Segregation in multi-ingredient blends
Fine and coarse particles separate in transit, so one capsule carries more of an ingredient than the next.
Nutraceutical manufacturing
Nutraceutical powder processing equipment
LCI builds nutraceutical powder processing equipment that turns supplement powders into round pellets and dense granules. Our extruders, Marumerizer spheronizers, pellet mills, Circle Feeder® feeders and DOME-EX systems give you uniform particle size, a tight size distribution, smoother mouthfeel and pellets that run clean through capsule, sachet and stick-pack fillers. Each comes in lab and production scale.
Last Updated: November 2026
Why particle engineering matters
Particle shape and size decide how a supplement fills, flows and feels
Milled nutraceutical powders contain particles of many shapes and sizes. Those particles separate during handling, bridge in hoppers, throw off dust and feel gritty in the mouth. Turning the powder into round pellets of one size fixes these problems at the source, before the product reaches your filling line.
Supplement brands ask for more than a correct label claim. Buyers judge a sprinkle, gummy alternative or stick pack by how it pours and how it feels on the tongue. Contract manufacturers judge it by fill-weight rejects and line stoppages. Particle engineering moves both numbers.
Bridging and ratholing in hoppers
Sticky, fluffy botanical powders arch over the outlet and starve the filler.
Dust and fines
Fines coat equipment, cut yield and add cleaning time between product changeovers.
Chalky or gritty mouthfeel
Irregular particles in sprinkles and direct-to-mouth powders leave a texture that consumers notice.
Why you should choose LCI for Nutraceutical Manufacturing
Built For
Dietary Supplement
cGMP Production
US dietary supplement manufacturers operate under 21 CFR Part 111, the FDA's current good manufacturing practice rule for supplements. LCI designs equipment for cleanability and product protection, with sanitary and cGMP construction options that support your quality system.
- GMP Circle Feeder: clamshell design, 400-grit mirror finish, sanitary clamps and a central vane you remove with one bolt.
- DOME-EX: GMP design, 316SS product-contact parts and quick clamps for fast die removal and cleaning.
- Mass-flow feeding: first-in, first-out discharge with no hold-up, which supports lot traceability.
- Gravimetric control: load cells and loss-in-weight control on Circle Feeder installations.
- Dust and source capture: pair LCI process equipment with Nederman source capture and dust collection for operator protection.
0.5–10.0 mm
Marumerizer sphere diameter range
Marumerizer sphere diameter range
0.3–2.0 mm
TDG-60 granule diameter range
TDG-60 granule diameter range
Up to 25%
Higher apparent bulk density vs. extrudate
Higher apparent bulk density vs. extrudate
10–25 kg/hr
DOME-EX continuous extrusion rate
DOME-EX continuous extrusion rate
50 g
Smallest lab spheronizer batch (Q-120T)
Smallest lab spheronizer batch (Q-120T)
Four results nutraceutical manufacturers get from pellets and granules
Extrusion-spheronization and continuous wet granulation give supplement makers four measurable gains: uniform particle size, a tight particle size distribution, smoother mouthfeel and better packaging performance in capsules, sachets and stick packs.
Particle size uniformity
The extrusion die or screen sets every granule's diameter. The Marumerizer then breaks the extrudate into segments about one diameter long and rounds each into a sphere. You start with two fixed dimensions, so the finished pellets come out close to one size.
- DOME-EX produces micro-granules of uniform diameter and hardness, with more uniform size than mixer or granulator methods.
- Dome dies with 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm holes for fine granules ahead of tableting.
Spheres 0.5–10.0 mm
Granules 0.3–2.0 mm
Tight particle size distribution
A narrow particle size distribution leaves fewer fines and fewer oversize pellets to screen out. LCI's pelleting process delivers narrow distributions with repeatable results from batch to batch, which raises yield on high-value actives.
- Every pellet takes the same coating thickness, which matters for enteric and timed-release coatings.
- Repeatable pelletization from lab trial to full production.
Fewer fines
Higher yield
Smooth mouthfeel
Spheronization gives each pellet a smooth, round surface. Round pellets roll across the tongue in sprinkles, stick packs and chewables, where milled particles feel chalky or gritty. The same smooth surface takes thin-layer coatings that formulators use to mask bitter vitamins, minerals and botanicals.
- Taste-masked sprinkle pellets for consumers who struggle to swallow capsules.
- Matched sphere size keeps texture the same from serving to serving.
Taste masking
Sprinkle formats
Packaging and fill performance
Spheronization removes the sticking and bridging points that slow powder flow, cuts dust and fines, and raises apparent bulk density by up to 25% compared with extruded material. Free-flowing, dense pellets move through capsule fillers, sachet lines and stick-pack machines at a steady rate, so fill weights hold.
- Higher bulk density fits more product per capsule or stick pack.
- Less dust at the filler means cleaner seals and faster changeovers.
Free flow
Low dust
+25% bulk density
Extrusion spheronization
How extrusion-spheronization turns supplement powder into pellets
Extrusion-spheronization is a pelletization process with two shaping stages. An extruder forms the wet powder into cylinders of fixed diameter, then a spheronizer rounds those cylinders into spheres. LCI's extruders and Marumerizer spheronizers come from Fuji Paudal, the inventors of extrusion-spheronization technology.
Feed
A Circle Feeder discharges and meters the powder blend in mass flow, with no bridging or ratholing.
Wet mix
A kneader or high-shear granulator blends powder and liquid into a uniform wet mass. DOME-EX runs this step as a continuous process.
Extrude
The extruder pushes the wet mass through a die or screen to form cylinders of one diameter.
Spheronize
The Marumerizer's spinning friction plate breaks the cylinders into short segments and rounds each into a sphere.
Dry, coat and fill
You dry the pellets, add a functional or taste-masking coat if needed, and send them to capsule, sachet or stick-pack filling.
Supplement manufacturing equipment
Nutraceutical processing equipment from LCI
LCI supplies five powder handling technologies for nutraceutical manufacturing: extruders, Marumerizer spheronizers, flat-die pellet mills, Circle Feeder feeders and the DOME-EX continuous wet granulation system. Each comes in lab scale for formulation work and production scale for commercial output.
Extruders and granulators
Wet extrusion converts wet powders into free-flowing granules. The Basket Granulator™ is the lowest-pressure extruder LCI offers, and the TDG-60's dome die matches the lab-scale MG-55 for predictable scale-up. The Xtruder™ Radial offers a cooling option for temperature-sensitive material.
Lab scale
MG-55 Multi Granulator (0.6–8.0 mm);
BR-150 Basket Granulator;
Benchtop Granulator BTG (KAR-75), 100 g minimum
Production scale
TDG-60 (0.3–2.0 mm);
Twin Dome Granulator™;
Basket Granulator™;
Xtruder™ Radial (0.5–2.0 mm) and Axial (2.0–8.0 mm)
Marumerizer spheronizers
The Marumerizer converts wet extrudate into spheres from 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm. Spheronized pellets have a smooth surface for thin-layer coating, a consistent shape, less dust and fines, better flow and up to 25% higher apparent bulk density than extruded material.
Pellet mills (pelletizers)
Kahl flat-die pellet presses form dense, uniform pellets from 2 mm to 8 mm. Rollers press material through a static die plate, and you set densification by changing the compression distance. The press suits products with high slipping properties and melting points below 40°C. A flat-die press can also pre-compact ingredients ahead of tableting.
Lab scale
Lab pellet press for formulation trials
Production scale
Kahl flat-die pellet presses, including model 14-175; 2–8 mm die plates
Circle Feeder® powder feeders
The Circle Feeder discharges and meters sticky, fluffy, lumpy, flaky and fibrous materials, such as botanical powders and fiber blends. A large round inlet and slow vanes keep material in first-in, first-out mass flow with no bridging, ratholing or segregation. Turndown reaches 20:1.
Lab scale
Bench-top Mini-Feeder;
MicroDischarger MD-120 and MD-180, down to 1 ml per hour
Production scale
Circle Feeder CF-500 to CF-2400 (up to CF-4000);
GMP Circle Feeder CS series
DOME-EX continuous wet granulation
The DOME-EX blends, kneads, extrudes and dries in one continuous line, replacing slow batch granulation in high-shear and fluid bed granulators. Twin screws knead the powder with liquid from a peristaltic pump, then carry it into a vertical dome die that forms fine, dense, cylindrical micro-granules of uniform diameter and hardness.
Use DOME-EX granules for pre-compaction ahead of tablet pressing, or as feed for spheronization.
Lab scale
DOME-EX lab configuration for formulation trials at the LCI Test Center
Production scale
DOME-EX at 10–25 kg/hr; 0.2 and 0.3 mm dome dies; 316SS product-contact parts; PLC/HMI touchscreen
Concentrate botanical extracts and oils without heat damage
Many nutraceutical actives start as liquid extracts that degrade under prolonged heat. LCI thin film and short path evaporators expose the product to heat for a short residence time, so you can concentrate, purify and strip solvents from heat-sensitive extracts before they move to drying, blending or pelletizing.
Thin film and wiped film evaporators
A rotor spreads the product into a thin, turbulent film on a heated wall. Short residence time and narrow residence time distribution protect temperature-sensitive products from foaming, fouling and degradation.
- Purification of botanical extracts and oils
- Solvent stripping from temperature-sensitive products
- Concentration of fermentation broths and protein-laden materials
Short path evaporators
Short path evaporation, also called molecular distillation, runs at vacuum down to 0.001 mbar with an internal condenser. It processes heat-sensitive, high-boiling products such as natural extracts and specialty oils. A lab-scale short path unit supports trials.
Supplement formats
Supplement formats you can build with pellets and granules
Spheronized pellets and extruded granules work in most solid supplement formats: pellet-filled capsules, sprinkle sachets, stick packs, tablets and beadlets. Pellets also let you combine ingredients that react with each other by keeping them in separate pellet populations.
Pellet-filled capsules
Fill hard capsules with coated or uncoated pellets, including enteric-coated and timed-release pellets, or blend several pellet types in one capsule.
Sprinkle sachets
Taste-masked pellets that consumers pour onto soft food. A good fit for people who struggle to swallow capsules or tablets.
Stick packs
Free-flowing, low-dust pellets fill narrow stick packs at steady weights and pour without clumping for direct-to-mouth use.
Tablets and chewables
DOME-EX micro-granules and flat-die pre-compaction prepare ingredients for tablet pressing. Coated pellets can go inside disintegrating tablets.
Beadlets
Small, round beadlets carry actives into blends, fortified foods and premixes, with less segregation than powder.
Multi-ingredient combinations
Pellet incompatible ingredients in separate batches, then combine them in one capsule or sachet so they stay apart until consumption.
Comparison
Spheronized pellets vs. milled powder vs. conventional granules
Spheronized pellets give a narrower particle size distribution, better flow, less dust and a smoother surface than milled powder or granules from high-shear and fluid bed granulators. Milled powder skips the pelletizing step but carries the highest risk of segregation and fill-weight variation.
| Property | Milled powder | Conventional granules | Spheronized pellets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Particle shape | Irregular | Irregular, porous | Round with a smooth surface |
| Particle size distribution | Broad | Moderate to broad | Narrow |
| Flowability | Poor to fair; bridges in hoppers | Fair to good | Good; no sticking or bridging points |
| Dust and fines | High | Moderate | Low |
| Segregation risk in blends | High | Moderate | Low |
| Coating suitability | Poor | Uneven coat thickness | Even thin-layer coating |
| Mouthfeel in sprinkles and stick packs | Chalky or gritty | Rough edges | Smooth |
Qualitative comparison for nutraceutical solid dose. Performance depends on formulation; confirm with a Test Center trial.
LCI Test Center — Charlotte, NC
Test your formulation at the LCI Test Center, then scale up
The LCI Test Center in Charlotte, North Carolina has lab and pilot-scale equipment for nutraceutical trials. LCI's lab extruders and spheronizers produce material representative of full-scale production, so the pellets you approve in the lab match the pellets your production line makes.
Preliminary Evaluation Study: LCI engineers review your formulation and targets and check whether LCI technology fits.
Pilot Plant Test: You attend a pilot run that produces qualification samples, scale-up design data and confirmed operating conditions.
On-site trial or purchase: Lease equipment short-term for trials at your plant, or move straight to a production system.
Common things to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about the Circle Feeder
Most nutraceutical pellet lines combine four steps: a feeder meters the powder, a mixer or kneader wets it, an extruder forces the wet mass through a die or screen, and a spheronizer rounds the extrudate into spheres. LCI supplies each step: Circle Feeder feeders, the DOME-EX kneader-extruder, Fuji Paudal extruders and Marumerizer spheronizers, plus Kahl flat-die pellet mills for dense cylindrical pellets.
Extrusion fixes two dimensions of every particle before spheronization starts: the die sets the diameter, and the spinning plate breaks the extrudate into lengths close to that diameter. Each piece then rounds into a sphere of near-equal size. Milling and high-shear granulation start from random particle sizes, so their output covers a wider size range.
Round pellets with a smooth surface roll across the tongue, where irregular milled particles feel chalky or gritty. Spheronization also gives each pellet a surface suited to thin-layer coating, which formulators use for taste masking. Results depend on the formulation, so LCI recommends a Test Center trial before you commit to a format.
Spheronization removes the sticking and bridging points that slow powder flow, cuts dust and fines, and can raise apparent bulk density by up to 25% compared with extruded material. Free-flowing, uniform pellets move through filling equipment at a steady rate, which helps you hold fill weights in capsules, sachets and stick packs.
Yes. The LCI Test Center in Charlotte, North Carolina runs a Preliminary Evaluation Study to check whether LCI technology fits your formulation, then a Pilot Plant Test that produces qualification samples and scale-up data. You can attend the pilot test. Short-term equipment leases are also available for trials at your own plant.
Yes. LCI thin film evaporators purify botanical extracts and oils and strip solvents from temperature-sensitive products. For high-boiling, heat-sensitive extracts, LCI short path evaporators run at vacuum down to 0.001 mbar with a short residence time.
Talk to a Process Technology Expert Today
Connect with LCI to improve your process and schedule a test.
LCI Corporation
Process Equipment
Thin film evaporation, extrusion-spheronization, wet granulation, drug pelleting, and precision powder feeding. Fully staffed Test Center with scale-up support available in Charlotte, NC.
4433 Chesapeake Dr, Charlotte, NC 28216, USA
