Replacing an Older Tablet Hardness Tester: What to Check Before Choosing an Electronic Model
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Many QC labs are still running an older hardness tester and eventually face the same question: what do we need to carry over, and what changes, when we move to an electronic instrument? This guide does not compare against any specific older device. It lists the questions worth answering about your own requirements first, using the YPD-350N as the reference for what an electronic tester records.
New to the topic? Start with our guide to tablet hardness testing.
Watch the operation demo
What a Hardness Test Actually Measures
Tablet hardness is the crushing force needed to break a tablet. The harmonised compendial reference is USP <1217>, with a corresponding Ph. Eur. 2.9.8 / BP chapter. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia has no hardness method, so a lab working to ChP alone has no compendial acceptance figure to copy — hardness limits are normally set by your own product specification.
Checklist: Seven Things to Settle Before You Choose
1. Force range. Your largest and hardest tablet sets the minimum. The YPD-350N covers 10–350 N with 0.01 N resolution and ±1.5% ±1 digit precision. Large, bilayer or high-compression modified-release tablets may need a higher range — ask us about the higher-force versions rather than assuming the 350 N model fits.
2. Units. If your historical records are in kilograms-force and your new procedures are in newtons, the YPD-350N lets the operator switch between N and kg, so results can be compared against old records without a manual conversion step.
3. Tablet size. The YPD-350N also measures tablet diameter, 2–25 mm at 0.1 mm resolution (±0.1 mm). Its measurements are hardness and diameter only. If your procedure also needs thickness, that is a different instrument (see the section on thickness below) — decide this before purchase, not after.
4. How many tablets per run. The unit can run up to 1,000 automatic iterations (1–1,000 are settable), so a sampling plan of, say, 10 or 20 tablets does not require re-entering settings between runs.
5. How the operator works. On this instrument line, loading and unloading are manual and the measurement is automatic: the operator places one tablet in the test chamber and closes the door, the instrument runs the crushing cycle, and the operator removes the crushed tablet and loads the next. It is a one-tablet-at-a-time cycle, not a batch or continuous-feed tester.
6. Records. The YPD-350N provides three-level user management, an audit trail (operator, date-time and event type), USB export and an RS232 printer connection. Decide whether your lab needs electronic records, a printed ticket, or both, and who needs which access level.
7. Standards your auditors expect. The YPD-350N works to USP and ChP practice. If hardness is one of several tests you run on the same samples, a multi-function instrument may fit better — see the table below.
Choosing Between Models
| If your lab… | Consider |
|---|---|
| tests hardness only, or on a dedicated bench | YPD-350N |
| needs a smaller unit for development work | YPD-200C (RS232 and USB output per its specification) |
| also runs friability, disintegration and dissolution on the same product | SY-6DN 4-in-1 |
| needs extra tablet dimensions measured together with hardness | YPD-350N-TK |
The SY-6DN's hardness module is the same module as the YPD-350N, with the same 10–350 N force range as standard.
What We Would Ask You Before Recommending a Model
- The largest tablet you test, and its approximate crushing force
- How many tablets per sample, and how often
- Whether you must keep electronic records, or a printout is enough
- Whether the same samples also go through friability, disintegration or dissolution tests
- Whether you need extra tablet dimensions (see the section below) recorded alongside hardness
With those answers we can say whether the YPD-350N, a higher-force version, or a multi-function instrument fits — and what is not covered.
Next Step
Send us the answers above on the contact page and we will reply with a model recommendation. Specifications and available options for the standalone model are on the YPD-350N product page, and the full range is in the tablet hardness tester collection.
If Thickness or Width Is Part of Your Procedure
The YPD-350N measures hardness and diameter. Some labs also need tablet thickness, or width for non-round tablets, recorded together with crushing force on the same sample. For those requirements we are developing the YPD-350N-TK, a four-parameter model built on the YPD-350N platform that adds thickness and width measurement.
It is still in development: there is no unit available to ship yet, and the thickness and width ranges and accuracy have not been published. If thickness or width matters for your procedure, tell us — your requirements (tablet shape, size range, how the values are used) help define what the instrument needs to measure, and we can confirm the current status and timing before you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an electronic hardness tester change the result compared with an older manual one?
We have no comparison data between our instruments and any specific older device, so we cannot state an expected difference. If you need continuity with historical results, run a set of retained samples on both and compare before switching procedures.
Can the YPD-350N switch units between N and kg?
Yes, the operator can select N or kg.
Does the YPD-350N measure thickness?
No. It measures hardness and diameter only. The YPD-350N-TK, which is in development, adds thickness and width.
Can I buy the YPD-350N-TK now?
Not yet. It is still in development and the thickness and width specifications are not final. Contact us to discuss your requirements and the current status.
Is every tablet loaded automatically?
No. The operator loads and removes each tablet; the measurement itself is automatic.