How Softgels Are Made: Inside Softgel Manufacturing

Softgels are made by rotary die encapsulation. A gelatin or vegetarian shell is cast into two ribbons, a liquid or oil-based fill is metered between them, and matching dies seal the halves into one airtight capsule. The softgels are then tumble-dried, inspected, and packed. Every run is documented batch by batch under tightly controlled conditions, so you can trace any unit back to its raw materials.

Key facts

• Softgels are sealed in a single step by rotary die encapsulation, with no separate closing operation.
• Shells can be gelatin (bovine or fish) or vegetarian (starch or carrageenan).
• White-label softgels start at 100 units, 1 to 4 weeks; private-label from 500 units, 4 to 8 weeks.
• Drying takes 24 to 72 hours depending on fill and shell.
• Every batch ships with full documentation and a certificate of analysis.

The softgel manufacturing process, step by step

1. Preparing the shell

The shell starts as a molten mass. Gelatin or a vegetarian polymer is combined with a plasticizer such as glycerin and water, then heated and held in a controlled tank. Plasticizer ratio sets how soft or firm the final capsule feels. Colour and opacifier go in here too, which is why a fish oil softgel can be amber while a vitamin D3 unit stays clear.

2. Casting the gelatin ribbons

The molten mass is spread onto cooled drums and cast into two thin, even ribbons, typically 0.7 to 0.9 mm thick. Ribbon thickness is checked continuously because it controls shell strength and seal quality. Thin ribbons leak; thick ribbons swallow and look oversized.

3. Filling and sealing

The two ribbons feed toward a pair of rotating dies. A precision pump meters the fill between them, and the dies press the halves together, cutting and heat-sealing each softgel in one motion. This is the part that surprises people: forming, filling, and sealing happen at the same instant. Fill weight is verified during the run, often to within a few milligrams, so each unit carries the dose on your label.

4. Drying

Fresh softgels hold too much moisture to be stable. They tumble-dry first, then move to drying trays in a climate-controlled room for 24 to 72 hours. Drying pulls the shell down to a target moisture, usually around 6 to 10 percent, which is what makes a softgel firm rather than tacky.

5. Inspection and finishing

Dried softgels are inspected for leaks, air bubbles, shape defects, and seal integrity. Reject rates are tracked per batch. Cleared units can be polished, printed, or sent straight to packaging.

Why choose softgels over capsules or tablets?

Softgels carry oils and fat-soluble actives that powders handle poorly, and the sealed shell masks odour and taste, which matters for fish oil. They also look premium on shelf. If your active is a dry powder or a high-dose mineral, a two-piece capsule or a tablet is usually cheaper per unit. We help you weigh that during formulation. For a side-by-side on dosing and cost, see our supplement format guide.

How long does a softgel run take?

A stocked white-label softgel can be filled, labelled, and shipped inside 1 to 4 weeks. A bespoke fill, where we develop the oil blend and validate fill weight and shell compatibility, runs 4 to 8 weeks. We have built 300 plus formulations over 15 plus years, so most oil systems are already characterised, which keeps validation short. See the full process on our softgel manufacturing page.

Want to test the shell and fill before committing to a run? You can request a sample and hold the actual unit in your hand.

Ready to price a softgel line? Send your fill, dose, and target format and get a 24-hour quote. We will confirm MOQ, lead time, and shell options the same working day.

About the author

Luka Zupan is Production and Quality Lead at Vita Supplements in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He oversees softgel and capsule manufacturing, fill-weight validation, and batch documentation across the company’s EU production lines.

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