Benefits of semi-automatic capsule fillers
Cost-effectiveness
The first great benefit is its cost-effectiveness. When it comes to the manufacturing cost, you need more labor if you choose manual capsule fillers, while the type of semi-automatic machine only needs one operator.
Compared with a fully automatic encapsulator, in most cases, a semi-automatic type is much more affordable, which is almost half the price of the former.
Higher working efficiency
Compared with the low filling capacity of manual capsule fillers (only 600 to 4000 capsules per hour), the semi-automatic encapsulation machine has greatly improved working efficiency (10k to 20k capsules per hour), very suitable for medium-sized commercial production.
Higher filling efficiency
With the aid of PLC control systems and many automation components, a semi-automatic capsule filler boasts great dose accuracy and consistency. In comparison, human error can not be avoided when using a hand-operated type of capsule filler.
Drawbacks of semi-automatic types of capsule fillers
Extra Personel Cost
Since it is not fully automatic, a semi-automatic type still needs to have an operator, which can add extra personnel cost, and will inevitably lower working efficiency after long hours on the assembly line.
Heavyweight
Compared with the small size of manual capsule fillers, a semi-automatic machine is cumbersome, which can cause great inconvenience to installation, cleaning, and maintenance.
Incompatible with softgels and other support equipment
As many processes still need a manual operation (like you need to move the filled capsule body to the locking device manually), it can not fill soft gelatin capsules, which requires automatic capsule filler to achieve hermetical sealing. Moreover, you may find it difficult to integrate this type of capsule-filling machine with other support equipment.
