DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURES FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TABLETING PROPERTIES WITH ECCENTRIC MACHINES .1. INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR EVALUATION OF TABLETING DATA

The proposed fully computerised compression analysis system is capable of automatic data acquisition and data analysis in order to evaluate the tableting properties of drugs and excipients. The system is based on a microcomputer and controls an eccentric tablet machine and an ana lytical balance. The tablet machine is instrumented with force and dis placement transducers for both upper and lower punches. The software i s specifically designed for tablet research and consists of two parts. One of them is specialised in data acquisition and analysis of tablet ing properties of individual tablets and the other one supervises the tablet machine during the production of several hundreds to thousands of tablets. The investigation of long term stability of the compressio n parameters is possible by cooperation of both programs. The analysis capabilities include evaluation of displacement, compression force an d ejection force signals, parametric plots, transformed signals as por osity, relative density and energy terms, force relaxation and extende d Heckel plots.