Abstract
Powder compaction is widely used to manufacture particulate products (e.g. tablets and pellets), in which die filling is a critical stage governing the performance of the powder compaction process and the quality of finished products. In this paper, how the shape and orientation of the die affect powder flow behaviour during die filling is analysed using the discrete element method (DEM), in which powders are treated as a collection of individual particles. Die filling with dies of various shapes and orientation is considered, and die filling performance is evaluated in terms of the mass flow rate and the critical fill speed. It is found that the die filling efficiency during parallel filling into a die of large aspect ratio is generally low. This study also demonstrates that DEM is a useful tool for modelling die filling processes.