Tablet Compression Tooling
– Land or No Land?
By:
Bill
Turner
The
topic
of
land
on
a
tablet
design
is
a
much‐debated
one.
Tablet
land
is
the
narrow,
horizontal
surface
perpendicular
to
the
tablet’s
periphery,
which
creates
a
junction
between
the
tablet’s
periphery
and
cup
(see
Illustration
A).
The
three
primary
reasons
for
incorporating
a
land
into
a
tablet’s
design
are
to
(1)
increase
the
strength
of
the
punch
edges,
(2)
increase
the
wear
characteristics
of
the
inner
edge
of
the
punch
cup,
and
(3)
reduce
the
severity
of
nicks
on
punch
edges.
On
one
hand,
the
land
is
beneficial
to
add
strength
and
durability
to
the
punch
tip.
On
the
other
hand
land
may
be
perceived
as
making
it
more
difficult
to
coat
the
tablet.
The
width
of
the
land
is
dependent
upon
the
tip
diameter,
cup
depth,
cup
configuration,
punch
steel
selection,
required
compression
force
and
abrasiveness
of
the
granulation.
Round
punch
tips
deeper
than
standard
concave
are
normally
designed
with
0.002”
to
0.008”
(0.05mm
to
0.20mm)
land
and
special
shaped
punch
tips
are
normally
designed
with
0.002”
to
0.012”
(0.05mm
to
0.30mm)
land.
In
extreme
cases,
land
widths
in
excess
of
0.020”
(0.51mm)
will
be
used
to
add
strength
and
longevity
to
the
punch
tip.
As
the
cup
depth
increases,
so
does
the
slope
of
the
cup
at
the
periphery
of
the
tip.
This
will
lead
to
the
distinct
possibility
of
deformed
tip
edges,
or
tip
fractures,
under
heavy
compression
loads
when
the
tip
has
little
or
no
land.
When
a
punch
begins
compressing
a
tablet,
the
stress
is
initially
higher
at
the
tip
edge.
The
compression
stress
is
distributed
across
the
cup’s
surface
as
the
granulation
is
forced
towards
the
middle
of
the
cup
(see
Illustration
B).
This
also
describes
the
wear
issue
at
the
outer
edges
of
the
cup
face
as
the
granulation
flows
across
this
area
of
the
cup.
Adding
land
to
the
tablet
design
will
reduce
the
likelihood
of
punch
tip
deflection,
as
it
increases
the
strength
and
durability
of
the
tip
edges.
With
deeper
cup
designs,
wider
lands
should
be
utilized
to
strengthen
the
tip.
Punches
made
of
premium
steel
normally
used
for
compressing
nutritional
supplements
will
require
wider
land
in
the
tablet
design.
This
is
due
primarily
to
the
reduced
shock
resistance
of
these
steels
compared
to
standard
steels
and
the
typical
requirement
of
heavy
forces
necessary
to
compress
nutritional
supplement
tablets.
Although
tablet
compression
punches
are
made
from
high
quality
tool
steels
and
are
heat
treated
for
optimal
wear
resistance
the
punch
still
requires
extreme
care
while
handling,
during
set
up,
and
during
press
operation.
Incidental
contact
between
punch
tips,
or
contact
between
a
punch
tip
and
another
hard
surface,
will
most
likely
cause
damage
to
the
tip
edge.
A
punch
tip
designed
with
an
appropriate
land
will
reduce
the
severity
of
the
damage
due
to
the
added
strength
in
this
area
of
the
punch.
Natoli Engineering Company, Inc.
28 Research Park Circle • St. Charles, MO 63304 • P: 636.926.8900 • natoli.com •
[email protected] The
presence
of
punch
tip
land
results
in
a
small
“lip”
or
“ridge”
around
the
periphery
of
the
tablet
at
the
junction
of
the
tablet
face
and
the
bellyband,
or
tablet
side
wall.
This
edge
is
more
prone
to
erosion
during
the
tumbling
action
in
the
coating
pan.
The
junction
of
the
land
to
the
cup
face
will
result
in
a
sharp
inside
corner
on
the
tablet
(see
Illustration
C).
To
avoid
difficulties
during
the
coating
process,
it
is
suggested
that
the
land
have
a
generous
blend
radius
at
this
junction.
This
will
eliminate
the
sharp
corner
by
adding
a
curved
transition
between
the
two
surfaces
(see
Illustration
D).
If
this
is
desired,
it
must
be
stated
on
the
tablet
drawing
that
the
land
is
“BLENDED”.
Generally,
the
tablet
design
drawing
will
indicate
the
land
width
before
the
sharp
corner
is
blended.
Additional
dimensions
can
be
added
to
the
tablet
drawing
to
indicate
the
desired
land
width
after
blending
(known
as
“MEASUREABLE
LAND”),
and
the
blend
radius
may
also
be
dimensioned.
Blending
the
inner
edge
of
the
land
can
be
achieved
by
either
(1)
incorporating
this
requirement
into
the
design
of
the
hob,
so
it
is
formed
on
the
onset
of
the
punch
manufacturing
process,
or
(2)
by
blending
the
punch
cup
during
the
final
polishing
at
the
end
of
the
manufacturing
process.
The
slope
of
the
cup
adjacent
to
the
inner
edge
of
the
land
on
punches
that
have
a
compound
cup
incorporated
into
their
design
is
greater
than
that
of
single
radius
cups.
This
results
in
a
reduction
of
allowable
tip
force.
Therefore,
land
becomes
even
more
critical,
replenishing
much
of
the
strength
lost
due
to
the
steeper
slope.
It
is
common
that
a
wider
land
is
suggested
by
the
tooling
manufacturer
when
a
compound
cup
design
is
required.
It
should
be
noted
that
the
land
is
the
area
of
most
concentrated
wear
on
the
punch
cup
and
should
be
inspected
on
a
regular
basis.
Reworking
the
punch
cup
to
re‐establish
the
land
is
critical
to
extend
the
life
expectancy
of
the
tools
and
to
maintain
tablet
quality.
Many
tablet
designs
have
evolved
to
incorporate
a
heavy
land
for
punch
tip
strength
and
longevity
while
without
effecting
overall
tablet
quality.
High
volume
nutritional
supplement
manufacturers
commonly
implement
a
.020”
(0.51mm)
wide
land
into
tablet
designs
that
are
coated
successfully.
This
popular
design
is
often
duplicated
by
generic
manufactures
as
well.
Generally,
an
increase
in
land
width
will
strengthen
the
punch
and
reduce
the
likelihood
of
tip
deflection
or
breakage,
while
allowing
for
higher
compression
forces
and
extended
tool
life.
Let
your
experienced
tooling
manufacturer
guide
you
through
the
design
process
to
assure
a
successful
tableting
project.
Bill
Turner
is
the
Technical
Service
Manager
for
Natoli
Engineering
in
St.
Charles,
Missouri,
a
leading
manufacturer
of
tablet
compression
tooling
and
other
related
products.
Natoli
provides
tablet
compression
tooling
for
the
pharmaceutical,
nutritional,
confectionary,
industrial
and
veterinary
industries.
Bill
can
be
reached
at
636‐926‐8900
or
[email protected]
Natoli Engineering Company, Inc.
28 Research Park Circle • St. Charles, MO 63304 • P: 636.926.8900 • natoli.com •
[email protected]
