NJM Packaging introduces the TE 20 tablet elevator for tablets, capsules, and softgels. The TE 20 automatically elevates and feeds bulk product to a tablet counter or to a blister packaging machine to improve worker ergonomics. Compared to the previous model TE10, the TE 20 features a completely new design with sophisticated new technology that achieves more than twice the throughput in almost half the floor space.
An operator loads product into the TE 20’s hopper at a comfortably low height. A patent-pending, stepper-driven rotary gate feeder transfers product from the hopper to a small bucket via a chute with sieve holes and a vacuum system that collects dust and chips, which is especially important for uncoated tablets. A sensor in the bucket identifies when the bucket is full and automatically actuates the patent-pending magnetic belt that lifts the bucket up to feed the product to the packaging machine.
Elevating the bucket at speeds of 2 cycles/min, the TE 20 handles up to 24,000 tablets/min, based on 17-mm tablets, within a compact footprint that is only 48 in. long and 27 in. wide. One TE 20 is ideal for feeding NJM’s Cremer CFS-622 tablet counter equipped with up to four counting modules, and two side-by-side TE 20s are suitable for a Cremer CFI-622 tablet counter with five to eight counting modules.
The stainless-steel TE 20 features a standard hopper with a 4-cu-ft capacity or an optional hopper with a 7-cu-ft capacity. The standard hopper offers approximately 9 min of autonomy, depending on the tablet size, when running at its maximum speed. A low-level sensor alerts the operator to fill the hopper via a beacon light. The hopper size can easily be changed in the field, allowing the TE 20 to expand as needs grow.
Designed with cGMP in mind, the TE 20 is on caster wheels so it can be rolled back from the packaging machine it feeds. At the push of one button, all the product contact parts—the hopper, the bucket, and the chute—are released to slide out for removal and cleaning with no tools required.
An Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1400 PLC controls machine functions, and an Allen-Bradley PanelView C400 touchscreen eases use. Interlocking Lexan doors surround the lifting area to maximize worker safety, and a Lexan door covers the hopper to help protect product quality. Compared to tablet elevators with mechanical vibrators, the TE 20, with its rotary gate feeder, offers quiet operation and years of reliable performance, according to the vendor.
The 304 stainless steel with electropolished product contact parts meet FDA approval for use by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical product manufacturers and contract packers.
