From Batch to Continuous Tablet Coating

Continuous tablet coating replaces the repeated stop-and-go sequence of a batch coater with a steady material flow through the coating process. This working paper describes the practical and engineering implications of that transition, using the ACCELA CTC platform as an industrial example. It focuses on process equivalence, residence time, tablet-bed depth, spray exposure, throughput, equipment design, material handling and campaign organisation. Data and operating examples supplied by IMA illustrate how continuous coating can reduce repeated handling and non-productive phases while maintaining defined coating targets. The paper is intended as a technology framework and industrial review rather than as an experimental comparative study.