There has been a recent increase in the need for roller compacting in the OSD marketplace. One of the oldest manufacturers who still constructs compacting equipment is Fitzpatrick. However, there are many manufacturers of roller compactors. We separate most formulations personnel in one of two schools of thought, those who want to use only roller compactors from Gerteis, and those who will use another brand such as Fitzpatrick or Vector The overall basic features are all similar. You have an inlet system that may have one or more elements to assist the powder in entering the rollers, the roller assembly, and components on the discharge to reduce particle size and/or separate unwanted particles. Not all the elements are needed. It varies widely on the powder. For example, some powders flow so well you might not need any features on the inlet and pour straight into the rollers without assistance.
I have worked with both Gerteis and Fitzpatrick roller compactors in the past. Overall, Gerteis has marketed itself as a unique expert in compacted and that their equipment is vastly different from all other products on the market. However, their equipment is familiarly similar to their competitors. Gerteis has all the features needed to ensure your product will compact correctly. However, you cannot reduce the equipment cost but removing major components like other competitors. What Gerteis has that sets them apart is free technical expertise and assistance for both engineering and formations. For some powders, this assistance is invaluable. However, Gerteis is much more expensive than other roller compactors.
