How do I Decide Which Laboratory Extruder and Spheronizer I Need?

Written by Dawn Philips | 22-Sep-2020 13:55:22

We are often asked for advice by researchers and teachers who want to acquire laboratory equipment for wet granulation formulation development using the extrusion and spheronization process. However, we typically find that all our equipment users have different requirements. Caleva offer a range of different solutions for extrusion and spheronization in your lab or teaching space. Each solution has options so the equipment can be adapted to suit your individual needs.

These are some of the things you should consider when investigating the best extruders and spheronizers for your needs.

Three key things to consider are:

The batch size you want to work with - this is fundamental and is generally the first thing you need to decide.
Will you need the ability to work with extrudate or pellets of different density? The density of your formulation can affect the properties of your final product. If your formulation is new then having the ability to investigate the effect of product density is recommended.
If your development will lead to manufacture, then consider the extruder type you want to use for production before you begin your formulation development. This can have significant long-range, practical and financial consequences.

Multi Lab Scientific (MLS)

The Multi Lab Scientific (MLS) is a reimagined all-in-one bench-top mixer, extruder and spheronizer designed to enhance and accelerate your formulation development journey. Small batch sizes from 15 g - 40 g means you won't use huge amounts of material during proof-of-concept and development phases, this is also highly beneficial if materials are expensive or scarce. The MLS benefits from innovative tool-less technology with quick-release attachments for rapid experiment turnaround. Other benefits of the MLS include motor load % reports, automated data capture, data export, recipe management and automatic control. Iterative formulation development and validation steps have never been easier.

Caleva Multi Bowl Spheronizer Kit

This kit consists of the screen Extruder 20 & Multi Bowl Spheronizer which has a range of bowl size options which are compatible with the base unit. Batch sizes range from 50 g to 1000 g. The Extruder 20 is a low pressure screen extrusion option, ideal for softer materials which are sensitive to heat. The Extruder 20 screen hole depths are available in 1 or 2 mm to increase extrudate density. This bench top system offers a wide range of batch sizes.

The Variable Density Kit

Caleva's Variable Density Extruder & Multi Bowl Spheronizer make up the Variable Density Kit. You can experiment with different densities in your extrudate or pellet results with the different dies available for the this extruder, and the spheronizer has a range of different bowl size options compatible with the same base giving you full flexibility over the batch sizes. Increase the chance of your formulation success by widening your options. Batch sizes from 150 g to 1 kg. Screw extruder system that can be scaled up to the Variable Density Twin Screw Extruder for production.

See Caleva's Entire Laboratory Range

View Caleva's full range of bench-top equipment for wet granulation formulation development.

If you would like to talk to a Caleva equipment specialist please feel free to request a video call or online demonstration, or use our live chat.

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