One Film, Many Formulas: How Strip-Based Coating Turns Multi-Formula ODFs into Scalable Reality

Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), multi-ingredient functional ODFs (for example, multivitamins, probiotic blends, or herbal combinations) are no longer just a concept. Regulators and patients increasingly expect combination therapies and convenient single-dose formats – which means more projects where one oral film needs to carry more than one formula.

However, when these projects move from R&D to GMP-scale manufacturing, every extra process step adds variability, waste and validation complexity. The real question becomes: Can we put multiple formulas on one film in a way that is stable, efficient and truly scalable?

HUANGHAI’s strip-based multi-formula coating approach, powered by patent CN117323228A , was designed to answer exactly this question.

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Trend: One Film, Multiple Formulas

Market demand is shifting from simple, single-API ODFs toward:

• Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) that combine multiple actives in one strip.
• Multi-ingredient functional ODFs – for example, vitamins plus probiotics, or botanicals plus minerals.
• Segmented films where different lanes or zones carry different strengths or ingredient sets.

From a formulation point of view, many of these concepts are achievable in the lab. The bottleneck comes later: how to turn a smart bench-top idea into a repeatable, GMP-ready manufacturing process.

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Pain Points in Conventional ODF Manufacturing

Traditional ODF production often follows a familiar sequence: wide-web coating → edge trimming → longitudinal slitting → cross-cutting. This works well for single-formula films, but when you try to run multiple formulas in parallel, several problems are amplified:

• Significant material waste: High-value APIs and excipients end up in edge trims and offcuts during slitting and re-shaping.
• Consistency risks: Multiple coating runs or secondary lamination steps can introduce dosage variation, lane-width drift and edge defects.
• Complex validation: More steps mean more critical parameters to define and monitor, making batch-to-batch variation harder to explain during audits.

In other words, the more you rely on secondary slitting and reshaping to “create” multi-formula strips, the harder it becomes to control yield, uniformity and regulatory risk at commercial scale.

This is precisely the pain point targeted by CN117323228A: using a strip-based coating structure so that multi-formula lanes are formed directly in the coating step, instead of being carved out later.

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HUANGHAI’s Answer: Strip-Based Multi-Formula Coating

HUANGHAI’s multi-formula strip coating solution is built on the patented Slitting-Type Film Coating Device (CN117323228A) . Instead of coating a full-width web and then cutting it down, the system is engineered to shape each strip at the coating stage itself.

1. Multi-Channel Feed and Structured Strip Geometry

At the heart of the system is a multi-channel feed manifold with dedicated supply grooves for each formulation. Each channel defines its own target lane on the substrate, including width and spacing.

This design allows:

• Different formulas to run in parallel lanes on the same web.
• Strip width to be geometrically constrained by the coating hardware, not left entirely to downstream slitting.
• Adjustments to be made at the coating head (lane width, pattern, layout) instead of adding more post-processing steps.

2. Less Reliance on Downstream Slitting

Because the film already emerges from the coater in a structured, multi-lane layout, downstream operations can focus on simple, aligned cutting and packaging instead of heavy reshaping. This directly reduces:

• Edge trim waste and “sacrificed” lanes.
• Opportunities for lateral strip drift and lane-width variability.
• The number of critical control points that must be validated and monitored.

3. Better Fit for GMP Scale-Up

By removing redundant steps from the process, the strip-based approach makes the manufacturing route:

• Shorter: Fewer unit operations and less handling.
• Easier to validate: Key parameters are concentrated at the coater and dryer, where they can be tightly controlled.
• More robust: Lane width and dosage alignment are maintained by mechanical design as well as process control.

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What This Means for Your ODF Project

1. Lower Material Loss

With multi-formula lanes already shaped at the coating step, you no longer “create” strip geometry by cutting away large portions of the film. This is especially important for high-value APIs and specialty excipients, where edge scrap can become a major cost driver.

2. More Stable Content and Strip Width Uniformity

When each lane is defined by hardware geometry and controlled coating parameters, it is easier to:

• Keep strip width within tight tolerances across the full roll.
• Preserve dosage ratios between lanes (for example, API A on the left, API B on the right).
• Maintain a stable process window during scale-up from pilot runs to commercial campaigns.

3. Fewer Steps, Fewer Stops

A shorter, more integrated process means:

• Fewer intermediate rewinds and re-threading operations.
• Less time spent on cleaning and changeover between runs.
• Validation packages that are easier to explain to regulators, with a clear chain from formulation to film to sachet.

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Recommended Equipment and Configurations

HUANGHAI’s strip-based multi-formula coating technology is implemented across both pilot-scale and commercial systems, so you can maintain the same logic from development through scale-up.

MJ150-L – Pilot and Medium-Scale Multi-Formula Coating

The MJ150-L ODF Film Coating Machine is designed for pilot-scale and medium-scale ODF production. It is ideal for:

• Establishing multi-formula coating windows and strip layouts.
• Optimising lane widths, viscosities and drying logic under controlled conditions.
• Preparing data and samples for registration, technology transfer and partner evaluations.

MJ150 – Commercial-Scale Multi-Formula ODF and Patch Production

For commercial output, the MJ150 ODF & Transdermal Patch Film Making Machine inherits the same core coating logic and supports high-throughput, multi-lane production. It is engineered for:

• Pharma-grade ODF combination products.
• Solvent-based transdermal patches using similar strip-based concepts.
• Integration with downstream slitting and high-speed pouching lines.

For a broader view of how these systems fit into a full line, see:

• Complete ODF Film Manufacturing Solution
• Pharmaceutical Film Manufacturing Solutions Collection

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*The MJ150 production line's patented hot-air drying tunnel (Academician Hou Huimin's patent CN201668734U).

Explosion-proof electrical configuration is available as an option for flammable-solvent formulations.

Conclusion: Making “One Film, Many Formulas” an Engineering Reality

The true competitiveness of multi-formula ODFs is not just about whether a formulation can be created in the lab. It comes from turning that formulation into a short, stable and verifiable manufacturing process.

HUANGHAI’s strip-based coating innovation, backed by patent CN117323228A, shifts complexity upstream into a structured coating architecture – reducing waste and process noise in the downstream steps. With MJ150-L and MJ150 working as a coherent pair, “one film, many formulas” becomes less of an experiment and more of a scalable, GMP-ready production strategy.

If you are evaluating multi-API or combination ODF projects and want to reduce risk during scale-up, our team can help design a multi-formula coating route tailored to your products and regulatory pathway.

Contact HUANGHAI to discuss how strip-based multi-formula coating can support your next ODF line.

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