CIPM 2026 Q&A: Centrifugal Granulation vs. Extrusion and the 3-in-1 Granulator

From October 27 to 29, 2026, the 68th China National Pharmaceutical Machinery Expo (CIPM 2026) filled the Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center. At JIANPAI Booth 2-B27 the traffic was steady for three days, but the most useful part of the show was not the crowd. It was the questions. Process engineers and project owners came with very specific doubts, and our team answered them on the spot.

This is the first of two CIPM 2026 Q&A articles. Here we cover the two granulation questions we heard most often: how a centrifugal granulator really differs from extrusion-spheronization, and what the JIANPAI 3-in-1 granulator actually combines. If you could not make it to Xiamen, treat this as your seat at the booth table. (Missed the show recap? Read JIANPAI at CIPM 2026 Xiamen.)

Q1: Centrifugal Granulation vs. Extrusion-Spheronization: What Is the Real Difference?

Customer question: “For pellets, many plants, including ours, have always used an extruder and spheronizer. You use centrifugal granulation. Where exactly is the difference?”

JIANPAI answer: Pellets are a traditional dosage form. In modern industrial production they are usually split by size into regular pellets (larger than 3 mm) and micro-pellets (smaller than 2.5 mm, commonly around 1.5 mm). Before comparing results, it helps to look at how each route builds a sphere.

How the two routes work

• Extrusion-spheronization: the wet mass is forced through a screw and a perforated die plate, where it is compressed and sheared. The extrudate is cut, then rounded on a spheronizer plate.
• Centrifugal granulation: powder or seed cores sit in the chamber and move under centrifugal force, friction and slit airflow. A spray gun atomizes binder into the bed while powder is fed at the same time, so the pellets grow layer by layer into spheres.

Three differences that matter on the production floor

1. Particle morphology. Cut-then-round pellets keep edges and vary in length. Layer-by-layer growth gives high roundness, a dense smooth surface and a narrow size distribution. Downstream coating and capsule filling are most sensitive to roundness and size, so this point directly drives your acceptance rate.
2. Number of steps and containment. The extrusion route needs an extruder and a spheronizer, with a material transfer in between. A centrifugal granulator handles seeding, pelletizing and enlargement in one closed system, with no equipment change. That means fewer process losses and fewer contamination points.
3. Material adaptability. Extrusion is strict about the plasticity and moisture of the wet mass; change the formula and you start tuning again. Centrifugal granulation balances three parameters: spray rate, powder feed and rotor speed. One machine can cover pellet diameters from 0.25 mm micro-pellets up to 12 mm pellets.

The photo above, shared by our process team, shows the difference in one glance: extruded pellets on the left show cracks, seams and flat ends; pellets from JIANPAI centrifugal granulation on the right are round, smooth and uniform. For a production case with timings, see our centrifugal granulator case study: 4 mm pellets in 30 minutes.

Beyond pharma: lithium hydroxide granulation for battery materials

Centrifugal granulation is not limited to pharmaceutical pellets. In a recent trial for the new-energy battery materials sector, a JIANPAI JZB-B centrifugal granulator was used to granulate lithium hydroxide powder. The target was 2-3 mm granules with high strength, uniform size distribution, high sphericity and high yield. The trial was very successful.

Footage from the trial: the centrifugal granulator during the run and the finished granules discharged from the rotor chamber.

Q2: What Does the JIANPAI 3-in-1 Granulator Actually Combine?

Customer question: “What exactly does a 3-in-1 granulator combine? Which three processes? Won’t it end up being mediocre at all three?”

JIANPAI answer: Start with the structure. The lower part is a high-shear granulation unit, the upper part integrates a fluid bed drying unit, and a dry sizing unit is connected in the same chamber flow. Dry mixing, slurry granulation, wet granulation, fluid bed drying and dry sizing run along one continuous path. That lowers equipment cost and cuts material loss and contamination.

Which products can it make?

One machine can produce granules for tableting, granules for sachets (instant granules) and granules for capsule filling.

Is it “mediocre at all three”?

No. The granulation, drying and sizing units can each run independently. The machine can work as a wet granulator, as a fluid bed dryer or as a dry sizing mill. In a production line it can fill one missing step or take over the whole granulation section. For background, see the original 3-in-1 granulator launch article y el 3-in-1 granulator application page.

If you prefer separate machines, JIANPAI also builds stand-alone JHZ-C high shear mixer granulators, JFL fluid bed granulators and dryers y JZL sizing granulators. Our article on standalone machines vs. integrated granulation lines walks through that choice.

Preguntas frecuentes

What pellet sizes can a centrifugal granulator make?

One JIANPAI centrifugal granulator can cover pellet diameters from 0.25 mm micro-pellets up to 12 mm pellets by balancing spray rate, powder feed and rotor speed.

Why are centrifugal pellets rounder than extruded pellets?

Extruded pellets are cut and then rounded, so edges and length differences remain. Centrifugal pellets grow layer by layer, giving high sphericity, a dense smooth surface and a narrow size distribution.

Does centrifugal granulation reduce process steps?

Yes. Seeding, pelletizing and enlargement are done in one closed machine, so there is no transfer between an extruder and a spheronizer.

Can centrifugal granulation be used outside pharma?

Yes. JIANPAI has run a successful lithium hydroxide granulation trial for battery materials, targeting 2-3 mm granules with high strength, uniform size and high sphericity.

What does a 3-in-1 granulator combine?

High-shear wet granulation (bottom), fluid bed drying (top) and dry sizing in one system, covering dry mixing, slurry or wet granulation, drying and sizing in one continuous path.

Can each unit of the 3-in-1 granulator run on its own?

Yes. It can operate as a wet granulator, a fluid bed dryer or a dry sizing machine independently.