Problem of the Month: July 2026

So You Believe You Are Rejecting Bad Tablets with the reject gate?

Do You Ever Challenge The Gate? How often?

The fact that you have an automatic weight control (AWC) system does not guarantee that you are rejecting bad tablets!

There are two tests that you must perform each time you set up a tablet press for a different product: Challenging the reject limits that you entered into the system AND challenging the reject gate operation.

True, the AWC will spot and identify a bad tablet. But is the same tablet spotted the same tablet that is rejected?

One part of assuring ourselves is to place a marked upper test punch clearly marked as above.

Next you run the press for a specific number of turret rotations, then count the marked tablets.

Make a note on the batch record that the test was performed and recorded.

Better yet, perform the test once again at the end of the batch. Now you have bracketed a good performance.

And you are applying good science to tablet press operation.