Description: An educational visit to ACG Associated Capsules Pvt. Ltd in Shirwal was organized by AIKTC, School of Pharmacy on 4th October, which was an insightful experience for the 29 TY Pharm students. We began our journey from Panvel at 6 AM and arrived at the facility by 9:45 AM. Mr. SD Joag provided an introductory overview of the industry, highlighting its focus on manufacturing of hard gelatin and HPMC capsule shells. Our visit started with breakfast, after which we proceeded to the gowning room, where we donned gowns and caps, following the guidelines displayed on instructional posters. The first stop was the ACG capsules raw material and packaging warehousing area. Here, we learned about the storage and labeling protocols for raw and packaging materials. The colorful labels indicated vital information such as batch numbers, lot numbers, issue dates, expiration dates, retest dates, and storage conditions. Students noted the use of in-house software for digital data management. Students also got an opportunity to visit the manufacturing area where capsule shells were manufactured. Next, we explored the ACG Metalocraft unit, where we observed the process of dye and punches manufacturing from the scratch. They have explained us the physics and mechanics going into machine manufacturing Our tour continued to the Vantage nutrition, where we saw the various steps and parameters involved in processing the nutraceuticals. Formulation related to different capsule in capsule and pelletization technology was highlighted during the visit. Next, we visited ACG APT technologies for getting an elaborate knowledge about the assembly of different spare parts of the capsule manufacturing machine into a single machine. The visit also covered the printing processes utilized in capsule manufacturing. We gained insights into the sampling procedures for In-Process Quality Control (IPQC) testing and the analytical techniques employed. The visit concluded with a brief feedback session, leaving us with a comprehensive understanding of the operations and quality control in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Overall, it was an enriching experience that deepened our knowledge and appreciation for the field.
