A rotary tablet machine (also called a rotary tablet press) is designed for high-speed, continuous tablet production in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and chemical industries. When professionals ask what is the output of rotary tablet machine per minute, they are referring to the machine’s tablet production capacity, which depends on its tooling, speed, and station count.
The output varies widely—from small R&D-scale presses to high-capacity commercial presses—but the production rate is always calculated using one formula:
How to Calculate Output Per Minute
Output per minute = Number of stations × RPM (rotations per minute)
A rotary press compresses one tablet per station during every rotation. Therefore, higher station count and higher RPM give higher output.
Typical Output of Rotary Tablet Machines per Minute
1. Single-Rotary Tablet Machine
- Tooling: 8 to 35 stations
- RPM: 20–60 RPM
- Output Range:
160 to 2,100 tablets per minute
This is used for medium-scale production.
2. Double-Rotary Tablet Machine
- Tooling: 32 to 75 stations
- RPM: 20–40 RPM
- Output Range:
1,200 to 6,000 tablets per minute
Because both sides of the turret compress tablets, output doubles.
3. High-Speed Rotary Tablet Machine
- Tooling: 45 to 90 stations
- RPM: 40–80 RPM
- Output Range:
5,000 to 12,000+ tablets per minute
Used in large pharmaceutical plants with strict production demands.
Why Output Varies Between Machines
Several factors affect what is the output of rotary tablet machine per minute:
1. Number of Stations
More stations = more compressions per rotation.
2. Machine Speed (RPM)
Higher RPM increases output, but excessive speed can affect:
- Tablet hardness
- Weight consistency
- Punch wear
So speed is optimized, not maximized.
3. Tooling Type
- D Tooling = larger tablets, lower output
- B Tooling = standard size, moderate output
- BB Tooling = small tablets, highest output
4. Powder Flow Properties
Granule quality determines whether the press can run at full speed without weight variation.
5. Machine Class
- R&D press
- Medium-scale rotary press
- High-speed rotary press
Each class has different design limits.
Examples of Realistic Output Calculations
Example 1: 27-Station Rotary Press
27 stations × 40 RPM = 1,080 tablets/min
Example 2: 55-Station Double Rotary
55 stations × 30 RPM × 2 =
3,300 tablets/min
Example 3: 75-Station High-Speed Press
75 stations × 70 RPM =
5,250 tablets/min
These examples reflect standard industry calculations.
Conclusion
To summarize what is the output of rotary tablet machine per minute : It varies between 160 tablets/min on small machines to 12,000+ tablets/min on high-speed industrial presses. The exact output depends on station count, machine RPM, tooling type, and granule quality. Production capacity is always calculated based on stations × rotations per minute, making rotary presses one of the fastest tablet manufacturing systems in the pharmaceutical industry.
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