact components are made of mild steel and hard chrome plated for aesthetic purposes. A manual capsule filler with 300 holes is powerful enough to handle challenging powder and materials.

The manual capsule filling machine has advanced from a basic design that produced a small number of capsules per hour to one that produces a large volume, and as a result, may be utilised commercially. The equipment’s straightforward design, sanitary, accurate, and exact operation, longevity, and cost effectiveness for small to medium-sized operations are only a few of its key benefits.