Redefining User-Friendliness

At Interpack 2017, Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH introduced a complete new development with the Laboratory Coater LC Lab. The model complements the LC Coater series, which was specifically developed for coating tasks in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The design of the LC Lab focused on laboratory requirements. Innovative features include, among others, an FDA-compliant housing material, which is used for the first time in this type of machine, a split drum, and a mobile control panel that allows for straightforward data retrieval. The new development is rounded off with a newly developed nozzle equipped atomizer.

The new addition to the Lödige Coaters of the LC series is modular and can be equipped with the necessary or requirement-specific modules for the coating process.

The batch size of the LC Lab is variable. The special feature: the volume of the drum is halved — unlike conventional systems, the drum geometry remains unchanged by inserting a specially developed separation disc. The nozzle can also be easily adjusted. This makes it possible to initially run experiments with costly active ingredients with minimal product use. The results obtained can then be easily transferred to larger batches.

The machine is characterized by a functionally innovative, FDA-compliant housing material. The surfaces are very easy to clean, and the processing enables new design options. The nozzle of the laboratory model was adapted to laboratory needs in collaboration with experts from Düse-Schlick: powerful nano-nozzles are used in the LC Lab. These very small nozzles achieve optimal disruption of the coating liquid even at low pressures. The nozzle and thus the nozzle position can be adjusted from outside by the operator — as with commercial coaters — and adapted to product-specific changes in the tablet bed during the coating process. A turbulence-minimized guidance of the drying air stream leads to an optimal drying process with minimal spray drying and dusting of the nozzles.

In terms of user-friendliness, the LC Lab also sets new standards with its control panel. The mobile device is connected to the LC Lab via a docking station. If necessary, it can be easily removed to transfer the data directly to a PC at the desk for analysis. The size of the panel allows for good readability of the display.