In this study, the control of the roll compaction process was analyzed using roll compactors from the companies AlexanderWerk, L.B. Bohle and Gerteis operating with various type of roll surfaces. MCC 101, MCC 102, spray dried mannitol and a 50:50% mixture of MCC 101 and mannitol were used as model materials in order to examine the deviation from a set value and precision of the specific compaction force/hydraulic pressure and gap width. No influence of the type of materials and roll surface was observed on the quality of the recorded data set. The best results for deviation from a set value, precision and settling time of the process data was found in case of the tested Mini-Pactor, while the tested BRC 25 roll compactor provided slightly higher deviations and less precise control in the actual test setting. In case of both roll compactors, the gap width was controlled by a PI-control loop. Due to the lack of any gap control system, the lowest quality of process data was obtained upon compacting with the AlexanderWerk BT120. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.