Tablet IBCs for Pharmaceutical OSD Manufacturing

IBC blending systems enable near-instant changeovers in multi-product or multi-strength tablet production because the IBC becomes the blending vessel and cleaning is moved offline rather than stopping the blender between batches.

In practice, changeovers with an IBC blending system can be instantaneous or near-instantaneous at the blender, because there is no need to clean the blender between product batches. The blended batch stays inside the IBC, the container is removed, and another IBC can be mounted straight away while the used IBC is cleaned offline.

Matcon provides analytical powder testing and full-scale pilot trials before purchase so pharmaceutical manufacturers can validate process fit, performance, and risk before investing.

Matcon state-of-the-art test plants in the UK, USA, and China enable our customers to carry out comprehensive engineering studies and full-scale testing to reduce the risks of new machinery investment. Testing your product at a Matcon facility helps Matcon’s process engineers understand how the powder will behave and how the system should be configured to suit your application.

We offer material property analysis, multi-day trials (if required), validation testing and scale-up trials to help you make an informed decision when you purchase Matcon equipment. Learn more about what type of tests can be performed here.

IBC-based powder handling systems improve pharmaceutical ROI through higher throughput, lower downtime, reduced product loss, and better use of labour and equipment.

One pharmaceutical manufacturer reported increasing tablet press speeds by 15–20% after switching to a Matcon IBC-based system, while also producing more batches per shift. By keeping the powder in an IBC and eliminating line downtime for cleaning and reconfiguration, the plant achieved higher annual output from the same equipment footprint, delivering a strong, measurable return on investment.

IBC systems also enable faster changeovers and reduce downtime, which is a major driver in improving ROI. Matcon IBCs can be cleaned offline, which removes downtime associated with dismantling, cleaning, validating, and reassembling equipment in the main production line. This improves Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and allows more productive time per shift.

In addition, better material flow and more consistent discharge help reduce wasted powder and off-spec product.