SEM-250-IIIA (SERVO) Softgel Encapsulation Machine
Full servo drive, 20 plungers, up to 259,200 capsules an hour
You’re running an older encapsulator and the seam quality drifts as the shift goes on. This machine replaces mechanical linkages with independent servo motors on the left and right spindles and on the filling pump. Die roll speed reaches 7 RPM — the fastest we supply — and filling holds ±0.5% on oils.
1.Output: up to 259,200 capsules an hour at 3# oval
2.Filling accuracy: ±0.5% on oils, ±1.5% on suspensions
3.Die roll: Φ150 × 250 mm at 7 RPM, the fastest in our range
4.Power: 12 kW, 380 V / 60 Hz / 3-phase, built to your local supply
Is this the right machine for you?
✓ Yes, if…
- You need more than 150,000 capsules an hour
- You run several capsule shapes and want settings recalled rather than re-tuned
- Your fill is a clean oil where ±0.5% is worth paying for
- You already have drying capacity for this output, or you're buying it with the machine
✕ Buy something else if…
- You need under 120,000 an hour → the SEM-250-II runs the same 20 plungers and the same die roll at 5 RPM, for less
- You run one product and never change shape → the servo recipe recall is what you're paying extra for. If you don't change, you won't use it
- Your fill is a suspension → both machines hold ±1.5% on suspensions. The servo advantage is on oils
- You haven't sized your drying → an encapsulator at 7 RPM produces more than most plants can dry
Technical specification
Feature | SEM-250-IIIA (SERVO) Specifications |
Drive System | Full Servo Control (Independent Motors) |
Die Roll Size | Φ150 × 250 mm |
Max Output | Up to 450,000+ pcs/h (Size 8 Oval) |
Filling Accuracy | ±1.0% |
Plunger Quantity | 20 Plungers |
HMI System | 12-inch Smart Touchscreen |
Machine Weight | 1,950 kg |
Power Supply | 380 V / 60 Hz / 3 Ph (Customizable) |
Model comparison
Capsule size | SEM-100II | SEM-120-III | SEM-250-II | SEM-250-IIIA |
3# oval | 30,240 | 115,200 | 172,800 | 259,200 |
6# oval | 24,000 | 68,400 | 127,680 | 191,520 |
8# oval | 22,800 | 63,000 | 120,960 | 181,400 |
10# oval | 17,280 | 51,000 | 106,080 | 159,120 |
14# oval | 15,360 | 48,000 | 92,160 | 138,240 |
20# oval | 10,800 | 34,800 | 69,600 | 104,400 |
8# oblong | 18,240 | 49,200 | 109,200 | 163,800 |
10# oblong | 15,120 | 45,600 | 82,080 | 123,120 |
16# oblong | 13,680 | 32,400 | 69,120 | 103,680 |
20# oblong | 8,160 | 30,600 | 57,120 | 85,680 |
5# round | 24,480 | 79,200 | 158,400 | 237,600 |
10# round | 20,160 | 63,000 | 122,400 | 183,600 |
40# round | 5,760 | 27,600 | 66,240 | 99,360 |
Output depends on capsule size more than on anything else. A 3# oval and a 40# round come off the same machine at roughly a four-to-one ratio. Tell us your size and shape and we’ll give you the number for your product, not the headline one.
Intelligent Full Servo Synchronization
The SEM-250-IIIA eliminates the noise and wear of chains and gears. Every critical movement—die roll rotation, injection timing, and pump strokes—is digitally locked via high-speed servo controllers, ensuring the machine stays in perfect “tune” even after years of 24/7 operation.
Servo Filling, ±0.5% on Oils
For high-value APIs and concentrated nutrients, precision is profit. The servo-controlled 20-plunger injection pump offers micro-adjustment capabilities during live production, maintaining a strict ±0.5% tolerance that surpasses mechanical industry standards.
Optimized Large-Format Die Roll System
The extended 250mm die roll length maximized the number of cavities per mold. Combined with the servo motor’s high torque, this machine maintains consistent seam pressure at higher RPMs, delivering massive output without compromising seal integrity.
Digital Gelatin Ribbon Management
Equipped with dual servo-controlled gelatin boxes, the machine automatically adjusts ribbon thickness in real-time. This ensures a perfectly uniform shell and significantly reduces gelatin waste during startup and long-running batches.
Recipe Recall Between Shapes
Shift production between complex shapes or different formulations in minutes. The intelligent HMI stores detailed digital profiles of all settings, making the SEM-250-IIIA the most flexible high-capacity machine for contract manufacturers (CMO).
Water-Bath Heated Injection Wedge
The injector is heated by a water bath rather than by heating elements. Element heating gives you hot spots and cold spots along the wedge, and that shows up as uneven seams and inconsistent shell thickness. A water bath holds the whole wedge at one temperature.
Applications & Industries
What changing over involves
Swapping the mold is physical work. Recalling the settings is not
What changed | What you adjust | Roughly |
Same shape, new batch | Nothing on the machine | — |
Different fill, same shape | Injection timing and wedge temperature | 15-30 Mins |
Different capsule shape | Die rolls and injection pump swap, then recalibrate | 15-30 Mins |
Gelatin → vegan shell | Not a changeover. That’s a build configuration | — |
On the servo models, once a product is dialled in, speed, temperature, injection timing and ribbon thickness are stored as a digital profile. The mold still has to be swapped by hand — what you save is the recalibration afterwards.
Custom die rolls for a new shape take 2 to 3 weeks to machine and test.
What to check before you buy
Filling accuracy, and on which fill
Oil and suspension don't hold the same tolerance — ours are ±0.5% and ±1.5%. Ask any supplier which number applies to your product, and ask how it's verified at the factory acceptance test. A single headline figure usually means nobody has asked.
The manual
A clear English manual gets your operator running in a week instead of a month. Ask to see a sample page before you order.
Installation and training
One engineer to your plant, three to four weeks. Travel and on-site costs are quoted separately. Installation isn't free anywhere — it's either a line item or it's inside the machine price. We quote it as a line item so you can see it.
Why Choose AIPAK？
We Size the Whole Line, Not Just the Encapsulator
An encapsulator running at full speed produces more capsules than most buyers expect to dry. A Φ1000 tumbler line needs 16 to 18 sections to support 24-hour production, not the 10 that cover a single shift. We calculate your drying, gelatin melting and inspection capacity alongside the machine — before you order, not after.
Formulation Decides Configuration
Vegan shells need a different wedge, a different spreader box and a heated cooling drum. High-viscosity fills need a colloid mill upstream. Suspension products hold a different filling tolerance than oils. Tell us what you are encapsulating and we will specify around it, rather than sending a standard machine and hoping it fits.
Factory-Direct Engineering
You work with the engineers who build the machine. Mould shapes, feeder configurations and line layouts are a conversation, not a change order passed down a chain. Two years of spare parts and on-site installation and training are included.
Lead Time and Support
1-3months from order, confirmed in writing. Spare parts held at the factory. One engineer on site for installation and operator training.
Frequently Asked Questions (SEM-250-IIIA SERVO)
Beyond speed, the biggest benefit is Material Yield. Due to the precision of the servo-driven injection pump (±0.5%) and the digital gelatin ribbon thickness control, the machine minimizes overfilling and shell waste.
In mechanical machines, vibration and slight gear backlash can cause uneven pressure on the die rolls. The SEM-250-IIIA (SERVO) uses independent high-torque motors that apply constant, digitally-locked pressure. This ensures a perfectly uniform seam even at maximum speeds of 259,200 capsules/hour, substantially reducing leakers and rejected batches.
Different materials (Bovine, Fish, or Starch-based) require specific tension and temperature settings. On a manual machine, this takes hours of trial and error. On the SEM-250-IIIA, you can store a “Digital Profile” for each formula. Once you swap the physical mold, you simply select the recipe on the HMI, and the servo motors automatically adjust the tension and timing to the exact saved parameters.
The servo system is equipped with an “Electronic Phase-Lock” feature. In the event of an emergency stop, the motors maintain their synchronized position. When the machine is restarted, there is no need for mechanical re-timing, allowing you to resume production almost instantly with minimal loss of product.
±0.5% on clean oils, ±1.5% on suspensions. Those are different numbers because the two behave differently in the plunger. If your fill is a suspension, the servo machine and the mechanical one hold the same tolerance — the servo advantage is on oils and on recipe changeover, not on suspension accuracy.
Yes, but it is a build configuration rather than a software setting. Plant-based shells behave differently from animal gelatin — they need a different thermal profile, and the machine has to be equipped for it: an injection wedge with both water-bath and electric heating, a stainless-steel gelatin supply line, a closed spreader box, inverter-controlled air cooling, and a heated cooling drum. The gelatin melting tank also needs a larger motor and a heavier stirring paddle.
These are specified before the machine is built. Adjusting temperature and tension on the HMI is not enough on its own. If vegan production is part of your plan — now or within a few years — tell us at the quotation stage.
More than most buyers expect. A Φ1000 intelligent tumbler line produces 10 sections in 8 to 10 hours. For 24-hour production you need 16 to 18 sections, not 10. We calculate this alongside the machine before you order — it’s the most common reason a new line runs below its rated output.
Standard shapes — oblong, oval, round — are available from stock. For custom shapes or an embossed logo, allow 2 to 3 weeks for machining and testing.
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