Application and advantages of thin film coating technology in pharmaceutical industry

Thin film coating is a new coating technology, which refers to a relatively stable thin layer of polymer coating outside the core.Since the 1930s, there have been some research and guidance on film coating, but at that time, the conditions of film material, coating technology and equipment could not meet the production requirements, so the practical application was limited.By the 1950s, AbbottLab was the first to produce new thin-film tablets, which were branded under the label Filmtab.After nearly 40 years of research and development, continuous improvement and improvement of production equipment and process, and the emergence of polymer film materials, the film coating technology has been rapidly developed, especially the Japanese film coating technology , 80% of the tablets have been changed to film coating.

Film coating technology can be widely used in tablet, pill and granule,Film coating technology has developed for so many years,, mainly used for film coating tablets.Film coating has the following advantages compared with sugar coating:

(1) relatively short time (it only takes about 2 hours to pack a pot of tablets, while it takes about 16 hours to pack a pot of sugar-coated tablets), simple operation, fast drying speed, little influence of medicine on heat, which is conducive to improving the quality of medicines.

(2) thin film coating process saves labor (1 ~ 2 operators), plant and equipment (only one standard plant and one coating pot), and saves materials, so the cost is low, and the initial investment is very limited.

(3) the film coating technology only increases the core weight by 2% ~ 4%, while the sugar coating tablet (the main auxiliary ingredient is talc powder which has been eliminated abroad) often increases the core weight by 50% ~ 100%.

(4) thin film coating technology can reduce dust flying in the workplace, which is conducive to environmental protection and labor protection, as well as saving packaging materials, etc.

(5) the mark pressed on the tablet by the film coating technology is still clearly visible after the film coating, which is convenient for patients to identify and use.

(6) the film coated tablet is firm and wear-resistant, not easy to crack;Film coating materials have excellent physical properties, most of the materials can resist heat and humidity, improve product quality, extend the product life.

(7) film coating has a wide range of materials to choose from.In addition to the general coating purpose, the coating film can be dissolved or disintegrated within a certain pH range by selecting the film material and designing the coating formula.Can also control the permeability of the membrane, so that the package of drugs in the body through the role of diffusion released in succession, to achieve the timing, positioning the release of drugs.This is an important reason for the extensive development of thin film coating.

(8) production process and material consumption can be standardized

Based on the above factors, the international has basically eliminated sugar coated tablets, replaced by film coated tablets, The market prospect of film coating is very broad, so the further research, development and improvement of film coating technology is in prospect.