A system for coating to tablets or other articles includes an elongate pan for retaining a bed of articles, a coating discharge system comprising a plurality of individually-controlled spray zones located linearly along said pan, and a means for distributing said articles along the pan wherein the full surface of all of said articles is exposed to said spray. A controller is programmed to operate the system to initiate a batch mode start-up sequence to coat an initial load of articles, a continuous, or a shut-down sequence, by controlling the dispensing of coating fluid on a zonal basis, and optionally controlling the distribution of articles in the pan and their discharge by controlling the effective height of a weir and the degree of tilt of the system.
