Physical Tablet Testers & Powder Flow

Tablet Hardness Testers

A tablet hardness tester’s mechanical properties allow the tablet hardness testing machine to accurately and consistently be used for measuring tablet hardness. Manual tablet hardness testers and automated tablet hardness testers are available from Teledyne LABS.

Powder Flowability

Testing tablet hardness takes into account the numerous parameters that affect powder flowability, such as particle size and shape, “fines,” unit surface, actual and bulk density, porosity, settling, and electrostatic charge. Powder flowability is a factor in the ability of a solid dose tablet to break down and enter the bloodstream.

Why Test Tablet Hardness?

Tablet hardness affects bonding and integrity of the final tensile strength and its ability to withstand the stresses of production, packaging, and transportation. An incorrect degree of hardness affects the dissolution properties of the tablet, potentially causing it to release active pharmaceutical ingredients too quickly or too slowly. Accurate evaluation of tablet hardness and tablet consistency is essential to tablet product development, manufacturing, and quality control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What determines the hardness of a tablet?

Among factors determining the hardness value of solid tablets are the ingredients, including those of the bonding agents used, surface area, density, porosity, and the amount of air in the mix.

What is acceptable tablet hardness?

Tablet hardness testers measure the tablet breaking force in kilograms of force exerted, with hypodermic and chewable tablets being softest and sustained release tablets being hardest. Tablets have to be hard enough to withstand the manufacturing and shipping processes, but not so hard as to be less effective or ineffective due to improper dissolution of the tablet.

What equipment is used to test the hardness of a tablet test sample?

Manual tablet hardness testers and automated tablet hardness testing machines are one method used to test the hardness of tablets. Tablet strength testing can include tablet breaking force, compression testing, a snap or bending test and other forms of determining tablet hardness. Teledyne LABS tablet hardness testing machines include both manual and automated models.