PowderSecure - Fully Automated Foreign Particle Detection in Powders and Granules

Powders and granules are challenging materials in pharmaceutical production. Foreign particles—such as metal, paint, or plastic particles; organic material; agglomerates; or fibers—are nearly impossible to completely avoid during the production process. If they are not reliably detected, they jeopardize patient safety, GMP compliance, and your product’s approval.

In contrast to the highly advanced technology for inspecting particles in liquids, the inspection of foreign particles in powders and granules is technologically much more complex.

PowderSecure solves this challenge: The fully automated inspection system examines standard powders or API powders (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) using fast, high-resolution camera technology and detects even the smallest visual contaminations from 50 µm upwards – safely and reliably in laboratory, production, or pharmaceutical environments.

What is PowderSecure?

PowderSecure is a fully automated optical inspection system for free-flowing powders and granules. It was developed specifically for quality assurance in pharmaceutical production and also inspects API powders for visually detectable foreign particles—inline, within the continuous production stream.

The system inspects the product against both light and dark backgrounds to optimize contrast and reliably detect even the smallest particles. Detected contaminants are reliably ejected via a product-specific ejection mechanism with separate channels for good and defective products. The result: the highest removal rate for visually detectable contamination.

How does PowderSecure detect foreign particles in powder?

PowderSecure conveys the powder or granules through a vibrating chute—tailored to the product and throughput—as a thin, even layer past a high-performance camera system. The system inspects the product simultaneously against both light and dark backgrounds—to maximize contrast and reliably detect even the smallest particles or lint.

As soon as contamination is detected, a product-specific ejection mechanism is triggered, directing the contaminated material into the reject channel and the inspected product stream into the good-product channel. Even the smallest foreign particles or fibers that are visually detectable by camera – adjustable from 50 µm upwards – are reliably identified, including in highly potent substances and under strict GMP conditions.

Key Features of PowderSecure

PowderSecure detects the following foreign particles that can be distinguished by camera vision:

(Minimum adjustable particle size: 50 µm):

Fibers – e.g., textile fibers, organic fibers, hair fragments
Metal particles – e.g., abrasion from production equipment
Plastic and Paint Chips – from Machine Components
Organic matter – impurities of biological origin
Agglomerates – Clumps in the Powder Stream

Additional technical features of the system:

Vibrating chute designed for product transport, tailored to the product and throughput
High-Performance Camera System with Integrated Processing Unit
Automatic self-monitoring for continuous operation
Short cleaning times thanks to removable parts that come into contact with the product
Food-contact-certified materials
Mobile Equipment – Versatile
Suitable for use in pharmaceutical GMP, laboratory, chemical, and food environments

Options & Extensions

PowderSecure can be expanded with the following options, depending on your needs:

Implementation in Isolator Units
Equipped with bottle filling units capable of being calibrated
Models with throughput capacities ranging from 1 to 50 liters per hour
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) or luminescence detection for identifying foreign particles that are visually identical to the product and cannot be detected by the human eye or standard cameras alone.

Validation Documentation – for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Insulator Integration – Can be installed in existing insulators or supplied with an insulator

Frequently Asked Questions About PowderSecure

What foreign particles does PowderSecure detect?

PowderSecure detects all foreign particles visible to the camera with a minimum size of 50 µm—including fibers, plastic, metal, and paint particles, as well as hair fragments and organic material. For particles that visually resemble the product, optional near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy or luminescence detection is available.

For which powders and granules is PowderSecure suitable?

PowderSecure was developed specifically for free-flowing powders and granules—particularly for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The system can be adjusted to the respective product throughput and is suitable for both laboratory applications and commercial production under GMP conditions.

Is PowderSecure GMP-compliant and suitable for use in an isolator?

Yes. PowderSecure is designed for use in a pharmaceutical GMP environment—including cleanroom and isolator operations. The system uses food-grade, certified materials and can be supplied with validation documentation as an option.

Additional solutions from the Meliscout Pharma portfolio

360° Camera Inspection of Tablets and Capsules Before Packaging

Type: Meliscout SortSecure

Fully automatically inspects tablets, hard gelatin capsules, and softgel capsules from all sides—at a rate of 30,000 to 100,000 units per hour—as a standalone solution or retrofit.

Learn more about SortSecure

High-Capacity 360° Camera Inspection for Tablets and Capsules

Type: Meliscout TabletSecure

Capacities ranging from 200,000 to 700,000 per hour

Options ranging from advanced camera resolutions to illumination methods and spectral analysis.

Adjustable discharge rate into 2 interchangeable containers (during continuous operation)

Learn more about TabletSecure

Camera Inspection on Counting Machines

Type: Meliscout CountSecure

offers a color camera inspection system for tablets and capsules that is compatible with most standard filling and counting machines—the ideal addition to your quality assurance process.

Learn more about CountSecure