LFA RTP 41 Standard User manual

We don’t just sell machines—
we provide service.
RTP 41®Tablet Press User Manual

2
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 Dies with powder by hand.
• Inserting Tooling that is too big for the
machine.
• Using powders that could explode under
pressure.
• Using wet or damp material.
Personal Protection
For personal protection while transporting the
RTP 41®, abide by these actions:
• Use a forklift 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 41®, 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.
• 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 exposed
in cables due to risk of electrical shock or
burn.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Keep fingers away from all moving parts.
• Ensure that it is securely against the
workspace surface.
• 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 push the Emergency Stop
button, turn the isolator, and unplug the RTP 41®:
Prop. 65 Warning for CA Residents
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including nickel
(metallic), which is known to the State of California to cause cancer, and
chromium, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or
other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

5
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 Warning for CA Residents 4
Installation and Safety Assessment 5
RTP 41®Components 7
RTP 41®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 14
Positioning the RTP 41® 14
Controls 15
Settings and Adjustment 19
Maintenance 24
General Maintenance Prescriptions 24
Lubrication 24
Dismantling for Repair and Replacement 29
Wear Parts and Causes of Damage 30
Tooling 31
Take-Off Blades and Fill Trays Scrapers 36
Fill Trays 38
Lower Tracking 40
Upper Roller Cams 41
Troubleshooting 44
Common Machine/Part Issues 44
Common Tablet Issues 46
De-Jamming the RTP 41® 47
Cleaning 48
Storing the RTP 41® 51
Appendix 53
Glossary 53
Description of RTP 41®Parts 54
Material of Contact Parts 56
Technical Specifications 56
Maintenance Checklist 57
Diagrams 58
Resources 62

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RTP 41®Components
1. Upper Roller Cams
2. Turret
3. Lower Roller Cams
4. Adjustment Controls and HMI
5. Motor
6. Anti-Vibration Feet
1
1
2
3
3
4
5
6

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RTP 41®Electrical Components
1. Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)
2. Breaker
3. Fuses
4. Solenoid switches
5. Programmable Logic Controller
(PLC) for Human Machine Interface
(HMI)
WARNING
Only qualified electricians should work with these controls.
1
2
3
4
5

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Preface
The RTP 41®is a high speed rotary tablet press that comes equipped with 41 sets of Tooling,
electronic controls, and semi-automatic lubrication. With its 4.0 kW motor and up to 80 kN of
maximum pressure, the RTP 41®can produce up to 180,000 tablets per hour in several types
of shapes and forms. Particularly popular in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and electronic
industries, the RTP 41®is the ultimate as a mass production unit in safety, speed, and feature set.
The purpose of this document is to support your understanding of the RTP 41®’s components,
features, functions, and design. With this manual, you will be able to successfully operate and
maintain your RTP 41®machine.
The user manual’s content includes:
• Important safety information
• RTP 41®installation instructions
• Description of the RTP 41®’s operation
• RTP 41®maintenance information
• Appendix with supplemental information

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Training
RTP 41®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 41®.
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 41®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 41®, it is best to have the following tools and materials on
hand for general operation and maintenance:
• Forklift that is rated to lift at least 2,000 kg
• Lifting straps that are rated for at least 2,000 kg
• Level
• Crowbar
• Hammer
• Rubber mallet
• Metric wrench 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 41®’s 1676 kg
(approximately 3,696 lbs) weight. The static floor loading limit is 2.43 kN/m.
The machine's motor requires a three-phase power supply of 220 V/440 V. Ensure to position the
machine near an appropriate electrical plug
Environmental Conditions
It is important that the environment in which you operate and store the RTP 41®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 41®°C °F 20-80% RH
0-40 32-104

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The shipping crate will contain the following:
1. The assembled RTP 41®
2. The Tooling (already installed)

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3. Toolkit including:
• Die Installation/Removal Bar
• Grease guns
• Crosshead screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Wrenches
• Allen key set
4. Eyelet bolts
5. Anti-vibration feet
6. Ejection Chute

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Tools Needed
• Crowbar
• Hammer
• Socket set or impact driver
Instructions
1. Remove the nuts and bolts from the shipping container's base with a socket set or impact driver.
1.1 Note: Keep the nuts, bolts, and the shipping container’s base in case you need to return
the RTP 41®.
2. Pry apart the shipping container with a crowbar until the machine is accessible for a forklift.
Unpacking the RTP 41®
Assembly
The RTP 41®also comes with anti-vibration feet to insert underneath its base's four corners. The
anti-vibration feet not only absorb noise and vibrations, but also reduce the machine's movement.
The anti-vibration feet's assembly must be done while the machine is suspended in the air with a
forklift during its positioning.
READ BEFORE INSTALLATION:
Depending on local health and safety laws, the RTP 41®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]

15
In accordance with Article 13 of the European Directive 2006/42/EC, LFA
Machines sells the RTP 41®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 Hoppers.
• 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.
Positioning the RTP 41®
WARNING: To prevent personal injury, wear steel toe boots and heavy duty grip
gloves while transporting the RTP 41®.
Because of its 1677 kg (around 3,696 lbs) weight, LFA does NOT recommend
carrying the machine manually but rather with a forklift. At least two people
should be involved (one operating the forklift and one stabilizing the machine)
in removing the machine from the shipping container and placing it in the
workspace.
Moving the RTP 41®with a Forklift
Tools Needed
• Forklift that is rated to lift at least 2,500 kg
• Lifting straps that are rated for at least 2,500 kg
• Heavy duty grip gloves
• Steel toe boots
Instructions
1. Insert the eyelet bolts into the top of the machine.
1.1 Note: Make sure that the eyelet bolts are securely tightened.
2. Feed the lifting straps through the eyelet bot.
3. Position the forks of a forklift truck over the top of the RTP 41®and securely attach the lifting
straps.
4. Unbolt the RTP 41®from the metal pallet.
5. Carefully lift the RTP 41®off the pallet and attach the anti-vibration feet.
6. Lower the machine so that it is no more than 2-3 cm off the floor.
7. Position the RTP 41®in the desired location and carefully lower the machine.
8. Attach the Ejection Chute at the point of ejection with a crosshead screwdriver.

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Controls
Basic Components
A description of the principal components follows:
• The Hoppers hold the dry materials that will be compressed.
• The Fill Trays distributes the dry materials into the Die bores and their Take-Off Blades 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 Roller Cams and Lower Roller Cams compress the Upper Punches and Lower
Punches to create the tablet.

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Control Console
1. Main operation control
2. Start/stop auxiliary machines (de-duster, Fill Trays)
3. Graph of machine speed
4. Parameters of speed, output, and run time
5. Settings for screen appearance, alarms, date, and other parameters
12 3
45
Main Operation Control
1
1. Adjusts machine speed
2. Clears Output count
3. Operate machine
4. Operate machine in small increments
5. Stop machine operation
6. Start/stop auxiliary machines
7. Displays tablet output, Turret rotations per minute, and speed in Hz
12
3
4
5
6
7

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RTP 41®Process
The basic mechanism of the RTP 41®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 Hoppers and funneled into the Fill Trays. As the machine
operates, the Turret moves, which causes the Upper Punches to withdraw from the Dies. During
this process, powder makes its way from the Fill Trays into the moving Turret and the Die bores.
Compressing the Powder
After the Die bore is filled with powder, the Upper Punch is driven into the Die. 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 Trays' Take-Off Blade to prepare for the next
tablet compression.

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How to Create Tablets with the RTP 41®
Tools and Materials Needed
• Raw material formulation
• RTP 41®
• Receptacle for finished tablets
• Safety goggles
• Disposable latex/rubber gloves (for food grade products and to protect hands from grease)
• Hairnet and/or beard net (food grade products only)
• Sterile shoe covers (food grade products only)
WARNING: To prevent any potential personal injury, unplug the RTP 41®from
the electrical outlet when manually operating the machine.
Instructions
Note: Wear latex/rubber gloves (and appropriate food grade attire if applicable) during this
process.
1. Place the receptacle near the machine's tablet ejection area.
2. Pull off the right-hand side panel door.
3. Turn the Hand Wheel manually for a few Turret rotations to ensure proper machine operation.
4. Pour the dry materials into the Hoppers.
5. Manually press a few tablets to avoid the chance of jamming the machine.
6. Reinsert the panel door.
7. Plug in the RTP 41®to an outlet and turn the isolator switch to power on the digital touch
screen.
8. Choose the preferred language to go to the digital touch screen's menu.
9. Touch the Main button on the menu screen.
10. Press the Run button to begin machine operation.

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Settings and Adjustment
The RTP 41®’s settings can be adjusted. Tuning the machine can help with changing the tablets’
characteristics.
Fill Depth
At times, a tablet will be too small or too large, and its weight must change. This simple adjustment
determines the tablet’s weight.
Tools and Materials Needed
• Raw material formulation
• Disposable latex/rubber gloves (for food grade products and to protect hands from grease)
• Hairnet and/or beard net (food grade products only)
• Sterile shoe covers (food grade products only)
Instructions
Note: Wear latex/rubber gloves (and appropriate food grade attire if applicable) during this process.
1. Produce test tablets to determine how the machine should be adjusted.
2. Rotate the fill depth knob on the console to adjust.
2.1 Note: To increase the weight rotate the knob counterclockwise (this lowers the Dosing
Cam). To decrease the weight rotate the knob clockwise (this raises the Dosing Cam).
WARNING: To prevent any potential personal injury, unplug the RTP 41®from
the electrical outlet.
2
3. Plug in and run the machine to see if the adjustment is correct.
3.1 Note: The tablets that come from the left side of the Ejection Chute are from the left
fill depth knob's adjustment. The tablets that come from the right side are from the right fill
depth knob's adjustment.