Softgel Polishing Mainstream Solutions

• Dry Physical Polishing: Removes oil, dust, enhances gloss and prevents adhesion through physical friction with oil-absorbing cloth;

• Wet Polishing: Dissolves and removes surface oils with solvents while achieving polishing effects.

1. Dry Polishing Solution (Industry Preferred Standard)

1.1 Process Principle

1.2 Suitable Equipment

(1) Horizontal Polishing Pan

• Features: Simple structure, low upfront cost, easy operation; ideal for small-to-medium batch production.

• Process: Cotton or dedicated oil-absorbing cloth is placed inside the pan, and polishing is done via low-speed rotational friction.

• Application: Small-batch trials, routine softgel polishing in small-to-medium workshops.

(2) Rotary Cage Dry Polisher (Key Standard Model)

• Consumables: Dedicated oil-absorbing cloth, standard size 55×35cm, single-sided double-layer structure;

• Consumable loading: 3–4 pieces of 55×35cm oil-absorbing cloth per cage segment;

• Batch capacity: For 500mg softgels, 30,000–35,000 pieces per cage segment per batch; cycle time 15–20 minutes;

• Capacity expansion: For higher output, add cage segments/groups in parallel without changing single-cage process parameters;

• Advantages: Uniform polishing, ultra-low breakage, closed dust-free operation, continuous batch production; standard equipment for large/medium pharma and dietary supplement manufacturers.

1.3 Built-in Coating in Dry Polishing

1.4 Overall Advantages of Dry Polishing

• Solvent-free, no residue risk, strong regulatory compliance;

• Capsules stay intact (no water contact, no softening, no deformation, ultra-low breakage);

• Simple workflow, no explosion-proof facilities required, low energy and labor costs;

• All-in-one polishing, glossing and anti-adhesion, replacing standalone coating;

• Compatible with all standard softgel sizes, high versatility.

  
  

2. Wet Polishing

2.1 Process Overview

2.2 Critical Disadvantages (Not Recommended for Routine Use)

• Solvents easily cause softgel shell softening, collapse, deformation and leakage, resulting in high rejection rates;

• High risk of solvent over-residue, difficult quality control;

• Workshop requires explosion-proof retrofitting, sharply increasing equipment investment and safety OPEX;

• Mandatory long-term low-temperature drying after polishing, extended production cycle and extremely low efficiency;

• Volatile solvents contaminate the workshop, raising occupational protection and environmental compliance burdens;

• Only for temporary heavy oil remediation; polishing gloss is far inferior to dry polishing.

3. Solution Selection Summary

• Standard pharma & dietary supplement softgels: Use rotary cage dry polishing directly; equip with 3–4 pieces of 55×35cm single-sided double-layer oil-absorbing cloth per cage; 30,000–35,000 pieces per batch for 500mg softgels, expand capacity by adding cages as needed;

• Small batches / small workshops: Choose horizontal polishing pan dry polishing;

• Wet polishing has major drawbacks and is not recommended for routine production.