(91d) DEM-CFD Study on the Sequential Powder Die-Filling Process

A rotary tablet press is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for large-scale tablet production. The manufacturing process comprises three main stages: die filling, compaction, and ejection. Among these, die filling plays a critical role in quality control, as it significantly affects the defect rate in tablet production. Ensuring a stable and uniform die-filling process is particularly important in rotary presses, where multiple die cavities must be filled consistently at high speed. In this study, two consecutive die-filling processes were simulated using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate powder behavior and fluid dynamics. The results revealed that the powder filling ratio in the second die was influenced by particle behavior and fluid dynamics in the first die, highlighting the importance of understanding sequential die-filling effects.

This research was financially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (Grant Nos. 21H04870 and 24K22289).