SPID compared
SPID® combines the design freedom of 3D printing with industrial-scale tablet production
Conventional multilayer tablet presses produce at very high volumes but restrict layer order, geometry and the combination of high- and low-dose compartments. Most pharmaceutical 3D printing methods offer design freedom but build tablets one at a time or melt the material. SPID® prints hundreds of multi-compartment tablets in parallel from water-based pastes and uses the same process from lab batch to production.
SPID® and other manufacturing methods
Freigabe prüfenWettbewerber namentlich nennen oder nur die Verfahren? Unten mit Beispielen in Klammern
| SPID® 3D screen printing | Multilayer tablet press | Powder-bed 3D printing (binder jetting) | Melt extrusion 3D printing | Nozzle-based printing for pharmacies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principle | Paste printed through a screen, layer by layer | Powder compressed in dies | Powder layers bound with a liquid | Molten material deposited layer by layer | Filament or semi-solid paste extruded through a nozzle |
| Heat during printing | No | No | No | Yes | Depends on method |
| Separate compartments in any order | Yes | Limited; layer order depends on powder properties | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Units per cycle | Hundreds in parallel | Very high | Many | Several | One to a few |
| Scale-up | Same process from lab to production | Industry standard | Commercial production | Industrial | Designed for small, personalized batches |
| Example | LaxxonFreigabe prüfenWettbewerber namentlich nennen? | Standard industry | Aprecia (ZipDose®) | Triastek (MED™) | FabRx |
An independent industry overview names SPID® and melt extrusion deposition as the most promising pharmaceutical 3D printing methods for high-volume production, while noting that none yet matches the output of conventional tablet compression (3DHeals).
SPID® versus multilayer tablet compression
Freigabe prüfenGegenüberstellung aus internen Präsentationen (APV-Seminar 11/2025, SPID-Deck 10/2026)
| Challenge in multilayer compression | How SPID® handles it |
|---|---|
| Bilayer and trilayer tablets often need different machines | Any number and layout of compartments on the same equipment |
| Layer order depends on flowability and compressibility; the heaviest layer usually comes first | Layer order and thickness can be chosen freely |
| Powder carry-over can contaminate neighbouring layers | Screen and paste are changed between compartments, so they do not mix |
| Dust at high feeder speeds, critical for potent drugs | Powders are wetted in the paste, so printing produces no dust |
| Combining high-dose and low-dose layers is difficult | Each compartment can have any thickness |
| Tablet-in-tablet designs are hard to produce | Tablet-in-tablet designs can be printed |
| Poorly flowing or poorly compressible materials limit formulation | Materials are processed as a paste, independent of flow or compressibility |
What protects SPID®
- 01
Exclusive rights. Laxxon has held the exclusive worldwide license to the underlying 3D screen printing technology for pharmaceutical use since 2017.
- 02
Its own patents. Laxxon holds patents on SPID® drug delivery systems, including the sequential release of several active ingredients (US 11,419,824 B2). Together with the licensed Exentis IP, the portfolio comprises 230 patents and patent applications.Freigabe prüfenaktuelle Zahl
- 03
Product-level protection. Every formulation developed with SPID® is a new product that can be patented in its own right.
- 04
Combination in one process. Compartments, different release profiles and enteric polymers are built into the tablet in a single printing process, without separate coating steps.
- 05
Industrial readiness. GMP printing systems are installed at a contract manufacturer, and the process is the same from R&D to production.
Last updated: PlatzhalterDatumReviewed by: PlatzhalterName, Funktion