Pharmaceutical Dispensing Solutions using IBC technology

Matcon's pharmaceutical dispensing solutions give manufacturers a clean, controlled, and highly accurate way to load IBCs with excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) before taking them onwards to either wet granulation, dry granulation or direct compression processes. The design is built around keeping product contained, reducing manual handling, and protecting batch integrity from the very start of the process.

We recommend gravity-based dispensing wherever the process and building structure allows. It keeps things simple, removes the need for vacuum transfers, and cuts the cleaning burden that vacuum systems typically bring. Fewer transfer steps means fewer opportunities for contamination and less time spent on cleaning between batches. The Matcon system design enables good record keeping giving you a clear audit trail for regulatory compliance.

How Does Pharmaceutical Dispensing Work with IBCs?

Pharmaceutical dispensing with IBCs starts by loading the container offline, away from the main production line. Once the IBC is filled with the correct ingredients, it moves into the process flow at the right moment without disrupting other operations.

Closed connections throughout the dispensing module keep powder contained during the transfer process. There is no open handling of APIs or excipients, which protects operators and supports compliance with GMP requirements.

High-accuracy weighing can be built into the system, so every batch is dispensed to the correct specification. The interlocked design validates what has been dispensed before the process can continue, which removes the risk of human error at one of the most critical points in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Why Choose Gravity Dispensing Over Vacuum Transfer?

Gravity dispensing is the preferred approach for most pharmaceutical applications because it is inherently simpler and more reliable. Vacuum transfer systems introduce additional components, more connection points, and a significantly higher cleaning burden. Every extra piece of equipment in the line is another item that needs to be validated, cleaned, and maintained.

By moving powder through the system using gravity, Matcon's dispensing solution removes that complexity. There are fewer parts to clean, fewer failure points to manage, and less downtime between campaigns. For manufacturers who do make product changeovers, those savings in cleaning and changeover time add up quickly.

Gravity also handles a wider range of powder types more gently. Powders that are prone to degradation under vacuum are far better suited to a gravity-fed system, where they are handled gently.

How Does Dispensing Fit into the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process?

Dispensing is the first step in a connected IBC-based manufacturing process. Once the IBC is loaded and validated at the dispensing stage, it moves through the full production sequence without product ever being exposed to the open environment. That continuity of containment is what makes an IBC-based approach so well suited to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

From dispensing, the IBC can move directly into wet granulation or into a blending step ahead of dry granulation or direct compression. The same container carries the product through multiple processing steps, which reduces handling, maintains traceability, and protects blend uniformity throughout. Read our full pharmaceutical manufacturing best practice guide for more detail.

The modular Matcon system lets you add capacity or new capabilities without redesigning the full line. This flexibility is valuable in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where product portfolios change, batch sizes vary, and regulatory requirements continue to evolve.

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A Better Way To Handle Tablets Using IBCs

Handling tablets in larger batches using IBCs reduces the amount of labour needed to move containers and make and break connections at each stage of the tablet finishing process. Fewer transfer events mean better control, stronger traceability and recording throughout tablet processing.

A single Tablet IBC can replace multiple drums and offers automatic filling capabilities, while reducing the risk of breakage or damage during transfer. For operations running high volumes of tablets, moving from drums to IBCs at the tablet handling stage delivers measurable improvements in throughput and production efficiency.

Pharmaceutical dispensing in an IBC system is the process of accurately loading IBCs with excipients and APIs before they enter the main manufacturing process.

The IBC can be filled offline using a closed, automated system with integrated weighing and validation controls. This keeps product contained, protects operators, and ensures every batch starts with the correct ingredients in the correct amounts.

Closed dispensing prevents powder from becoming airborne during transfer, which protects operators from exposure to potent or hazardous compounds. It also prevents contamination between products, which is especially important if manufacturing multiple products in the same facility.

Regulatory bodies expect closed handling of APIs as part of GMP compliance, so a properly designed closed dispensing system directly supports audit readiness.

The Matcon dispensing system includes interlocked controls that validate what has been dispensed before the process can move forward. This creates a clear, automatic record of every dispensing event, which supports traceability requirements and simplifies batch record keeping. Combined with closed connections and accurate weighing, the system is built to meet the expectations of regulatory inspections.

Both systems use gravity feed in the dispensing method. Both configurations deliver the same benefits of closed, accurate, validated dispensing. The right choice depends on your facility layout and the space available.

Single-floor dispensing keeps all equipment on one level and is suited to facilities with enough floor space and head-height to arrange the system horizontally.

Through-floor dispensing positions the dispensing equipment on an upper floor so that powder transfers through chute work directly into the IBC on the floor below. Automated signals are required to ensure that the system operates correctly.

Pharmaceutical Dispensing Solutions using IBC technology

How Does Pharmaceutical Dispensing Work with IBCs?

Related Pages

Why Choose Gravity Dispensing Over Vacuum Transfer?

How Does Dispensing Fit into the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process?

Key Features of the Matcon Pharmaceutical Dispensing System

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A Better Way To Handle Tablets Using IBCs

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