Services

Sometimes it is better for small businesses to outsource. This way they can concentrate on growing the business while a trusted partner takes care of what they are specialists in. This can also save on a large cash outlay.

At LFA we have identified four areas of expertise where we can offer support:

• Formulation Testing Services
• Onsite Installation
• Training and Servicing
• Maintenance and Repairs

Formulation Testing Services

We provide product testing for manufacturers who are running into formulation issues with their tableting ingredients. Our full formulation testing services include the following:

• Individual ingredient tests that include testing each ingredient’s bulk density, tapped bulk density, angle of repose, compressibility index, and Hausner Ratio.
• Use of our VM Lab Mixer along with post-mix tests to mix your ingredients, and after test the mixed formulation's characteristics. We will test the mixed product’s flow, bulk density, tapped bulk density, and angle of repose. We will also send out the product for a mix validation.
• Tablet formulation and tablet testing to inspect the tablet made from your formula and determine its hardness, size and weight, friability and disintegration rate.

The full formulation testing services are for up to 3 ingredients, with an additional cost per additional ingredient. All you need to do is send in your ingredients to us, and our in-house formulation scientist will do the rest of the work.

If you’ve already perfected your formulation, we have another service for you— free proof of concept testing. Send us your finished formulation and we will do the following for you:

• Analyze your formula’s flow.
• Tablet your formulation with our TDP 5 desktop tablet press using standard 8 mm flat-faced, bevel-edge, bisect tooling.
• Analyze your finished tablet and send it back.
• Make recommendations on any changes (for formulations with LFA Machines excipients only).

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact us.

Onsite Installation

We understand that one of the hardest parts of setting up a new business or upgrading a running one can be the installation of the new equipment. LFA is able to offer expert onsite installation on all of its machines, from the most simple desktop press to the High Speed Rotary Tablet Press.

We start the process with a short phone call to assess your needs as a company. We then visit your facilities, or potential facilities, and make notes on access power availability. If necessary, at this point we will make recommendations on any changes you may wish to consider. We will also advise on any problems we foresee. This service is different to Clean Room Consultancy, described above.

On the day of the delivery, our team of engineers will assist you to install your new piece of equipment. They will check that it is PAT tested, wired up, greased and oiled correctly. Finally they will get it started to make sure that it is fully operational, and that you understand how to operate it.

For LFA Tablet Presses to undertake an installation, we have two requirements. Firstly, this service is subject to a site survey to ensure that the task can be completed. Site surveys are charged at £500 ex VAT and travel. The £500 will then be applied as a credit to any subsequent order. Secondly, for insurance purposes we are currently only able to offer this to companies with their own Public Liability Insurance. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel get in touch.

Onsite or Offsite Training

Training is critical to any business. If everybody like you had a chance to bring their ideas to the market, there would be a lot more innovation and choice. One of the biggest things holding much of this innovation back is lack of access to training.

We offer a very wide range of free tools, videos and blog articles on our website. However, we know that there can be no replacement for some face-to-face training, and that a few hours of personal tuition can save hundreds of hours in emails and phone calls.

We are able to offer either onsite or offsite training. During this time we will talk you through whatever it is that is holding you back. With onsite training we will travel to you and complete the training at your facility on your machinery. Alternatively, in offsite training you come to us, and we will teach your team on our demonstration models.

If you have brought your press from us then off site training is free for as many of your team that require it. If you have not brought your press from us then offsite training is charged at £150 per hour. We are able to give training on almost any tablet press.

With our onsite training when we come to you this is charged at £150 per hour including travel time and expenses. We are sorry to say that for insurance purposes we are only allowed to offer onsite training to facilities with public liability insurance.

Maintenance, Servicing and Repairs*

Your job is producing products. It is simpler and more cost effective for you to leave the maintenance, servicing and repairs of your machines to us!

We hold a very large range for tablet press parts in stock. This way guaranteeing that we are able to provide you with the fastest possible service. When your machinery is not running it is costing you money and damaging your reputation with suppliers. By entrusting LFA Tablet Presses with the maintenance, servicing and repairs on your tablet press you be be sure that it is getting sorted as fast as is possible.

We are able to offer maintenance, servicing or repairs both onsite and offsite. For onsite, we will travel to you and complete the work at your facility on your machinery. Alternatively, for offsite maintenance, servicing or repairs, you send you machine to us, we will do the necessary work and send it back to you.

Maintenance

Keeping your tablet, pill or pellet press in good working order is important for getting the most out of it. Regular maintenance on your machinery will ensure that you get the longest life possible out of it. In our maintenance checks we will:

• PAT test the machine
• Degrease and clean the entire press
• Apply food grade grease and oil to all of the parts
• Check all of the parts for wear and advise if they need changing

This service is offered at £150 per hour depending on the region. (1-2 hours) We charge for all parts that need replacing.

Service

If your machine is rusty, has not been used for a few years or has been playing up, we can do a full Service. We will complete all of the points covered in a Maintenance check but on top of this we will:

• Inspect and change all brass bearings that are worn
• Change drive belts
• Inspect tooling
• Remove any rust and change or coat parts affected
• Run the machine for a couple of hours to ensure there are no further problems

This Service is offered at £150 per hour. It can take 2-10 hours, depending on the machine and the amount of work needed.

Repairs

We also offer repairs. If you have a specific problem with your press, we are able to help you out. It does not matter if you bought your press from us or not; we are happy to look at the work that you need doing. If your machine has not been bought from us, we are not able to guarantee that we will be able to complete the work. Machine repairs are charged at £150 per hour + parts. We will be able to give you a fairly accurate quote within 10 minutes of seeing the machine.