LFA RTP 118 User manual

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We don’t just sell machines—
we provide service.
RTP 118®Tablet Press User Manual

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Copyright Notice
© LFA Machines Oxford Limited, published in 2021 by LFA Machines Oxford Limited 2021.
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08428898, registered office for service
Demar House 14 Church Road East Wittering, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 8PS.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or
by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without prior permission, except
for fair dealing under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or in accordance with the
terms of license issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency in respect of photocopying and/or
reprographic reproduction. Application for permission for other use of the copyright material
including permission to reproduce extracts in other published works shall be made to the
publisher. Full acknowledgment or author, publisher and source must be given.
All trade marks are acknowledged and are owned by their respective owners.

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Important Safety Information
READ THIS BEFORE OPERATING MACHINE
Intended Use
The intended use of this machine is to press dry
raw materials into tablet form.
Potential misuse of this machine includes:
• Applying too much force to the powder.
• Trying to fill the Die with powder by hand.
• Inserting Tooling that is too big for the
machine.
• Not properly mounting the machine.
• Using powders that could explode under
pressure.
• Using wet or damp material.
Personal Protection
For personal protection while transporting the
RTP 118®, abide by these actions:
• Use an engine hoist to lift the machine.
• Wear steel toe boots to prevent foot injury.
• Wear heavy duty grip gloves to ensure firm
grasp on machine.
• Wear back support belt to prevent injury if
needed.
For personal protection while operating the
RTP 118®, abide by these actions:
• Avoid wearing loose jewelry to prevent
machine entanglement.
• Contain long hair to prevent machine
entanglement.
• Wear safety goggles.
• Wear disposable latex/rubber gloves.
• Wear a hairnet (food grade products only).
• Wear a beard net if needed (food grade
products only).
General Hazards
In the case of an emergency during
operation, immediately push the Emergency
Stop button or turn the Isolator Switch.
• Be aware of risk of entanglement and pinch
point due to moving parts.
• Do not operate in a wet environment or with
wet hands due to risk of electrical shock or
burn.
• Do not operate if any wires are damaged,
pinched, or frayed due to risk of electrical
shock or burn.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Keep fingers away from all moving parts.
• Ensure that machine is secure with anti-
vibration feet on the workspace floor.
• Inspect machine before use.
• Check that nuts and bolts are suitably
tightened.
• Use this machine only for its intended use
as described in this manual.
• Do not modify the machine in any way.
• Turn off and unplug the machine before
conducting cleaning and maintenance.

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WARNING
This signals potential risk for personal injury.
Modes for Stopping
WARNING
This signals potential risk for electrical shock.
Symbols
Important Safety Information
READ THIS BEFORE OPERATING MACHINE
CAUTION
This signals potential risk for damage to the
machine or other parts.
In the case of an emergency during automatic operation, immediately unplug the RTP 118®and/
or push the Emergency Stop button or turn the Emergency Shut-Off switch:
Prop. 65 Statement for CA Residents
Based on LFA's current level of knowledge of our machines, they do not require a Proposition 65
warning label.

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Installation and Safety Assessment
Due to the nature and design of this machine and its intended use in an industrial environment,
it is important that before use it is installed in a cage with a mode of stopping on the outside of
the cage. LFA Machines has decided that we can not possibly foresee all of the environments
or situations in which this machine could be used or installed and therefore have determined
that the end user must install the machine in a way that is appropriate and safe for its use.
Once the machine has been installed, it is critical that you conduct a safety assessment to
ensure that it complies with all local and industry accepted safety regulations.
If you require guidance on the installation of the machine or conducting a safety assessment,
please contact LFA Machines.
This machine is sold as an Unfinished Machine under the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)
Article 13.
Important Safety Information
READ THIS BEFORE OPERATING MACHINE

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Table of Contents
Copyright Notice 2
Important Safety Information 3
Intended Use 3
Personal Protection 3
General Hazards 3
Important Safety Information 4
Symbols 4
Modes for Stopping 4
Prop. 65 Statement for CA Residents 4
Installation and Safety Assessment 5
RTP 118®Components 7
RTP 118®Electrical Components 8
Preface 9
Training 10
On-Site/Off-Site Training 10
Training via Video Chat/Phone 10
LFA Articles 10
LFA Videos 10
Installation 11
Tools and Materials Needed 11
The Appropriate Workstation for the Machine 11
Assembly 15
Positioning the RTP 118® 16
Controls 18
Settings and Adjustment 22
Maintenance 28
General Maintenance Prescriptions 28
Lubrication 28
Dismantling for Repair and Replacement 34
Wear Parts and Causes of Damage 35
Fill Tray 45
Upper Tracking 48
Upper Pressure Cam 54
Troubleshooting 57
Common Machine/Part Issues 57
Common Tablet Issues 59
De-Jamming the RTP 118® 60
Cleaning 61
Storing the RTP 118® 64
Appendix 66
Glossary 66
Description of RTP 118®Parts 67
Material of Contact Parts 71
Technical Specifications 71
Maintenance Checklist 72
Diagrams 73
Resources 77

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RTP 118®Components
1. Upper Pressure Cam
2. Perspex Support Columns
3. Upper Tracking
4. Fill Tray Thumb Bolts
5. Fill Tray
6. Lower Punches
7. Ejection Cam
8. Ejection Chute
9. Main Cam Shaft
10. V Belts
11. Motor
12. Fill Cam
13. Fill Depth and Pressure
Adjustment Knobs
14. Lower Pressure Cam Housing
15. Lower Pressure Cam
16. Turret
17. Upper Punches
18. Upper Pressure Cam Housing
19. Hopper
20. Perspex Casing
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3
4
5
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9
10
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8
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RTP 118®Electrical Components
1. The variable frequency drive (for motor speed)
2. Magnetic contactor and starter
3. Breaker
4. Fuses
5. Terminal block
6. Power relay
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2
3
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WARNING
Only qualified electricians should work with these controls.
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Preface
The RTP 118®is a rotary tablet press that can efficiently produce a high volume of quality tablets.
With its nine Tooling heads and powerful motor, the RTP 118®has the ability to make up to 32,400
tablets an hour with a maximum of 60 kN of pressure. Rather than manually adjusting nuts and
cogs, the RTP 118®'s advanced features include a convenient control console to manage tablet
thickness, fill depth, and production speed. Particularly popular in the pharmaceutical, chemical,
food, and electronic industries, the RTP 118®has been designed for research and development and
medium-sized production with an emphasis on safety and ease of use.
The purpose of this document is to support your understanding of the RTP 118®’s components,
features, functions, and design. With this manual, you will be able to successfully operate and
maintain your RTP 118®machine.
The user manual’s content includes:
• Important safety information
• RTP 118®installation instructions
• Description of the RTP 118®’s operation
• RTP 118®maintenance information
• Appendix with supplemental information

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Training
RTP 118®training is essential for the machine’s successful operation and your personal safety.
There are several methods to prepare you for working with the RTP 118®.
On-Site/Off-Site Training
LFA technicians can travel and train you at your own facility with your own machines. LFA also
offers free training at our UK, USA, and Taiwan facilities for all our customers and their teams.
For more information, go to https://www.lfatabletpresses.com/services
Training via Video Chat/Phone
Using an online video chat system, an LFA technician can interact face-to-face with you and assist
with your understanding of the machine. Or, if you prefer, LFA can provide training via phone for all
customers who call the office. To set up a training, call or email your local LFA office:
UK
Phone
[phone]
Email
[email protected]
Taiwan
Phone
[phone]
Email
[e-mail]
USA
Phone
[phone]
Email
sales.us[email protected]
LFA Articles
LFA writes informative articles about tablet presses, which includes instructions, procedures, and
guides.
To access the articles, go to https://www.lfatabletpresses.com/articles
LFA Videos
LFA has created several videos involving the RTP 118®and other tablet presses.
To access the videos, go to https://www.lfatabletpresses.com/videos or https://www.youtube.com/
user/TabletPilPress

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Installation
Tools and Materials Needed
Before you install and operate the RTP 118®, it is best to have the following tools and materials on
hand for general operation and maintenance:
• Engine hoist or lift
• Lifting strap
• Hammer
• Crowbar
• Rubber mallet
• Metric wrench set
• 36 mm socket wrench
• 450 mm adjustable wrench
• Socket set
• Crosshead screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Set of metric Allen keys with ball ends
• Long wire pipe cleaner
• Cleaner (e.g. Member's Mark Commercial Lemon Disinfectant)
• Sanitizer (e.g. Member's Mark Commercial Sanitizer)
• Lubricant (NSF approved type for food grade products)
• Grease gun
• Toothbrush
• Cleaning brush set
• Plastic sheet or something similar to cover machine
• Safety goggles
• Hairnet and/or beard net (food grade products only)
• Sterile shoe covers (food grade products only)
The Appropriate Workstation for the Machine
The floor on which the machine is to be placed must support the RTP 118®’s 330 kg
(approximately 728 lbs) weight. The static floor loading limit is 0.8 kN/m2.
Environmental Conditions
It is important that the environment in which you operate and store the RTP 118®has the
appropriate temperature and relative humidity levels. These two environmental factors can
potentially cause the machine to rust and/or cause the tablets to have a lower quality. The table
below shows the acceptable temperature and relative humidity levels:
Machine Temperature Humidity
RTP 118®°C °F 45-65% RH
18-24 64-75

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The shipping crate will contain the following:
1. The assembled RTP 118®
2. The Tooling (already installed)

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3. Toolkit including:
• Turret Brush
• Die Seat Brush
• Feeler Gauge
• 6 mm Allen key
• Die Seat Cleaner
• Die Insertion Ring
• Die Installation/Removal Bar

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Tools Needed
• Flathead screwdriver
• Hammer
• Wrench set
Instructions
1. Pry open each of the clips on the shipping container with a flathead screwdriver.
1.1 Note: Hammer the clips even further down to aid in removing the shipping container
from the base.
2. Lift the top of the shipping container from its base, which is bolted to the RTP 118®.
3. Remove the plastic wrapping and set the Toolkit aside.
3.1 Note: Save the wrapping for future transport and/or storage.
4. Open the left-hand and right-hand panel doors to remove the nuts and bolts from the shipping
container's base with a wrench.
4.1 Note: Keep the nuts, bolts, and the shipping container’s base in case you need to move
or relocate the RTP 118®.
Unpacking the RTP 118®

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Assembly
The RTP 118®comes fully assembled. The RTP 118®also comes with anti-vibration pads
underneath its base's four corners. The anti-vibration pads not only absorb noise and vibrations,
but also reduce the machine's movement.
READ BEFORE INSTALLATION:
Depending on local health and safety laws, the RTP 118®may be required to
be installed in a cage. A risk assessment is required to be conducted before
installation and operation of the machine.
LFA Machines is able to advise on this. Please contact us for more information:
UK
Phone
[phone]
Email
[email protected]
Taiwan
Phone
[phone]
Email
[e-mail]
USA
Phone
[phone]
Email
sales.us[email protected]

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Positioning the RTP 118®
WARNING: To prevent personal injury, wear steel toe boots and heavy duty grip
gloves while transporting the RTP 118®.
Because of its 330 kg (around 728 lbs) weight, LFA does NOT recommend
carrying the machine manually but rather with an engine hoist. At least two
people should be involved (one operating the engine hoist and one stabilizing
the machine) in removing the machine from the shipping container and placing
it in the workspace.
Moving the RTP 118®with an Engine Hoist
Tools Needed
• Set of metric Allen keys with ball ends
• Engine hoist
• Lifting straps
• Heavy duty grip gloves
• Steel toe boots
Instructions
1. Remove the Hopper from the Perspex Casing.
2. Loosen the Perspex Casing's top four screws by hand and remove it.
3. Remove all the panel doors.
4. Set aside the Handle.
5. Feed the lifting straps through the Upper Pressure Cam Housing and around the Turret.
6. Carefully raise the RTP 118®with an engine hoist and guide it to your desired location.
6.1 Note: Remember to secure the Perspex Casing, Hopper, and panel doors back onto the
RTP 118®.

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In accordance with Article 13 of the European Directive 2006/42/EC, LFA
Machines sells the RTP 118®as a partly finished machine, and it is meant
to be installed into and function as a part in a production line.
After the installation of this machine, the following measures need to be
taken:
• Shields must be installed in order to cover moving parts, those being in
particular the Turret, Upper Punches, and Hopper.
• An emergency stop/emergency lockout/isolator switch must be
installed on the outside of the machine.
• A risk assessment must be conducted on the entire production line.
If you require guidance on the installation of the machine or conducting a
safety assessment, please contact LFA Machines.

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Controls
Basic Components
A description of the principal components follows:
• The Hopper holds the dry materials that will be compressed.
• The Fill Tray distributes the dry materials into the Die bores and pushes tablets into the
Ejection Chute.
• The Dies define the size and shape of the powder.
• The Upper Punches and Lower Punches compress the materials within the Dies.
• The Turret houses the Tooling.
• The Upper Tracking and Lower Tracking guide the Tooling.
• The Upper Pressure Cam and Lower Pressure Cam compress the Upper Punches and Lower
Punches to create the tablet.
Hopper
Fill Tray
Dies Upper and
Lower Punches
Upper Pressure Cam
Upper Tracking

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Control Console
1. Adjusts punch pressure.
2. Lights up when all door panels are
closed.
3. Stops machine operation.
4. Starts machine operation.
5. Controls production speed.
6. Cuts off machine in emergency.
7. Adjusts fill depth.
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RTP 118®Process
The basic mechanism of the RTP 118®involves filling the Tooling (Dies, Upper Punches, and Lower
Punches) with powder, compressing the powder, and ejecting the tablets.
Filling the Tooling with Powder
The dry materials are poured into the Hopper, which funnels the powder into the Fill Tray. As the
machine operates, the Turret moves, which causes the Upper Punches to withdraw from the Dies.
During this process, powder is moved by the Turret and is guided into the Die bores by the Fill
Tray.
Compressing the Powder
After the Die bore is filled with powder, the Upper Punches are driven into the Dies. The Upper
and Lower Punches then compress the powder under high pressure.
Ejecting the Tablet
After both punches compress the powder into a tablet, the Upper Tooling is withdrawn and the
tablet is then pushed out of the Die bore by the Lower Punch. Once the tablet has been ejected
out of the Die bore, it is slid out of the way by the Fill Tray's Scraper Blade to prepare for the next
tablet compression.