Leaking in tumbler or after;

Bubble small or big in softgel;

Limit life of cooked starch veggie gel;

No good formed ribbon and hard release from ribbum drum;

Starch veggie softgel hard release from die roll while animal gel good;

Very small amount of pocket number lead to much less output...

Do you have these similar problem during starch veggie softgel production? Its the trend of more or most softgel in veggie in the near future, consumer would prefer the pure veggie softgel. Comparing with sea gel or carrageenan gel, tapioca starch is regarded as the true pure veggie material for veggie softgel shell, as people said that tapioca starch is from tapioca planted on ground, while sea gel or carrageenan is still extracted from vegetable in sea. There is very big difference of material feature between starch gel and animal gel, this makes its big difference on technical process and parameter setting during softgel encapsulation and production. Its normal that even for skilled operator on animal softgel production, they would not be able to manufacture and encapsulate the starch veggie softgel well, the successful starch veggie softgel productions rely more on the correct equipment structure, correct setting of technical process and parameter, skills and experience to cook starch gel well, better formula of starch gel cooking, environment humidity and temperature etc.

Welcome to contact our professional sales engineer for further support at sec@secsoftgel.com

Equipment structure

There are a lot old softgel manufacture factories using the existing animal gelatin encapsulation machine and equipment of mixing preparation and drying etc. for starch veggie softgel manufacture as well, its reasonable and some modification can be made on existing equipment, while such modification on existing old equipment is limit, its recommended to get new softgel encapsulation machine line if the production demand is big or starch veggie softgel is the main manufacture products. 

Structure/configuration of equipments are different in gel cooking and gel holding tranfer for higher pressure and higher resistance force and higher temperature allowed, (higher pressure allowed is do required for easy cooked higher viscosity starch veggie gel mass, guarantee for every time cooked veggie gel mass available successful softgel production), correct material and correct design and correct air system of softgel forming transferring, suitable air volume and correct design of inner contact and correct process set in drying etc., almost only very little can be realized the modification on existing old softgel machine.

Take example of the basic change part softgel die roll for starch veggie which is complete different with this replacement part for animal gel. Bigger pocket volume, triple step instead of single or double step and the correct inner relationship of each step, correct set triangular island between pocket and the wave edges, correct set of wedge material and arc angle etc., all of these can help for the more successful starch veggie softgel manufactured. Besides, the correct design can help to increase pocket number, which directly increase the production output, reduce production cost and help for user's more competitiveness in market. 

Take example of the gel holding transfer tank, a lot condensation water will be generated during encapsulation and this makes the tank bottom gel not available for encapsulation, its a big waste and especially for currently more expensive cost of material. Improved structure of gel holding transfer tank can help to have very less or even no bottom gel wastage.

Setting of technical process and parameter

Heating on wedge is not required for starch veggie softgel production, while if its not required for all the cases, actually it also depends on the actual production. The key for successful starch veggie softgel production is the quality of cooked starch gel mass, well cooked starch gel mass can be easily encapsulated into high quality softgel on correct equipment structure and correct setting technics which are the basic. 

How many temperature shall be heat and how many time shall be heat in advance on gel hold transfer tank and gel transfer system and spreader box and how many air volume shall be blowed onto ribbon drum, these will all effect the feature and quality of well cooked gel mass and also effect if easy to have formed ribbon well release from ribbon drum. All of these settings shall be changed or adjusted according to its batch of cooked gel mass and environment condition etc.

Skills and experience to cook starch gel

Starch gel is a powder quite fine, around 100 mesh, this fine material can help for better cooking into gel mass without particle and good flowability with thoroughly melting. During encapsulation and for melted veggie gel mass, the water and humidity are the key factors for its quality. While because the powder is fine, its easy for the powder flying on wall or mixing paddle when input powder into melter and these remained powder on eall or mixing paddle will make whole batch gel mass not even if they are not well treated melting, correct way to input powder into tank is important. 

Jacket liquid of melter and transfer shall be oil instead of purified water, and the melter shall be enough strong to bear this oil jacket liquid in high temperature, before oil input into jacket, it much be dry in jacket and without water, after oil input into jacket, it shall be only oil and not water. This oil shall be heat transfer oil or glycerin oil, this is also based on material feature of starch veggie gel.

When the gel mass is well cooked for this step and good to go for next step melting, this is more rely on experiences, while it can be still referred on the appearance of good condition, help to learn this experience fast. Way and time of vacuum is the key of a better starch gel mass melted, some good skills of melting and correct equipment structure can help for faster and gel mass quality much better. Integrated melter with transfer moveable is regarded as the most suitable type of starch veggie melting, while because its all in one piece for functions of mixing, heating, lifting, vacuum, vacuum protection, moveable etc., the volume is limit and mostly 100L, 200L or max 300L. Big melter like 600L or 1000L will require its transfer tank separately, how for better transfer well melted/cooked starch veggie gel mass from melter to transfer tank is important for keep its good quality and have the gel mass with as less as possible bubble generated, at the same time all tools on this process shall be good comply with GMP requirement.

Better formula of starch gel cooking

As previous introduction that starch veggie gel is very sensitive on water and humidity, formula composition of starch veggie gel are mostly starch powder, glycerin, purified water, their correct ratio and input sequence are important, besides less water composition or longer vacuum time can help for the higher viscosity of gel mass melted, its depend on actual production that how high viscosity is good, while little higher viscosity can help for the better quality and produciton.

Environment humidity and temperature

Same as the animal softgel encapsulation and production, workshop humidity and temperature are the key, each room of encapsulation, drying, melting, preparation etc. has different requirement, its more strict required for how many humidity and temperature in the encapsulation room and drying room, while controlling the required room humidity and temperature to be stable is the most important. 

No best but always better, currently supporting for full new users overseas via video and online only for their successful starch veggie softgel production with high quality and beautiful appearance, encapsulation speed 2.5-5RPM, no leakage of starch veggie softgel in tumbler dryer drying and after, beautiful seal line, way to reduce wastage and increase pocket number to increase output etc., all of these are benefit from SEC team whole system knowledge and technology. We will keep updating as SEC team keep pursuing to have easier production of starch veggie softgel production.