What Tablet Pressing Can and Cannot Do in Food Supplement Manufacturing
Tablet pressing is often perceived as a universal solution: if a product exists as a powder, it should be possible to press it into a tablet. In practice, this assumption leads to many delayed, reworked or abandoned tablet projects.
From a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) perspective, tablet pressing is a powerful but bounded process. It can solve certain formulation and production challenges very well, but it also has clear limits that cannot be overcome by force, tooling or optimisation alone.
This article explains what tablet pressing can realistically do—and what it cannot— in food supplement manufacturing, based on manufacturing logic rather than theoretical capability.
From a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) perspective, tablet pressing is a powerful but bounded process. It can solve certain formulation and production challenges very well, but it also has clear limits that cannot be overcome by force, tooling or optimisation alone.
This article explains what tablet pressing can realistically do—and what it cannot— in food supplement manufacturing, based on manufacturing logic rather than theoretical capability.
What tablet pressing does well
Tablet pressing is highly effective when formulation, dosage and expectations are aligned with the process.
At its core, tablet pressing excels at transforming processable powder blends into solid, repeatable dosage units that can be manufactured, packaged and distributed at scale. When a formulation is suitable, tablets offer unmatched advantages in terms of cost efficiency, logistics and long-term production stability.
Tablets perform particularly well when:
Tablets perform particularly well when:
- daily dosages are moderate
- ingredients compress or can be supported by excipients
- high-volume production is planned
- consistency between batches is critical
What tablet pressing cannot fix
One of the most common misconceptions is that tablet pressing can compensate for fundamental formulation problems. In reality, compression is not a corrective tool.
Tablet pressing cannot:
Tablet pressing cannot:
make poorly compressible ingredients
behave well
eliminate
he need for excipients
override
physical properties of raw materials
turn unstable blends
into robust products
If a formulation is inherently brittle, elastic, hygroscopic or abrasive, pressing harder or changing parameters will not resolve the root issue. At best, it may produce tablets that appear acceptable in the short term but fail during packaging or scale-up.
The myth of “just increase compression force”
Increasing compression force is often seen as a universal fix for weak tablets. In practice, this approach frequently creates new problems rather than solving existing ones.
Excessive force may:
- increase capping or lamination risk
- negatively affect disintegration
- amplify internal stress within the tablet
- reduce long-term stability
Tablet pressing and dosage limits
Tablet pressing does not define dosage limits independently.
- Dosage feasibility emerges from the interaction between:
- ingredient density
- excipient requirements
- tablet geometry
- user acceptance
- As dosage increases, tablets must grow in size, thickness or both. Beyond a certain point, tablets become difficult to swallow, fragile during handling or inefficient to package
Tablet pressing process
What tablet pressing cannot simplify
Some project expectations assume that tablet pressing will simplify production. In many cases, the opposite is true.
Tablet pressing does not:
Tablet pressing does not:
- reduce formulation complexity
- eliminate regulatory constraints
- remove the need for quality testing
- shorten development timelines for complex products
- Compared to capsules, tablet manufacturing often requires more upfront work, not less. The benefit comes later, through scalability and cost efficiency—not instant sim
Where tablet pressing adds complexity
Tablet projects often become complex when:
- formulations contain multiple actives
- ingredient variability is high
- size limits are aggressively pushed
- coating or special packaging is required
- In such cases, tablet pressing becomes part of a system, where formulation, coating, packaging and quality control must all align. Pressing alone cannot carry the project.
What tablet pressing enables when used correctly
When expectations are realistic, tablet pressing enables:
- consistent unit dosing
- efficient large-scale production
- compact packaging and logistics
- long shelf life under proper conditions
- These advantages explain why tablets remain the dominant dosage form for many supplement categories despite their development comple
When tablet pressing is the wrong choice
Tablet pressing may not be the optimal solution when:
- dosages are extremely high
- ingredients resist compression
- rapid market entry is critical
- flexibility outweighs scale
- In these cases, capsules, powders or split dosing strategies often provide better outcom
Tablet pressing is powerful—but not unlimited
Tablet pressing is one of the most efficient manufacturing processes available for food supplements. However, it operates within clear physical, functional and practical boundaries.
Understanding what tablet pressing can and cannot do helps brands:
Understanding what tablet pressing can and cannot do helps brands:
- avoid unrealistic product concepts
- reduce development delays
- choose the right dosage form early
FAQ: Limits of Tablet Pressing in Food Supplement Manufacturing
No. Tablet pressing requires powders with suitable flow, compressibility and bonding behaviour. Many ingredients, such as certain amino acids or botanical extracts, cannot be reliably pressed without formulation adjustments and excipients.
No. Tablet pressing cannot correct fundamental formulation issues. Increasing compression force or adjusting press settings cannot override the physical properties of ingredients. Stable tablet production depends on formulation design, not mechanical force alone.
Scale-up increases production speed, handling stress and process variability. Tablets that appear acceptable in pilot runs may fail under commercial conditions if formulation margins are too narrow or expectations are pushed beyond practical limits.
In most cases, no. Tablet manufacturing usually requires more upfront formulation and process optimisation than capsules. The benefit of tablet pressing lies in scalability and cost efficiency at higher volumes, not faster initial development.
Tablet pressing may not be suitable when dosages are very high, ingredients resist compression, or rapid market entry and flexibility are priorities. In such cases, alternative dosage forms such as capsules or powders may offer more reliable outcomes.