Ask an Expert: What is Capsule Banding and Why Would I Use It?

You have probably seen banding mentioned in a capsule manufacturer’s brochure, an ad, or discussed in trade journals. But, unless you’ve used it in your production, it’s hard to understand exactly what it is, and why you’d want to use it.

Banding is pretty straightforward. When you band a capsule, you use a thin, liquid strip of gelatin or HPMC to create a seal around the joined edge of a locked capsule.

Bands can be made of either gelatin or HPMC to match the material of the capsule itself or the preference of the manufacturer. Bands can be made clear, or in custom colors.

A manufacturer must have specific equipment used to create these bands on the capsules, which use a “kit” containing the ingredients needed to create a liquid solution, which is then applied 360° onto the capsule, forming the seal. The explanation of banding is straightforward, but the reasons for banding a capsule may not be. There are many reasons to band a capsule, including leak prevention, brand identification, and tamper evidence.

Leak Prevention

When capsules are filled, be it with a liquid, oil, powder, beads, or other material, air will become trapped within the capsule itself as it is impossible to make a capsule airtight. Capsule manufacturers have designed their capsules to allow for entrapped air to escape to reduce the internal air pressure and to prevent a “pop back” effect where the capsules come apart due to the pressure. Because of this pressure-release design, fills have the potential to leak out between the join of the cap and body of the capsule, with liquid filling being particularly prone to this issue. Banding a capsule will prevent this by sealing the gap between the cap and body, preventing any fill leakage.

However, it is still very important to allow the pressure within the capsules to be reduced by removing the excess air, otherwise the air will still attempt to escape and will create bubbles in the band that may potentially affect the integrity of the band and can lead to leaks. This is done by allowing the filled capsules a specific amount of rest time between filling and banding to allow for the pressure to be reduced, but not long enough for the fill to leak. This is something your capsule manufacturer or your banding machine supplier would address.

Brand Recognition

Having your product stand out in a potentially flooded marketplace is one of the most difficult aspects of bringing a new product to market. Color and imprint are all major factors in creating a recognizable product for consumers that impacts both willingness to take the product and brand recognition.

While the color of the capsule itself is a large part of this decision, a band can provide even more differentiation and recognition. Bands can be made clear to allow the color of the capsule to be unchanged, or they can be made in a variety of colors to create a contrast or compliment to the capsule itself. Allowing a band color to become part of a product’s branding provides a greater variety of options for the brand’s marketing team and can let the product to stand out from its competition.

Tamper Evident Packaging

During the mid-1980s, a rash of drug tampering cases across the United States led to deaths and a panic for consumers. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration created regulations that would keep the public safe from this type of tampering and ensure the Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs they purchased were safe.

These new regulations required that two-piece hard capsule products have a minimum of two tamper-evident packaging features. Tamper-evident packaging alerts consumers of foul play or damage to the product. When tamper-evident packaging is triggered by attempted removal or manipulation, it leaves evidence behind. The most popular of these features have been the use of foil seals over the opening of the bottles and plastic shrink wrap on the lids.

However, many manufacturers are not aware that a band seal on the capsule is considered a tamper-resistant feature and would thus only require them to provide one additional feature on their packaging. Banding is often overlooked, but is a useful tool for drug manufacturers that can reduce product leakage, create brand recognition, and meet regulatory needs.