Part of a tableting machine which compresses the powder/granules for tableting into the die cavity to form the desired tablet.

• A. Hopper
• B. Die Cavity
• C. Punch
• D. Cam Tracks

Answer: (C)

In tablet compression, the component that actually compresses the powder into the tablet is the punch. The powder sits in the die cavity, and when the press lowers the punch (or punches from both sides), it pushes the granules together with force, forming the tablet in the shape of the die cavity. The hopper’s role is simply to feed powder into the machine, while the die cavity provides the shape for the tablet but does not apply the compressive force by itself. Cam tracks guide the motion of the punches, converting the machine’s rotation into the vertical movement needed to compress. So the punch is the active element that creates the tablet.