Continuous vs Step-by-Step ODF Production: Which Huanghai Machine Handles Each Stage
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With Huanghai, oral dissolving film (ODF) goes from the first formulation trial to commercial output on one connected line. The film is coated, dried and rewound on a single continuous web, and the roll goes straight to a fully automatic cutting and packaging machine. Step-by-step set-ups run coating, drying, cutting and packaging as separate stages, often on separate units. This guide shows which Huanghai machine does which job.
Key Takeaways
- The MJ150 coats and dries on one continuous web: Huanghai's patented stripe coating, then a patented hot-air drying tunnel, then rewinding.
- The MJ180 takes that roll through slitting, cutting, vision inspection and packaging automatically.
- One path from lab to production: MJ150-RD, then MJ150-Lab, then MJ150, all on the same coating principle, so the process you develop is the process you scale.
- The MJ150, MJ150-Lab, MJ150-RD and MJ180 are designed for cGMP production and to support 21 CFR Part 11 compliance.
Why a Continuous Line Saves Work
Step-by-step production uses slot-die heads for coating and heated plates in two or three zones for drying. Those zones change temperature in steps that are adjusted by hand, and multi-formula films are built layer by layer, each layer dried before the next goes on. Every stage is set up, adjusted and checked on its own. The Huanghai line removes those hand-offs.
How the Huanghai Continuous Line Works
Coating: MJ150
The MJ150 uses Huanghai's patented stripe coating (CN117323228A) with a doctor blade, and casts two formulations side by side in a single pass. Coating width is 130 mm on Gen I and coating thickness is 0.1 to 2 mm.
Drying: the hot-air tunnel
After coating, the web passes through an enclosed tunnel using patented hot-air drying technology (Academician Hou Huimin's patent CN201668734U). Temperature falls progressively from hot to mild along the tunnel, and the film dries without touching a heated surface. Drying runs from room temperature to 120 °C in a 6 m tunnel, with optional far-infrared heating. The dried film is then rewound.
Cutting and packaging: MJ180
The MJ180 is a fully automatic cutting and packaging machine that connects to the MJ150. It slits the film, cuts rounded corners, die-cuts a partial tear notch for easy opening and checks each pack with real-time vision inspection. Defective units are rejected automatically, and one-object-one-code serialization is supported. Cutting length runs from 13 to 35 mm at ±0.1 mm accuracy, and Gen I packs about 11,900 films per hour.
From Lab to Production: Which Machine at Which Stage
| Stage | Output | Huanghai machine | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formulation screening | about 1,200 films/hour | MJ150-RD | Bench-top film casting; the entry point when the formulation is not locked yet |
| Pilot and small batches | 8,000 to 10,000 films/hour | MJ150-Lab | Same process as the MJ150 at lower output |
| Commercial coating | about 30,000 films/hour (Gen I) | MJ150 | Continuous coating and drying line |
| Cutting and packaging | about 11,900 films/hour (Gen I) | MJ180 | Slitting, cutting, inspection, serialization, packing |
The three coating machines share the same coating principle, and the MJ150-RD's 150 mm substrate width matches the MJ150 production line, which gives you a direct scale-up path. The MJ150-RD dries in an integrated heated oven; the hot-air tunnel is part of the MJ150 line. Maximum running speeds are 0.2 m/min on the MJ150-RD, 1.5 m/min on the MJ150-Lab and 2 m/min on the MJ150.
Need more output than a Gen I MJ150? Gen II and Gen III configurations are available. The MJ180 is built for commercial production, so the unit you pick at the start is the one you run at full scale.
Where to Start
If the formulation is still being developed, start at the MJ150-RD and add the next machine when the project grows. If the formulation is fixed and the target is commercial output, the MJ150 and MJ180 form the continuous line. Tell us your target output and whether the product is an ODF or a transdermal patch, and we will match the machines to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which machine should I start with if my formulation is not final?
The MJ150-RD. It is a bench-top film casting unit for formulation screening and small-batch casting, and its substrate width matches the MJ150 production line. The MJ150-Lab is the next step for pilot batches.
Does the MJ150-RD use the same coating technology as the production MJ150?
Yes. Both use doctor-blade coating with Huanghai's patented stripe coating (CN117323228A). The MJ150-RD dries in an integrated heated oven, while the MJ150 line uses the hot-air drying tunnel.
Are Huanghai ODF machines designed for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance?
Yes. The MJ150, MJ150-Lab, MJ150-RD and MJ180 are designed to support 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and for cGMP production.
Can one machine make both ODF and transdermal patches?
The MJ Pro coating platform can be built for either an ODF or a transdermal patch, and the application must be decided before the machine is manufactured. It is not switched in the field after delivery.
Next Step
Send us your target output and product type, and we will suggest the machines for each stage. See the ODF production line solutions, the full ODF equipment collection and Multi-Formula ODF Coating Solution, or read From Full-Width to Stripe Coating: Scaling ODF Yield.