In the Spotlight September 2008

Tablet press produces scalable results

The fully automated, single-station "Flexitab" tablet press from OYSTAR Manesty (Fairfield, NJ) is designed to produce results similar to those of a rotary press. The device's two punches are each controlled by one pneumatic and one hydraulic cylinder, which help the unit achieve the same punch travel velocity and force as a rotary press. Scientists can "optimize a formulation with only a small amount of material," according to Nic Michel, vice-president of OYSTAR USA's process division.

Flexitab tablet press (OYSTAR Manesty)

In addition, the Flexitab machine produces single layer, bilayer, and trilayer tablets. Three hoppers are mounted on the press's die table. Each hopper has a pneumatically driven slide-feeder mechanism that automatically fills each tablet layer and compresses between each layer.

Michel adds that operators can set the unit's dwell time and punch displacement and store various compression profiles in the device's memory.

Platform refines data sharing

SupplyScape's (Woburn, MA) "Nexus" software is "a collaborative business platform that allows you to take advantage of granular product-serialization information," according to Peter Spellman, the company's senior vice-president of products and software as a service.

Nexus business platform (SupplyScape)

The application categorizes serialized information according to task or relationship profiles (e.g., the cold chain) that describe the kind of information to be shared and the format to present it in for each external partner. Spellman says the profiles contain data-sharing rules that allow firms to share only the information required to execute particular business processes.

Software helps users manage CAD models

Pilgrim Software (Tampa, FL) recently introduced its "SmartEngineer" solution. The application allows users to check 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models into Pilgrim's "SmartDoc" document-management repository. The SmartEngineer application also renders CAD mo-dels as "Acrobat" files, thus allowing them to be shared intelligently. Nikki Willett, Pilgrim's vice-president of marketing and regulatory affairs, says the SmartEngineer software reduces the need for licenses and training for CAD software for nonengineers.

SmartEngineer application (Pilgrim Software)

The SmartEngineer product is intended to foster collaboration between pharmaceutical engineers, quality-assurance personnel, and manufacturing professionals throughout a product's life cycle. It enables an organization to establish version control for all its engineering drawings.

New Product Announcements may be sent to New Products Editor, Pharmaceutical Technology, 485 Route One South, Building F, First Floor, Iselin, NJ 08830, fax 732.596.0005, ptpress@advanstar.com