Step 1: Understanding the Concept.
A tablet press cycle has several named phases, filling, compression, dwell, and ejection, and each term refers to a specific, distinct moment in that cycle.
Step 2: Key Approach.
Focus on what physically happens to the punches at each stage and match that motion, or lack of motion, to the correct term.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
As the punches approach the compression rollers, they move closer together, compressing the powder bed inside the die.
At the point of maximum penetration, the punches briefly stop moving vertically while still under the rollers, holding the compact under peak pressure long enough for the particles to bond, and this pause is what is called dwell time.
Ejection is a separate, later stage where the lower punch rises to push the finished tablet out of the die, which happens away from the compression rollers, not under them.
So descriptions involving punching or ejecting the tablet describe different phases of the cycle, not dwell time itself.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Dwell time is the time the punches stop moving vertically and reach maximum penetration in the die under the primary compression rollers.