6 min
Coating cycle time/mini-batch 
90x
Micro-coats applied/minute
3
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OEB6
Built for containment.— Product overview
Designed for production. Built for direct transfer from R&D
The ConsiGma® FC Flex extends established ConsiGma® coating technology to flexible commercial-scale batch and continuous production. Its modular design combines exchangeable coating drums, rapid mini-batch processing and the same coating geometry used across the ConsiGma® platform. Teams can easily transfer the coating process from early R&D to large-scale production of several tonnes per day.
Flexible production capacity
Three exchangeable drums
Throughput ranges from a batch of 3kg up to a production rate of 90kg per hour. Adding additional coating modules multiplies the production rate.
Shorter time to market
No re-development required
GEA’s Scale-Out philosophy means no rework is necessary as process geometry is replicated from lab scale to full production
Three-dimensional coating
Complete coverage of each tablet
Spraying into the ConsiGma tablet cascade ensures complete coverage of each tablet as it passes the nozzle. High air flows ensure near instantaneous drying ensuring maximum efficiency.
Small footprint
Flush TTW configuration.
The CFC Flex is designed to minimize the process room space - even mounting the loading and discharge systems within the wall plate. Rapid, small batches also ensures shallow drums, minimizing technical room requirements.
— Scale-out, don't scale-up
Simple transfer from lab to production
Lab and production geometries rarely match. Process parameters drift, studies need to be repeated and regulatory risk compounds at every scale-up step.
The ConsiGma coater range is specifically designed to mitigate these issues by using the same coating geometry throughout the range.
Poor scalability
- Lab and production geometries rarely match
- Process redevelopment at each step
- Re-validation and regulatory delay
- Material waste tuning the bigger machine
Linear scale-out
- Geometrically identical platform from lab to production
- R&D parameters transfer directly to production
- Zero scale-up work or re-validation
- Minimal material waste during process transfer
Get the full ConsiGma® FC Flex specifications in one leaflet
GEA Pharma Solids Test Centers
Test before you invest.
Evaluate ConsiGma® coating technology with your own formulation. Our application specialists support customer trials, process development and optimization, helping you build confidence before moving toward commercial production.
01 • TEST
Run your formulation
Evaluate your formulation on GEA equipment, with real-time access to process data throughout the trial.
02 • OPTIMIZE & VALIDATE
Refine the process and prepare for production
Work through a structured DoE program with our specialists to develop, optimize and validate your coating process for the next scale-out step.
03 • SUPPORT
Build capability for the long termAccess hands-on training, ongoing learning and specialist support throughout the lifetime of the equipment.
— Precision coating technology
100% coverage for every tablet
The CFC Flex coats every tablet and completes a full cycle in under six minutes. Each tablet passes through the spray zone in free fall, guaranteeing 100% coverage by design and giving you uniform, repeatable results with less than 2% weight gain on every batch.
01 Loading
Tablets are loaded directly into the coating drum. Fast, clean and simple.
02 Rotating
High-speed drum and air-knife separate and spin tablets through the spray zone.
03 Coating
Microcoat applied 1.5x/sec in free-fall for uniform 360° coverage, dries instantly.
04 Unloading
Batch fully discharged and ready for immediate packaging.— Coating capabilities
One platform for every coating type
Aesthetic coatings
Color & brand identity
Vibrant, uniform color coatings on complex shaped tablets with precise consistency across every batch; ideal for product differentiation and personalized medicine, such as minitabs.
Protective coatings
API stability & shelf-life
Barrier and moisture-protection coatings that shield the API from oxygen, humidity, and light; extending product stability and shelf-life.
Functional coatings
Controlled & modified release
Enteric, sustained-release and delayed-release coatings for precise pharmacokinetic profiles; developed on the same platform used at commercial scale.
— Ready for OEB6
HPAPI solutions
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The CFC Flex can be configured for OEB6 contained operation through the addition of BUCK containment valves, and the options for washing & cleaning in place, enabling safe processing of highly potent APIs.
— Frequently asked questions
ConsiGma® FC Flex
Find the answers to your questions about ConsiGma® FC Flex
No, the process applied in the CFC Flex is the same process as the one used in the ConsiGma coaters for over 15 years. Although there are key differences between this process and that of a conventional drum coater, it is not new.
Scale-up changes drum geometry between lab and production, forcing requalification and process redevelopment. The CFC Lab & Flex use scale-out, with the same drum diameter and spray flux density as production. You add more units rather than a bigger machine, so process dynamics stay identical and re-validation is eliminated.
Yes. The CFC Flex can be configured for OEB6 contained operation through the integration of BUCK® containment valves as well as washing and cleaning-in-place options, enabling safe development and handling of highly potent APIs.
The CFC Flex can be equipped with different sized drums, covering sublot sizes between 1.5 and 9 kg, meaning it is capable of handling any batch size between 1.5 kg and several tons of throughput per day.
A mini-batch coating cycle takes 6 minutes, applying up to 90 micro-coats per minute at a spray application rate of 1.5× per second, fast enough to achieve a throughput of more than 2 tons per day for a single unit.
The CFC Flex is designed for the full range of solid dosage forms, from micro- and minitabs and round tablets through to large capsule-shaped and complex-shaped tablets. The free-fall spray geometry delivers uniform 360° coverage regardless of tablet shape and size.
Yes. The ConsiGma coating process is equally applicable to batch and continuous operations. Therefore, the CFC Flex can be integrated into the process flow for either production method.
Yes. Because the CFC Lab uses the same drum diameter and spray flux density as the CFC Flex, recipe parameters apply directly without scale-up rework or re-validation. This is the core of the scale-out approach.
The CFC-Flex can be fitted with WIP and CIP options according to the required containment level.
Of course. ConsiGma® coating technology is available to be tested in our labs around the world. Our process teams will be happy to demonstrate the technology and assist you in developing the process for your formulations.
Pharma solids insight stories
New research highlights exceptional containment performance of the GEA coater
The containment performance of the GEA Coater, described as a “new generation” device capable of both continuous and batch film coating, was assessed during three phases of operation and discussed in a peer-reviewed journal
GEA technology offers increased tablet coating and drying efficiencies
Designed to gently and accurately deposit controlled amounts of coating materials onto tablet cores — even if they are hygroscopic or friable — the high-performance GEA coater technology is able to process both small and large quantities of tablets at very high suspension application rates.
Continuous Innovation: How GEA is Leading the Future of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
From the first ConsiGma® line in 2004 to the launch of CDC Flex today, GEA has been at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation.
Continuous innovation is our commitment — to our customers, to the industry, and to a better world.
