Newsletter_05-2024_EN

EN 05/24 

Innovation as a success 

factor: The Cleanzone 

Award is entering the next 

round

TITLE 

The Cleanzone Award is presented for innovative products or solutions 

in the cleanroom sector. (Source: Messe Frankfurt) 

Innovation as a 

success factor: The 

Cleanzone Award is 

entering the next round 

The Cleanzone Award is firmly established in the industry since 

2012. Companies, research institutions and individuals have 

the opportunity to submit their ideas and innovations in the 

field of cleanroom technology. The award will be presented at 

Cleanzone on 26 September 2024 in Frankfurt. 

The closing date for applications is 1 July 2024. 

Innovations, for example in digitalisation and in the field of artificial intelligence, 

are driving the cleanroom industry while also contributing to 

the sustainability and profitability of companies. Cleanzone showcases 

technical and innovative solutions in this area. With the Cleanzone 

Award, together with Wiley-Verlag and its publication “ReinRaumTechnik“, 

it also supports companies in their endeavours to introduce innovations 

to the market. Submissions can be made for products, ideas and 

innovations that contribute to making clean production processes more 

efficient and sustainable. 

The award is addressed to companies, organisations, scientific institutions 

and individuals worldwide. It recognises pioneering advances 

in automation, sustainability and efficiency in cleanroom technology. A 

high-calibre jury will nominate up to five outstanding concepts, which 

will be presented at Cleanzone. The winner will be chosen by the visitors 

during the trade fair. The award will be presented on 26 September 2024 

at Cleanzone in Frankfurt am Main. The winner will receive a cheque 

for 3,000.00 euros from Cleanzone media partner “ReinRaumTechnik“. 

Submissions can be made from now until 1 July 2024 via the following 

link: www.cleanzone.messefrankfurt.com/award-2024 

The Cleanzone trade fair is targeting decision-makers from all industries 

that maintain or build clean production facilities or are considering 

using cleanroom technology for high product quality in the future 

- from the pharmaceutical industry, medical technology and the food 

industry to microtechnology and the automotive industry. 

Mai 2024 

Dear cleanroom professionals, 

The lounges in Karlsruhe ended a few days ago. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you 

for the many interesting discussions. 

The lounges are not just about learning about 

new cleanroom technologies, they are a place 

to meet people you don‘t see all year round. It is 

a place to meet old acquaintances and to get to 

know new people. It‘s a place where business 

partners meet in person who otherwise only have 

contact by e-mail or telephone throughout the 

year. 

Now we are back at our desks and have put 

together an interesting May newsletter 

with the following articles, among others: 

> Innovation as a success factor: The 

Cleanzone Award is entering the next round 

> New cleanroom laundry opened in 

Burghausen 

> Customized silicon chips from Saxony for 

material characterization of printed 

electronics 

> Currents in climate change 

> Industrial water management: Paving the way 

for new processes, sustainable production 

and site security 

> . . . 

With kind regards 

Reinhold Schuster 

cleanzone 

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH 

Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 D 60327 Frankfurt am Main 

Telefon: +49 69 75756290 Telefax: +49 69 757596290 

eMail: anja.diete@messefrankfurt.com 

Internet: https://cleanzone.messefrankfurt.com 

www.reinraum.de | www.cleanroom-online.com NEWSLETTER | Edition EN 05-2024 

page 2/44

Activation of drugs using ultrasound 

– New Leibniz ScienceCampus 

in Aachen researches innovative 

therapeutic options 

A new research network is being established in Aachen between 

the DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH Aachen 

University Hospital and RWTH Aachen University: In this initiative, 

the so-called Leibniz ScienceCampus „ACTISONO“ (Sonopharmacology 

- Activation of drugs by ultrasound), researchers from 

chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering will develop novel 

technologies for the activation of active pharmaceutical ingredients 

using ultrasound in an innovative project structure. At its meeting on 

March 19, 2024, the Senate of the Leibniz Association voted in favor 

of establishing the first ScienceCampus in Aachen. The researchers 

will initially work together for four years. The total funding amounts 

to around 3.6 million euros. 

The scientists‘ vision and goal is to use ultrasound as an external 

trigger to control the activity of different classes of active substances. 

In this way, they hope to create new possibilities in the treatment of 

diseases such as bacterial infections or liver damage. In the future, 

patients should be able to administer drugs precisely in the regions 

of the body where they are needed in order to minimize side effects. 

„We are delighted to have the opportunity to shape a new interdisciplinary 

field of research through the Leibniz ScienceCampus. 

With our project, we want to train new specialists and contribute to 

the well-being of patients,“ says Professor Andreas Herrmann, spokesperson 

for the Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus and Scientific Director 

of the Leibniz Institute in Aachen. 

In addition to the development of the various chemical-medical 

drug carriers, another important focus is on investigating their safety 

for possible later use in patients. In addition, one project area is dedicated 

to the development of highly specialized ultrasound technology, 

which is required for the project. 

„The new Leibniz ScienceCampus makes an important contribution 

to the pioneering work of transformative medical materials from 

Aachen,“ says Professor Stefan Uhlig, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 

at RWTH Aachen University. Aachen has a long tradition and 

expertise in the development of novel transformative biomedical 

materials, which will also be bundled in a new Cluster of Excellence. 

The mission of the planned Cluster of Excellence „Transformative 

Medical Materials: Design, Production, Translation“ (TransMed- 

Mat) is to usher in a new era of medicine. This is to be made possible 

through the development and application of novel transformative 

biomedical materials. These materials are capable of adapting to biological 

interfaces and interacting with them in the human body. The 

German Research Foundation and the German Council of Science 

and Humanities have now invited Professor Fabian Kiessling and 

Professor Laura De Laporte, as spokespersons of TransMedMat, to 

prepare a corresponding full proposal for funding under the Excellence 

Strategy. The two scientists are also part of the ACTISONO 

research consortium. 

„The Leibniz ScienceCampus ‚Sonopharmacology‘ is an excellent 

fit for the RWTH campus. It not only expresses the networking 

strength of all partners, it also stands for our strategy of focusing 

even more strongly on the life sciences. The fact that we can now 

submit a further cluster application to the Excellence Initiative with 

TransMedMat shows the strengths we have already developed in 

this area and want to build on,“ says Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, Rector 

of RWTH Aachen University. 

Leibniz ScienceCampi enable Leibniz institutions and universities 

to collaborate on specific topics in the sense of a regional partnership. 

The aim is to create networks in order to further develop the 

respective research area and strengthen the scientific environment. 

Leibniz ScienceCampi conduct strategic research, promote interdisciplinarity 

in topics, projects and methods, make the respective 

location visible in the respective subject area and strengthen its research 

profile. 

DWI – Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V. 

D 52074 Aachen 


page 3/44

New cleanroom laundry 

opened in Burghausen 


page 4/44

The full-service provider is once again expanding its laundry network with the construction of the cleanroom laundry in 

Burghausen, Germany, near the Austrian border. Thanks to its geographical location and state-of-the-art, sustainable technology, 

the site will ensure reliable supplies for customers in southern Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe in the future. 

CWS Cleanrooms is a full-service provider and reliable partner for 

contamination control throughout Europe. By providing various services 

for high-quality and clean productions, the company is an important 

part of customer processes. 

In March, a newly built cleanroom laundry in Burghausen, Bavaria, 

commenced operations for the cleanroom textiles and accessories 

service sector. Building this facility marks a major investment 

in resource-saving technologies and the cleanroom growth market. 

Certified work processes and compliance with strict standards governing 

the construction and operation of the cleanroom laundry 

guarantee reliable delivery to customers at the highest level of quality. 

Thanks to its geographical location, the Burghausen site not only 

processes cleanroom garments for customers from Germany, but 

also from Austria and Eastern Europe. 

Focus on sustainable production and optimised logistics 

„We are delighted to be able to open another cleanroom laundry in 

Burghausen, Bavaria. With our investment in the site, we are taking 

an important step for the future. We have created a state-of-the-art 

production facility that guarantees reliability and compliance with 

quality standards. We have also focussed on sustainability right from 

the start: the geographical proximity to our customers in southern 

Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe will make us even better logistically 

and bring us even closer to our customers. This helps us to 

save significant amounts of CO2“, says Markus Schad, CEO of CWS 

Cleanrooms. 

The start of operations went smoothly: „We were able to start 

production on schedule on 19 March. Since then, we have been washing 

under the best conditions here in Burghausen. With the help of 

our modern equipment, we achieve the best possible washing results 

and at the same time work resource-efficiently. For example, we minimise 

our water and electricity consumption with heat converters 

and quick steam generators. We also have a photovoltaic system 

on the roof to generate our own electricity from the sun, as well as 

electric charging stations for cars. With the addition of these washing 

capacities, we will also be able to meet the growing demands of 

our customers in the future“, says Andreas Winkler, site manager in 

Burghausen. 

Facts about the site 

Planning commenced in August 2021 and construction work started 

in spring 2022. 

The cleanroom laundry, designed according to the latest standards, 

is located on an area of approx. 6,000 m² in Burghausen. The 

production hall was constructed in accordance with efficiency building 

standard 40. 

The cleanroom is certified to ISO 5 (in operation). This standard 

specifies the maximum permitted quantity of particles of a certain 

size within a defined space. The building is ISO 9001 certified and 

has also been certified to environmental standard 14001. 

The laundry has a capacity of approx. 20,000 items per day. The 

Burghausen site is the fourth German CWS laundry to process textiles 

and accessories under cleanroom conditions. Other German 

sites are in Reutlingen, Radeburg and Lauterbach. 

CWS Cleanrooms Deutschland GmbH & Co.KG 

Dreieich Plaza 1 A 

D 63303 Dreieich 

Telefon: +49 6103 3091290 

Telefax: +49 6103 309169 

eMail: cleanrooms.de@cws.com 

Internet: http://www.cws.com/reinraum 


page 5/44

Diced OFET substrates from Fraunhofer IPMS. © Fraunhofer IPMS 

OFET substrates from Fraunhofer IPMS as wafer. 

© Fraunhofer IPMS 

Substrates for organic field-effect transistors (OFET) for the development 

of high-tech materials 

Customized silicon chips 

from Saxony for material characterization 

of printed electronics 

How efficient are new materials? Does changing the properties lead to better conductivity? The Fraunhofer Institute for 

Photonic Microsystems IPMS develops and manufactures silicon substrates for this purpose. This enables the fundamental 

electrical characterization of materials such as a novel graphene emulsion. Customized designs enable the optimal measurement 

of semiconductors and conductors. 

Organic semiconductors are key components 

in organic electronics and photovoltaics. 

They are used to make flexible electronic 

devices and printed solar cells. Typical 

OFET substrates from Fraunhofer IPMS in a waffle pack. © Fraunhofer IPMS 

for this class of materials are low temperature 

processes as well as large area deposition 

and patterning using various coating and 

printing techniques. The active semiconductor 

materials significantly determine the 

performance of the entire system. 

Therefore, an easy to handle and reliable 

electronic characterization of conductivity, 

carrier mobility, contact resistance and on/ 

off current ratio of these semiconductors is 

an essential requirement for material and 

process developers. 

Fraunhofer IPMS develops and manufactures 

silicon substrates with single transistor 

structures in bottom-gate architecture, 

which are used for the fabrication of 

organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) or 

for the characterization of electrical material 

parameters of conductive materials, e.g. 

for organic photovoltaics. 

Project Manager Thomas Stoppe explains: 

„Our substrates are already well established 

in R&D at international research 

institutions. We now want to focus more on 


page 6/44

customer-specific solutions and are continuously 

developing the technology to better 

meet the needs of our industrial partners. 

There is a rapidly growing market, especially 

in the field of organic electronics, and 

our substrates enable targeted, simple and 

reproducible measurement of the electrical 

properties of semiconductors and conductive 

materials.“ 

The possibilities for material characterization 

have been demonstrated with recent 

results such as the study of a commercial 

graphene emulsion. These results will be 

presented at the iCampus-Cottbus Conference 

iCCC2024 in Cottbus in May 2024 

and subsequently published in the Journal of 

Sensors and Sensor Systems. 

Already from April 9 to 12, the developed 

chips will be presented at the „analytica“ 

trade fair in Munich. Interested users 

will have the opportunity to talk to experts 

at the Fraunhofer IPMS stand A3.407. Appointments 

can be made in advance via the 

Fraunhofer IPMS website. 

Advantages of 

Fraunhofer IPMS Substrates 

The access to the existing microsystem 

technology of the Fraunhofer IPMS offers 

significant advantages, such as the highprecision 

and reproducible fabrication of 

the chips and the flexible adaptation of the 

technology to the individual requirements 

of the target application. This enables different 

material combinations and customerspecific 

adaptations of electrode structures 

or dielectric thicknesses. As a result, highquality 

gate oxides with layer thicknesses of 

28 nm to 320 nm, which enables extremely 

low gate leakage currents down to the lower 

pA range and thus highly accurate measurements 

are possible. Furthermore, various 

orientations of the transistor structures 

exist on one chip in order to investigate the 

influences of the deposition process. 

Fabrication is performed in a clean room 

on silicon wafers with thermal silicon dioxide 

(SiO2). A patented Indium Tin Oxide 

(ITO) layer acts as a gold adhesion layer, improving 

reliability, precision and reproducibility 

and enabling the use of these substrates 

for comprehensive quality assurance in 

small and large chemical companies. 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Photonische 

Mikrosysteme IPMS 

D 01109 Dresden 

Hovione and GEA announce 

a strategic collaboration to advance 

Continuous Tableting 

Hovione and GEA today announced a strategic collaboration to advance Continuous Tableting. This partnership stemmed 

from a successful customer-supplier relationship spanning several years. It combines GEA´s engineering expertise with 

Hovione´s development and manufacturing experience and both parties commit to partner to accelerate the adoption of 

Continuous Tableting technology. 

The advantages of continuous over batch manufacturing are well 

known. Continuous production systems allow for leaner and risk-reduced 

development paths, leaner supply chains, increased built-in 

quality, and in general, manufacturing processes of greater flexibility 

and reduced complexity. In the context of this strategic collaboration, 

Hovione and GEA will combine their strengths to further advance 

the technology and contribute to the establishment of new 

standards and new levels of market acceptance. 

“Hovione has a track record in industrializing and democratizing 

emerging pharmaceutical technologies, such as amorphous solid 

dispersions by spray drying, and turn them into dependable and 

scalable offerings that are available to all.” Says Jean-Luc Herbeaux, 

CEO of Hovione. He adds “We have been committed to Continuous 

Tableting for the last seven years and we are now ready to contribute 

decisively to the advancement of one of the most promising technologies 

in pharma manufacturing. This collaboration with GEA, gives 

us the opportunity to link up with a leading designer and supplier 

of Continuous Tableting equipment solutions and bring continuous 

tableting to the next levels of reliability, flexibility and adoption.” 

Navin Lakhanpaul, Global Head Pharma-Solid Dosage, GEA, 

adds: “As a leading supplier of process technology, GEA has established 

itself as a trusted solution provider in the pharmaceutical 

industry, and as a pioneer in the development of Continuous Tableting 

technology.” He adds “Our relationship with Hovione over many 

years has clearly demonstrated the value in further collaborating and 

Continuous Tableting at Hovione´s recently opened Facility in Portugal. 

(Photo Hovione) 

developing synergies in our respective areas of expertise. We share 

a common objective of enabling the wider use of Continuous Tableting 

in the Pharmaceutical Industry, and firmly believe that our 

partnership with Hovione will accelerate the growth of this exciting 

technology.“ 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft 

D 40468 Düsseldorf 


page 7/44

Bundling competencies, leveraging synergies 

Integration of the „Microdisplays 

& Sensors“ business unit of Fraunhofer 

FEP into Fraunhofer IPMS 

The Microdisplays and Sensors business unit at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma 

Technology FEP will be integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS with retroactive effect 

from January 1, 2024. Both institutes are closely connected, particularly within this business unit, and share infrastructure 

at the Dresden site. By pooling expertise and streamlining structures, we anticipate the creation of synergies that will 

strengthen the research field, expedite development and thus benefit customers and partners. 

There is rapid development in the market for 

the microdisplays used in augmented reality 

(AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality 

(MR) applications (often collectively referred 

to as XR) and this will be an important 

growth market of the future. The integration 

of OLED and μLED frontplane technologies 

in CMOS backplanes is not only the key to 

success in this sector but also the technological 

basis for near-to-eye visualization of 

information. Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer 

FEP have now decided, in consultation 

with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, to 

integrate the Fraunhofer FEP Microdisplays 

and Sensors business unit into Fraunhofer 

IPMS. Their goal is to leverage synergies in 

the area of infrastructure, pool expertise 

and establish a unique profile for both institutes. 

Fraunhofer IPMS has long been one 

of the leading institutes in microelectronics 

and microsystems engineering. 

Over the past ten years, the Microdisplays 

and Sensors business unit has developed 

into a globally successful and established 

player under the umbrella of Fraunhofer 

FEP. At the current stage of development, 

the transfer to an institute specialized in 

microelectronics offers suitable conditions 

to further develop the business unit. This 

will also allow Fraunhofer FEP, as a processoriented 

institute, to focus even more on 

its expertise in electron beam and plasma 

technology. This transfer provides technological 

solutions for the growing demand in 

the fields of energy, sustainability, life sciences 

and environmental technologies for industry 

and society — now and in the future. 

“By integrating the Fraunhofer FEP Microdisplays 

and Sensors business unit into 

Fraunhofer IPMS, we are pooling our expertise 

and ensuring the best possible use of 

our infrastructure. This will also increase our 

chances to win projects with the Microelectronics 

group. The transfer is a good example 

of the strategic development of a research 

field and the leveraging of synergies across 

institutes,” says Prof. Holger Hanselka, President 

of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “This 

will strengthen the research field and pave 

the way for new technological capabilities in 

the field of microdisplays by leveraging the 

synergies of the existing microelectronics 

infrastructure. The close relationship of the 

institutes at the Dresden site will ensure seamless 

and continuous advancement in this 

field. My special thanks go to all those involved 

for their contributions.” 

Harald Schenk, Director of Fraunhofer 

IPMS, added: “In the future, Fraunhofer 

IPMS will increase its activities in this area 

and focus more on the heterogeneous integration 

of various chiplet technologies in 

conjunction with CMOS microelectronics. 

This future-oriented technology includes 

OLED microdisplay with a resolution of 1440 x 1080 pixels and the world‘s 

smallest pixels of 2.5 micrometers. © Claudia Jacquemin 

the integration of organic semiconductors 

(e.g., OLEDs) and novel emitter technologies 

(e.g., μLEDs), which will open up new 

avenues in micro/optoelectronics and microsystems 

engineering.” 

Elizabeth von Hauff, Director of Fraunhofer 

FEP, said: “The Microdisplays and 

Sensors business unit has played a significant 

role in Fraunhofer FEP’s dynamic development. 

We are proud of this and would 

like to thank our employees and managers 

for their dedication. Transferring to Fraunhofer 

IPMS will open up additional development 

potential for the business unit and 

enable Fraunhofer FEP to focus on strategic 

topics in the field of electron beam and 

plasma technologies.” 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Photonische Mikrosysteme 

IPMS 

D 01109 Dresden 


page 8/44

BTU experiment again in preparation for use in space 

Currents in climate change 

With a unique experiment that can only be carried out in zero gravity, BTU researchers want to investigate the effects of 

global warming on the Earth‘s polar ice caps and the associated changes in air and ocean currents. 

The second phase of the DLR project „AtmoFlow“ started in February 

2024. AtmoFlow refers to the scientific investigation of convective 

flow in a spherical shell system, which is analogous to planetary flow 

fields,“ explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Egbers, who is leading the 

project. The funding period covers three years and a funding amount 

of almost 680,000 euros. 

BTU flow research in space for the third time 

AtmoFlow will be the third time that a space station experiment 

scientifically and technologically coordinated by BTU will fly into 

orbit. The previous experiments GeoFlow I (2008-2009) and Geo- 

Flow II (2011-2018) had already been very successfully prepared and 

carried out from Cottbus. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Egbers, Chair of 

Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at BTU and head of all three 

projects, explains enthusiastically: „This is something very special. 

There is hardly any other German university that has participated in 

so many space station experiments for over 20 years.“ This also includes 

numerous accompanying ground experiments and parabolic 

flights as well as research rocket flights, during which weightlessness 

prevails for short periods of time. The new DLR project will fund 

three additional positions for scientists. 

Miniature Earth on the ISS 

The main objective of the Atmospherical Flow (AtmoFlow) experiment 

is to investigate atmospheric convective flows in the spherical 

gap. Such spherical gap experiments are widely used and of central 

importance in the disciplines of geophysics, astrophysics and especially 

in atmospheric research. The special feature of the BTU technique 

is its spherical geometry in contrast to other frequently planar, 

Cartesian experiments. 

In AtmoFlow, flows in spherical geometry are to be investigated 

under the influence of a central force field („miniature Earth“), which 

are exposed to atmospheric-like boundary conditions. This experimental 

set-up cannot be realized on Earth, as its gravitational field is 

superimposed on the artificial central force field of the model. However, 

under microgravity conditions, i.e. in near weightlessness, the 

model force field can simulate convection - currents that occur in 

the Earth‘s atmosphere, in the oceans or in the magma mantle. 

In parallel and complementary to this, Dr.-Ing. Vadim Travnikov, 

a scientist in Prof. Egbers‘ team, has been developing a hydrodynamic 

CFD model (Computational Fluid Dynamics) since January 

2024 as part of a DFG-funded project. This flow model is intended 

to describe the manifestations and interaction of atmospheric flows 

on Earth. With the help of a stability analysis, the researcher learns 

more about the state of a flow. For example, instability can initiate 

the transition to a turbulent flow, which manifests itself in the 

Airbus, DLR and BTU scientists in the clean room of Airbus Defense 

and Space (ADS) in Friedrichshafen in front of the hardware parts of the 

Atmoflow experiment. From the BTU team: Dr. Peter Szabo (3rd from 

left), Simon Kühne (4th from left), Dr. Vadim Travnikov (6th from left), 

Peter Haun (6th from right), Prof. Christoph Egbers (5th from right) and 

Yann Gaillard-Röpke (4th from right). (Photo: ADS/Dr. Astrid Adrian) 

Earth‘s atmosphere as a cyclone. „We are interested in how currents 

are changing worldwide with climate change,“ says the scientist. 

„With this knowledge, meteorologists can predict the local climate 

more accurately.“ The results of this research will be incorporated 

into the Atmoflow project to study planetary atmospheric currents 

on the International Space Station (ISS). 

As things stand, the flight to the ISS is planned for 2026 or 2027 

The aim of the BTU project is to establish a simulation model that 

calculates atmospheric convection processes based on data from 

the spherical model. By changing the boundary conditions - such as 

higher temperatures at the North and South Poles - this model can 

also be used to simulate the effects of climate change on flow processes 

and estimate possible consequences. The team continues to 

consist of Dr Peter Szabo, M.Sc. Peter Haun, M.Sc. Yaraslau Sliavin 

and M.Sc. Yann Gaillard-Röpke. 

Background 

Russia, the USA, Japan and Europe will continue to jointly operate 

the ISS and its research modules until at least 2030. 40-50 experiments 

from various disciplines and institutions from Germany alone 

are running in the weightlessness of the space station. 

Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg 

D 03046 Cottbus 


page 9/44

The TETRISC SoC demonstrator presented in Kaiserslautern with the developed test chip in the centre. © IHP 2024/Franziska Wegner 

Scale4Edge enters second project phase: 

Fault-tolerant system presented 

at the kick-off meeting 

Future-proof specialised processors for 

technology sovereignty in Germany were 

on the agenda of the joint event of the KI- 

Mobil, KI-Power and Scale4Edge projects 

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education 

and Research (BMBF). In two phases, development 

platforms for future-proof special 

processors (ZuSE) are being developed 

with a focus on hardware for edge applications 

and AI processors for the automotive 

sector. The kick-off event in Kaiserslautern 

in mid-February heralded the start of the 

second project phase. At the beginning, the 

role of processors in European/German efforts 

to achieve semiconductor sovereignty 

was discussed. The 30 partners involved 

also showcased the results of the first phase. 

Here, IHP - Leibniz Institute for High Performance 

Microelectronics from Frankfurt 

(Oder) presented the TETRIS Soc demonstrator 

for an adaptive and fault-tolerant multi-core 

system. The chip developed on this 

basis has four open-source RISC-V cores 

and is optimised for use in reliability-critical 

environments such as those prevailing in 

aviation or spaceflights. 

The approximately 30 partners in the 

BMBF-ZuSE projects cover a wide range of 

specialised fields and work on problems in 

the automotive and space sectors, amongst 

others. All these applications share innovative 

solutions that fulfil the high requirements 

for powerful electronics, processors 

und computing power. At the same time all 

solutions have to concern energy efficiency, 

reliability, robustness, and security. As a result, 

a lively panel discussion took place at 

the kick-off meeting, including with Mario 

Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary 

of the BMBF, and the three project coordinators, 

as well as among the participants. 

During the subsequent exchange, IHP project 

manager Dr Markus Ulbricht answered 

questions about the TETRISC SoC demonstrator. 

„In the first phase of the Scale4Edge project, 

we focussed primarily on the design of 

the fault-tolerant system with RISC-V cores. 

The resulting test chip, which is also used 

in the demonstrator shown, has three sensors 

that check the temperature, the ageing 

process and the radiation exposure. On this 

basis, the system can adapt in real time to 

these parameters, which are very critical 

for reliability and can vary greatly in some 

instances. The cores can adaptively redistribute 

their power load among each other 

and thus avoid excessive heat development, 

which prevents damage to the system. In the 

event of increased radiation or strong ageing 

Dr Markus Ulbricht presented the IHP 

results of the first project phase of Scale4Edge 

at the kick-off meeting in Kaiserslautern. 

© edacentrum GmbH 2024/Andreas Vörg 

effects, they work redundantly so that a reliable 

result is always available via a majority 

decision,“ explains Dr Markus Ulbricht. 

„With our first test version, we primarily 

learnt how to design the system and where 

potential weaknesses lie. It was also used to 

characterise the power consumption and 

maximum clock frequency,“ he adds. 

In the second phase, the developed chip 

is further optimised and, as a final step, subjected 

to an irradiation test. Additionally, 

the IHP team not only wants to rely more 


page 10/44

heavily on open source system blocks, but 

also implement the design as far as possible 

with open source tools and make the entire 

fault-tolerant system available. The second 

phase of the Scale4Edge project will run until 

the end of December 2025. 

About Open Source: 

Open source refers freely accessible software, 

hardware and methodologies. The 

sources can be freely viewed, used, modified 

and distributed. The community defines 

standards and formats for further development. 

One well-known example is the open 

source operating system Linux, which has 

been an alternative to Windows and MacOS 

since the 1990s and is used in high-performance, 

professional applications. Without 

licence fees and dependencies, open source 

also provides universities and their students, 

as well as SMEs, with low-threshold 

access to these technical solutions. 

IHP designs and develops open source 

solutions in the field of microelectronics. 

Via the GitHub repository, IHP provides 

access to an Open-Source-PDK for the 

institute‘s SG13G2 BiCMOS technology, 

which can be used to create designs for production 

in the IHP clean room. 

For microelectronic systems, the open 

source approach is an important component 

for realising trustworthy electronics 

and ensuring the technological sovereignty 

of Germany and Europe. IHP and its research 

contribute significantly to this. 

IHP GmbH 

D 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) 

Reducing impact of agar desiccation 

Desiccation of media is the biggest issue facing operators when exposing 

settle plates in high airflow environments, such as laminar 

airflow cabinets or class II microbiology safety cabinets and isolators. 

This desiccation occurs during the maximum recommended 

exposure time of four hours. 

Agar plates drying out in incubators can have a significant impact 

on their performance. It’s important the agar doesn’t shrink 

from the edge of the Petri dish or crack during exposure. This ensures 

the maximum surface area is constantly exposed to the environment, 

and that the agar is able to show good recovery of regular test 

organisms, both post exposure and post incubation.1 

Operating environment and media formulation 

If there’s excessive shrinkage even in deep-filled plates, it’s possible 

there are issues with the operating environment: the airflow may be 

too high, or the air too warm, for example – also known as the hair 

dryer effect. If the operating environment can’t be changed, then the 

settle plates may need to be replaced every couple of hours, rather 

than waiting the full four hours. 

Sometimes the agar cracks down the middle as it shrinks. This 

can happen with irradiated media containing disinfectant neutralisers, 

particularly in high-airflow environments. In such circumstances 

it might be necessary to reconsider the use of neutralisers in 

settle plates. Neutralisers are necessary in Petri dishes when used 

as glove dabs or streaking swabs, but their necessity in media for 

passive air sampling is debateable. 

Choosing appropriate media fill volume 

While desiccation of agar will occur, the greater water content of a deeper 

fill volume means this takes longer, and also reduces the likelihood 

of cracking. Cherwell’s Redipor range of irradiated agar is available in 

several fill volumes to meet the needs of the working environment: 

– 18ml: standard fill volume for 90mm petri dishes 

– 27ml: deep-fill equivalent, and the most popular for 

high-airflow environments 

– 32ml: extra-deep fill; for use in environments where 

dehydration is a real problem 

Hopefully the above is good advice for helping you choose the 

appropriate fill volume and formulation for your requirements. If you 

have any further queries or comments, we’re happy to assist. 

Cherwell Laboratories Ltd OX26 4XB BICESTER United Kingdom 

Reference 

1. Sandle T. Settle plate exposure under unidirectional airflow and the 

effect of weight loss upon microbial growth. European Journal of Parenteral 

& Pharmaceutical Sciences 2015;20(2):45-50 


page 11/44

SCHOTT TOPPAC® prefillable polymer syringes allow for deep cold storage of drugs at -80°C, enabling administration of mRNA vaccines and other 

biologic therapies. (Picture: SCHOTT) 

SCHOTT Pharma to Expand in the U.S. with 

New Prefillable Syringe Manufacturing 

Facility in Wilson, North Carolina 

– With $371 million investment, new site to add over 400 jobs to the region 

– First U.S. manufacturing facility to fill demand for domestic supply of glass and polymer prefillable syringes 

that deliver mRNA, GLP-1, and other therapies 

SCHOTT Pharma, a pioneer in pharmaceutical drug containment 

solutions and delivery systems, will build the first U.S. facility to manufacture 

prefillable polymer syringes required to meet the need 

for deep-cold storage and transportation of mRNA medications. In 

addition, the site will have the capability to produce glass prefillable 

syringes for GLP-1 therapies, for example to treat diseases such as 

diabetes or obesity. The project will add 401 jobs to the region and 

include a total investment of $371 million, with groundbreaking expected 

by the end of 2024, and projected operations starting in 2027. 

The new site will expand the U.S. supply chain for in-demand 

syringes that deliver lifesaving injectable medicines, vaccines, and 

other fields of applications, allowing SCHOTT Pharma to triple its 

contribution of glass and polymer syringes to the U.S. market by 

2030. Bringing production to the U.S. will reduce lead times and 

slash transportation costs, as well as protect against future shortages 

of critical drugs and ensure pandemic preparedness. 

“As drug manufacturers develop and expand the use of mRNA, 

GLP-1, and other biologic therapies that require precise drug stability 

and storage properties, SCHOTT Pharma will be able to fill those 

orders quickly and efficiently here in the U.S.,” said Andreas Reisse, 

CEO of SCHOTT Pharma. “The impact of this facility will go far beyond 

local job creation in North Carolina and will relieve stress on 

the entire pharmaceutical industry supply chain.” 

The top 30 global pharma companies and more than 1,800 customers 

rely on SCHOTT Pharma containers and systems, including 

the U.S. and global leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotech categories. 

Many of these companies have designated SCHOTT Pharma 

Rendering of new planned 

SCHOTT Pharma manufacturing 

facility in Wilson, North Carolina. 

Many of the US-based pharmaceutical 

companies use SCHOTT 

syriQ® prefillable glass syringes 

as a leading choice for vaccines, 

biologics, and GLP-1 medications. 

(Picture: SCHOTT) 

as a critical supplier of one or more of the most essential components 

within their supply chain. On average, more than 25,000 injections 

per minute are provided to patients worldwide through a 

product produced by SCHOTT Pharma. 

“Wilson County stood out in a nationwide search for a number 

of reasons, particularly for its favorable pool of local talent and 

its proximity to the Research Triangle area, which hosts numerous 

universities, healthcare companies, and biopharma resources,” said 

Christopher Cassidy, President of SCHOTT North America. “Expanding 

operations in the U.S. addresses rapidly growing demand for 

our high-value solutions.” 

“North Carolina’s pro-growth and low-tax policies, along with 


page 12/44

the $40 million investment in the new biologics training facility at 

Wilson Community College, are paying off for Wilson County and 

the BioPharma Crescent,” said North Carolina Senator Buck Newton. 

“SCHOTT Pharma’s $371 million capital investment and 401 

high-wage jobs will strengthen our local economy. We look forward 

to a long and successful future for them here in Wilson. 

For over two decades, SCHOTT Pharma has been manufacturing 

vials at its Lebanon, PA, facility, serving as a reliable partner for 

the pharmaceutical industry. Being that the U.S. is a key strategic 

market for the entire SCHOTT Group, the company underwent a nationwide 

site selection process for a campus-like property to serve 

further growth opportunities. While SCHOTT is not guaranteeing 

additional investment to support other markets at this time, the site 

in Wilson, North Carolina offers the possibility of future expansion. 

The project location is contingent on final real estate negotiations. 

SCHOTT Pharma partnered with several organizations 

throughout the project, including the North Carolina Department 

of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North 

Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina 

Community College System, Commerce’s Division of Workforce 

Solutions, Wilson County, the City of Wilson, the Wilson Economic 

Development Council, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 

and the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center at North 

Carolina State University. 

SCHOTT Pharma AG & Co. KGaA 

D 55122 Mainz 

Merck Invests More than 

€ 300 Million in New Life Science 

Production Site in Korea 

– Site to supply products to customers for development and production of biologics 

– New Bioprocessing Production Center in Daejeon strengthens footprint of Merck in fast-growing Asia-Pacific region 

– Investment to create up to 300 additional jobs 

cutive Board of Merck and CEO Life Science. 

“Expanding our presence in the region 

will bring us even closer to our customers in 

this evolving and dynamic market. Our goal 

is to foster deep collaboration to increase 

the speed in bringing new therapies to patients.” 

The facility will support biotechnology 

and pharmaceutical companies in process 

development, clinical research and commercial 

manufacturing of biologics. Biologics 

are derived from large and complex 

biological compounds and include products 

like vaccines, cell and gene therapies, or 

protein-based therapies, such as monoclonal 

antibodies. They are one of the fastest- 

Merck invests more than € 300 million into 

a new Bioprocessing Production Center in 

Daejeon, South Korea. The new site is the 

largest investment by Merck‘s Life Science 

business sector in Asia-Pacific to date and 

demonstrates the company’s commitment 

to expanding its capacities in the fast-growing 

region. Merck expects the investment 

to create approximately 300 additional jobs 

by the end of 2028. 

“The Asia-Pacific region is home to a 

large number of institutions that conduct 

leading-edge and innovative research, manufacturing 

and services in areas such as 

biotechnology, mRNA and gene therapy,” 

said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Exegrowing 

class of drugs. 

Merck’s new Bioprocessing Production 

Center will provide essential biotech products 

such as dry powder cell culture media, 

process liquids, pre-GMP small-scale manufacturing 

and sterile sampling systems. 

Covering an area of 43,000 square meters, 

the facility will include advanced production 

capacities, a distribution center and an 

automated warehouse. 

Established in 1989, Merck Korea has 

been consistently driving dynamic growth 

of the science and technology industries 

with more than 1,700 employees across Life 

Science, Healthcare and Electronics. Merck 

Korea encompasses 13 sites in production 

and R&D including the M Lab Collaboration 

Center in Songdo, Incheon which serves 

biopharmaceutical companies in the region. 

Merck’s new site in South Korea is part 

of a multi-year investment program. It aims 

to increase the capacity and capabilities of 

Merck’s Life Science business sector to support 

the growing global demand for critical 

drugs and to make significant contributions 

to public health. Since 2020, Merck has announced 

industrial capacity and capabilities 

expansion projects in Life Science throughout 

Europe, China, and the United States, 

of more than € 2 billion. 

Merck KGaA 

D 64293 Darmstadt 


page 13/44

The new energy recovery system (ERS) reduces the thermal energy consumption of 

Romaco Tecpharm’s tablet coaters by up to 50%. (Picture: Romaco Group) 

New energy recovery system (ERS) 

from Romaco Tecpharm. 

(Picture: Romaco Group) 

New energy recovery system for tablet coaters 

Up to 50% less steam energy consumption 

Romaco Tecpharm has developed a new energy recovery system (ERS) for tablet coaters. This innovative technology reduces 

thermal energy consumption (steam, hot water, oil or electricity) by up to 50%. Moreover, the temperature of the outlet 

air is significantly lower. An integrated energy monitor measures all consumption in real time and determines the precise 

energy saving potential. 

Romaco Tecpharm’s new energy recovery system (ERS) enables up 

to 50% savings in thermal energy consumption during tablet coating. 

The technology is based on the recovery of waste heat generated 

during the coating process. A cross-flow plate heat exchanger 

is integrated into the tablet coater’s air handling unit (AHU) for this 

purpose. The inlet and outlet air flows in this recuperative system 

cross in opposite directions without coming into contact. To achieve 

this, the process air flows via separate air ducts which pass through 

the orthogonal plates of the ERS. The thermal energy is transmitted 

through these plates, whose rectangular shape guarantees homogeneous 

and efficient heat exchange. This innovative form of energy 

recovery for tablet coaters is protected by a utility model. 

An end to waste 

The coating process gives rise to intensive energy consumption because 

the tablets have to be sprayed with liquid coating suspension 

and dried in parallel. In order to dry the tablet bed, very hot and dry 

air introduced into the coater drum is guided through it. This causes 

the coating liquid to evaporate on the surface of the tablets, which 

are simultaneously coated with the solid particles in the coating suspension. 

However, the temperature of the air saturated with steam drops 

only slightly at this point. This minor temperature loss inside the 

drum occurs due to the poor thermal conductivity of the tablets. Very 

warm, energy-laden air flows out continuously as a result throughout 

the coating process. In most cases, this thermal energy simply goes 

to waste. For the first time, the energy recovery system developed 

by Romaco Tecpharm will put an end to intrinsic waste of this kind. 

Energy saving in practice (case study) 

In the following case study, the high-energy outlet air is not merely 

discharged and wasted, but recirculated at a temperature of 45 to 

50°C via the plate heat exchanger of the ERS, where it heats the inlet 

air. 

Before flowing through the energy recovery system, the fresh inlet 

air first of all has to be dried by being cooled down to about 10°C 

by a cooling coil, resulting in condensation. With a residual moisture 

content of about 8 g/kg, the inlet air now passes through the orthogonal 

heat exchanger, where it is heated to between 35 and 40°C. It 

is then heated further until it reaches the process temperature (approximately 

70°C in this example). Thanks to the integrated energy 

recovery system, the temperature difference to be overcome here 

is only about 30°C; without an ERS, the difference would be in the 

region of 60°C, in other words twice as much. In short, the energy 

recovery system enables up to 50% savings in thermal energy – equivalent 

to a reduction of some 20% in the tablet coater’s total energy 

consumption. 

The heat exchange additionally means a lower outlet air temperature, 

so that installing a new tablet coater is far easier. After passing 

through the energy recovery system, the temperature of the outlet 

air has been reduced by more than 50%. In the example described 

here, it is emitted into the ambient air at around 20°C instead of 45 

to 50°C as before. 

Especially profitable for large batches 

The ERS’s enormous energy saving potential is most effective in 


page 14/44

large production machines, which have a proportionally higher air 

flow per batch. The absolute amount of thermal energy saved is accordingly 

higher with high throughputs. 

This energy saving is accompanied by lower manufacturing costs 

– a particularly relevant aspect for standard products that are produced 

in large quantities and have a comparatively low sales value. As 

an energy saving measure, the ERS is especially profitable here. 

Energy monitoring 

Coated tablets 

(Picture: Romaco Group) 

The energy saving achieved with the ERS can be precisely measured 

and mapped with the help of the energy monitor. This analysis 

tool records consumption in real time and determines not only the 

amount of thermal energy saved but also carbon dioxide emissions 

from the drum coater. The energy monitor provides robust data for 

the annual sustainability reports which are nowadays a legal requirement 

for more and more companies. Energy monitoring is integrated 

in the tablet coater’s HMI panel and can be supplied as an option. 

This innovative energy recovery system is a landmark development 

on the road to more sustainability in pharmaceutical production. 

The ERS is available for all original Romaco Tecpharm equipment 

and can also be integrated into existing systems if required. 

Romaco Tecpharm took the first step towards more climate-friendly 

coating processes with the launch of its Optima product family in 

2019. The manufacturer’s highly automated drum coaters consume 

significantly less coating suspension, leading to shorter processing 

times and lower air flow rates – with benefits for both energy consumption 

and manufacturing costs. Investments in high-tech solutions 

are not simply worthwhile from an economic point of view 

– they are also ecologically sustainable and they ease the burden on 

humanity and the environment. 

In December 2023, Romaco Tecpharm received the LA RAZÓN 

Award for Innovation and Sustainability in the manufacture of pharmaceutical 

machinery. This award from the leading Spanish daily 

newspaper LA RAZÓN honors outstanding entrepreneurial achievements 

in Catalonia. 

Romaco Group 

D 76227 Karlsruhe 

A Small Cleanroom inside your Lab 

Liquid Handling 

Station flow 

Pipetting liquids without introducing 

foreign particles or microorganisms is a 

core task at many laboratories, for example 

when preparing samples, packaging media 

and buffers, or performing microbiological 

analyses using non-pathogenic microorganisms. 

The new pipetting robot ‘Liquid 

Handling Station flow’ from BRAND allows 

you to set up a small cleanroom right inside 

your lab. 

The newly developed FlowBox of the 

Liquid Handling Station flow provides cleanroom 

conditions at your workbench. The 

HEPA filter (HEPA 14 according to DIN EN 

1822) cleans the intake air, then directs it horizontally 

in a laminar flow across the workplaces 

inside the Liquid Handling Station. 

With the door closed, the air inside the cabinet 

is replaced approx. 260 times per hour 

(at a volume flow rate of 22 m3/h), and exits 

through special openings in the front door. 

The system meets cleanroom requirements 

of ISO 14 644-1 (Class 5) and GMP Annex 1 

(Class A) in the work area and thus protects 

the samples from airborne contamination. 

In addition, the software performs a 

three-minute air flushing routine before 

starting the pipetting process, leaving no 

measurable particles (particle sizes 0.5 μm, 

0.7 μm, 1.0 μm, 3 μm, and 5 μm) inside the 

cabinet. During the pipetting procedure, 

the air flow is controlled automatically and 

increases to 29 m3/h when the front door is 

opened, preventing unfiltered air from entering 

the workplace of the Liquid Handling 

Station. 

It goes without saying that the Liquid 

Station flow offers the same benefits as the 

popular Liquid Handling Station. Both versions 

of the BRAND pipetting robot save 

space in the lab and are very easy to operate. 

With just a few mouse clicks you set up your 

own, customized method. 

BRAND also offers a free Method Check 

for the Liquid Station flow. As part of this 

Method Check, BRAND will provide the 

new Liquid Handling Station flow pipetting 

system to you for a two-week on-site validation 

period free of charge. 

BRAND GmbH + CO KG 

D 97877 Wertheim 


page 15/44

Rösler becomes exclusive global 

sales partner for GPAINNOVA‘s DLyte 

Carbide Series for surface finishing 

of carbide cutting tools 

Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH and the Spanish technology group GPAINNOVA are expanding their partnership: After 

Rösler has been the exclusive distributor of GPAINNOVA‘s DLyte Industrial Series for the German market for some time 

now, the world market leader Rösler will also take over the worldwide distribution of GPAINNOVA‘s Carbide Cutting Tools 

Series as well as the individual process development and service of the machines. In addition, GPAINNOVA is working closely 

with Rösler on the further development of the DLyte Carbide Series and the underlying DryLyte process. 

The carbide machines use the patented 

DryLyte technology for surface finishing cemented 

carbides and are intended to replace 

drag finishing as the standard process for 

carbide cutting tool finishing, resulting in 

even more efficient and better tools. By expanding 

its partnership with GPAINNOVA, 

Rösler is making further inroads into the tool 

making industry, one of the company‘s new 

focus markets. „We at the Rösler Group are 

delighted to be able to expand our portfolio 

in the field of cutting edge preparation with 

such an advanced and promising technology. 

We are convinced that DLyte is clearly 

superior to drag finishing in terms of quality, 

cycle time, handling and cost-effectiveness. 

This technology will be able to replace the 

conventional drag finishing systems up to a 

large scale as the most commonly used process 

in cutting edge preparation, and that it 

will quickly establish itself in the market,“ 

says Alexander Fitz, Head of Sales Mass Finishing 

at Rösler. 

The DryLyte technology, also known 

as dry electropolishing, is much gentler 

than drag finishing and produces a much 

more homogeneous surface finish. Unlike 

traditional methods, the DryLyte technology 

works much more gently and without 

a mechanically abrasive procedure. This 

offers our customers a new technology that 

removes material through ion exchange to 

produce a homogeneous radius preparation 

and smooth surface. „The process is the future 

of cutting edge preparation,“ says Alexander 

Fitz. „The technological development 

behind it is outstanding. We are absolutely 

convinced that we can offer our customers a 

technological advantage with this extended 

partnership“, Fitz adds. 

The Spanish technology company is 

confident in the collaboration with world 

market leader Rösler: „The agreement between 

GPAINNOVA and a world leader like 

Rösler marks a significant milestone for 

both entities; by pooling our expertise in the 

realm of surface finishing, particularly in the 

treatment of carbide cutting tools, we aim to 

The patented DryLyte process from the Spanish 

technology company GPAINNOVA promises 

particularly homogeneous and efficient 

cutting edge machining of carbide cutting 

tools. Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH is now 

the exclusive global sales partner for GPAIN- 

NOVA‘s DLyte Carbide systems, which utilise 

this technology. (Photo: Rösler Oberflächentechnik 

GmbH) 

Alexander Fitz, Head of Sales Mass Finishing 

at Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH: „ We 

at the Rösler Group are delighted to be able 

to expand our portfolio in the field of cutting 

edge preparation with such an advanced and 

promising technology.“ (Photo: Rösler Oberflächentechnik 

GmbH) 

deliver unparalleled benefits to our customers,“ 

evaluates Pau Sarsanedas, CEO, and 

co-founder of GPAINNOVA. „This strategic 

alliance not only expands our market reach 

but also equips us to empower a broader 

spectrum of clients, enabling them to harness 

the collective knowledge and capabilities 

of our organizations and unlocking a 

wealth of opportunities for innovation and 

growth,“ Sarsanedas concludes. 

Over the coming months, Rösler is looking 

forward to numerous trade fair appearances, 

processing trials and collaborations 

with companies from the carbide cutting 

tool industry. „We will convince our customers 

that the innovative DryLyte technology 

is up to the daily demands of the challenging 

industrial environment and can massively 

increase the product quality of carbide 

tools,“ assesses Rösler‘s Alexander Fitz. 

Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH 

D 96190 Untermerzbach 

Pau Sarsanedas, CEO and co-founder of 

GPAINNOVA: „ The agreement between 

GPAINNOVA and a world leader like Rösler 

marks a significant milestone for both entities.“ 

(Photo: Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH) 


page 16/44

Schreiner Group: Internationally Local 

Chinese Location in 

Jinshan Successfully Established 

Schreiner Group has now been locally present with a production site for eight years. What used to primarily serve to supply 

products to customers from the automotive industry has since evolved into an established location for the healthcare industry 

as well. The prospects going forward are promising: not least thanks to an effective strategy. 

The end of 2022 saw the relocation of Schreiner 

Group’s Chinese site within Shanghai 

from Fengpu to Jinshan–within a very short 

period. Whereas at the old location around 

2,200 square meters of floor space were 

available the new location currently offers 

nearly 5,300 square meters. The newly gained 

area had become urgently necessary 

due to the company’s constant growth. The 

new site has since become successfully established 

especially with production for the 

Chinese market because Schreiner Group’s 

success formula says: local for local! Many of 

the company’s customers are important global 

players that are active in China as well. 

The triad of presence, production, and optimal 

local customer support was Schreiner 

Group’s central motivation from the outset. 

“Due to our local production, we can 

deliver products to our customers fast, reliably, 

and in our usual top quality,” says CEO 

Roland Schreiner. “As a result, we not only 

avoid long shipping routes and offer short 

delivery times but also show a presence on 

the Chinese market that’s not focused on 

exports. By pursuing this purpose, that element, 

just like our location in America, has 

clearly strengthened our entire group of 

companies.” 

The new location in Jinshan has already 

established itself successfully—and, even 

so, still offers further growth potential. © 

Schreiner Group 

Another positive aspect is the fact that Jinshan 

is staffed almost exclusively by Chinese 

employees. Employee retention and loyalty 

to Schreiner Group are high. There is hardly 

any employee turnover—which is a great 

exception in China. Many employees have 

been with the company ever since it was 

founded. Location manager Jamie Long 

recently celebrated his 15th anniversary of 

service to the company. In addition, the promotion 

of two Chinese colleagues to leadership 

roles is a visible sign that the company 

believes in its local employees and invests 

in them. That is an incentive for new employees 

as well because growth continues. 

“As a result of our move to Jinshan a little 

more than a year and a half ago, we have 

an area that’s almost three times as large as 

the one we had before—and that’s exactly 

the space we need for further growth!” says 

Thomas Köberlein, President of Schreiner 

ProTech and Managing Director of Schreiner 

Group China. “The Chinese domestic 

market is huge and offers plenty of potential 

in our core segments, Mobility and Healthcare. 

We’re in a good position locally 

with both Schreiner ProTech and Schreiner 

MediPharm and can therefore gradually expand 

our market position.” 

The local production enables the development 

and manufacture of tailored 

solutions directly on the ground, which 

not only strengthens the company’s global 

competitiveness but also its ties to the local 

markets. That is a significant element 

of Schreiner Group’s internationalization 

strategy—which has proven to be extremely 

successful. Due to its growth potential and 

opportunities, the Jinshan location is going 

to continue to contribute to the robustness 

of Schreiner Group as a whole in 2024. 

Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG 

D 85764 Oberschleißheim 

A strong team: Many employees in China have been with the company ever since the location was founded. © Schreiner Group 


page 17/44

Gerresheimer performance levels 

simplify choice of optimum solution 

– Three performance levels for injection vials, syringes, ampoules and cartridges 

– Clear and consistent structure for specific requirements 

– Gx Elite offers highest performance and best protection for sensitive medications 

Gerresheimer, an innovative system and solution provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries, 

presents its new performance levels for injection vials, syringes, cartridges and ampoules. Within the relevant product 

category, customers can choose from three performance levels: Gx Value, Gx Advance and Gx Elite. The new structure makes 

it easier to select the right product platform according to the requirements for the pharmaceutical active agent or area 

of application. Gx Elite products offer the highest performance and are especially suitable for innovative biopharmaceutical 

products. 

The Gx Value product line for injection 

vials, syringes, ampoules and cartridges 

encompasses pharmaceutical-grade products 

made of type I borosilicate glass. Having 

proven their value millions of times 

over, these items are the point of entry for 

the Gerresheimer product world. Gx Value 

products meet all qualitative, regulatory 

and technical requirements. Gerresheimer 

produces Gx Value products worldwide for 

the various regional markets. With local production 

sites, Gerresheimer is able to ensure 

high product availability and fast delivery. 

Gx Value solutions are used for a broad 

spectrum of pharmaceutical products, such 

as anticoagulants and anesthetics. 

Gx Advance: Higher efficiency 

during the fill & finish process 

Gerresheimer’s new, standardized division into three different performance levels for injection 

vials, syringes, cartridges and ampoules makes it easier to choose the right solution. 

“We offer the right solution for all active 

agents, therapeutic areas and production 

requirements,” says Holger Krenz, Global 

Vice President Business Development High 

Value Products Tubular Glass. “The new 

performance levels give our customers a 

transparent overview of our portfolio and 

make it easier to select the right product.” 

Clear structure helps with 

finding the right solution fast 

By dividing its product portfolio into three 

performance levels – Gx Value, Gx Advance 

and Gx Elite – Gerresheimer has created a 

standardized structure for its product platforms 

for bulk and presterilized “ready-to- 

fill” primary packaging. This lets customers 

quickly find the right product for their application. 

The portfolio encompasses syringes, 

cartridges, ampoules and injection vials for 

the full spectrum of pharmaceutical applications 

in human and veterinary medicine, 

including solutions for innovative biopharmaceutical 

products in the areas of cell and 

gene therapy. 

Gx Value: Proven 

pharmaceutical-grade products 

Gx Advance injection vials, syringes, ampoules 

and cartridges offer all the properties 

of Gx Value products plus expanded product 

features, including e.g. enabling greater 

filling efficiency. This includes tighter tolerances, 

reduced glass-to-glass and glassto-metal 

contact and higher surface quality. 

This enables an efficient filling process 

that can lower process costs. Gx Advance 

syringes and Gx Advance cartridges are optionally 

also available as ready-to-fill (RTF) 

products. Gx Advance solutions are typically 

used in large-scale industrial mass production, 

where they are used for items such as 

vaccines or active agents for diabetes treatment, 

such as insulin or GLP-1. 

Gx Elite: Highest performance 

and top-notch protection 

for sensitive pharmaceuticals 

Gx Elite injection vials, syringes and cartridges 

offer all of the advantages of the Gx 

Advance level while also providing significantly 

higher breakage protection, strict 

adherence to tolerances and maximum 


page 18/44

surface quality. This ensures a highly efficient 

and reliable filling process and topnotch 

protection for the pharmaceutical 

products. These product characteristics 

are achieved through a special production 

process that is gentle on the materials, with 

no glass-to-glass contact and minimized 

glass-to-metal contact. Gx Elite products 

are a perfect choice for pharmaceuticals 

with special requirements, including biopharmaceuticals 

such as mRNA active 

agents, gene therapies and applications for 

use in ophthalmology. 

Ready-to-fill with 

ecofriendly sterilization 

All Gx Elite products are also available 

presterilized in a ready-to-fill (RTF) version. 

Gerresheimer offers two packaging 

platforms for this: EZ-fill and EZ-fill Smart. 

Vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) sterilization 

will also be available for the 

EZ-fill Smart packaging platform for the 

first time. This ecofriendly, resource-conserving 

method uses no toxic substances 

at all and meets the most stringent requirements 

set by the U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA). Gerresheimer is 

taking on a leading role by implementing 

VHP sterilization in the RTF manufacturing 

process. Customer benefits include 

optimized delivery times for the EZ-fill 

and EZ-fill Smart packaging platforms. 

Both RTF platforms are compatible with 

all standard commercially available fill & 

finish lines and enable a flexible, reliable 

and cost-effective filling process. 

Complete systems and solutions 

All injection vials, syringes, cartridges and 

ampoules at the GX Value, Advance and 

Elite performance levels are also available 

as complete systems with the suitable 

components. This includes a broad array of 

different sealing and closure solutions along 

with various rubber components and builtin 

needle protection systems for prefillable 

syringes. Some products are also available in 

special configurations, such as silicone oilfree 

prefillable syringes. 

The new Gx performance levels are supplemented 

by Gx Choice, which lets customers 

freely configure a broad range of customer-specific 

product solutions. 

Gerresheimer AG 


Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the 

intention to establish a new 300mm R&D 

process line for specialized chip technologies 

New R&D facility will complement imec’s 300mm cleanroom in Leuven with new processes and materials to boost innovation 

in upcoming domains such as health and augmented and virtual reality. 

The Spanish government, together with the regional government of 

Andalusia and imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub 

in nanoelectronics and digital technology, announced today that 

they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining 

their intent to establish a specialized chip technology pilot line in 

Malaga (Andalusia). The new innovation facility intends to complement 

imec’s existing 300mm advanced CMOS process line in 

Leuven, Belgium, with new 300mm processes developments and 

the introduction of new materials that are difficult to combine today 

with standard CMOS processes. The new facility aims to answer the 

industry’s need for R&D, prototyping and pave the road to the manufacturing 

of promising, new technologies. 

The facility aims to leverage the unique advantages of leadingedge 

300mm semiconductor process technology to drive new applications 

in health care, life sciences, photonics, augmented and 

virtual reality, precision sensing, ... Complementing the existing expertise 

and infrastructure in Leuven with non-standard processes 

that are currently incompatible with semiconductor manufacturing 

processes, the two sites are meant to be closely linked. 

The negotiations will now start with an eye to finding a strong 

public - private cooperation model, between imec, the Spanish government 

and the government of Andalusia. The governments already 

agree to support the construction of the new facility including 

the advanced equipment. They have also formulated the intention to 

financially support the pilot line’s operations in a sustainable, longterm 

manner, to the benefit of its growing semiconductor ecosystem. 

Imec intends to manage the operations, provide the required 

knowledge and technology, and guarantee access to its global academic 

and industrial partner network. 

This MoU emphasizes the partners’ ambition to collaborate on 

a pan-European scale to contribute to the Spanish semiconductor 

ecosystem. It builds on local strengths, yet leverages cross-border 

expertise and capabilities to address global societal challenges, while 

supporting regional economic ambitions. By establishing this new 

facility, which is closely connected to imec‘s Leuven-based 300mm 

pilot line, the goal is to fully harness the innovation potential in Spain 

and Andalusia. Further details of the operations of the facility, such 

as hiring prospects, cannot be confirmed yet as they will be concluded 

in ensuing discussion. 

IMEC Belgium 

BL 3001 Leuven 


page 19/44

Achema 2024, hall 4.0, booth A3: Ruland supplies bioreactors and fermenters in a wide 

range of sizes, from pilot plants in a laboratory scale to large industrial fermenters. 

Achema: Innovation, efficiency and 

sustainability: A key role of fermenters 

in the industry 

Fermenters play a crucial role in numerous manufacturing processes in the industry. They provide a controlled space for the 

propagation of microorganisms and the production of biochemical products. The special containers enable fermentation 

processes to be carried out in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts or fungi are cultivated under precisely controlled 

conditions to produce a variety of products such as enzymes, antibiotics, biofuels or food additives. 

Fermenters are used in a wide range of industries, from the pharmaceutical 

and food industry to the cosmetics and chemical industry. 

The fermentation process in the fermenter includes the supply of 

nutrients, the regulation of temperature, pH value and other environmental 

conditions in order to create optimum growth conditions 

for the microorganisms. This triggers biochemical reactions that lead 

to the desired product. The more comfortable the organisms feel, the 

better they work. Modern fermenters, such as those from plant manufacturer 

Ruland, are equipped with advanced sensors, automation 

technology and control systems to enable precise control and monitoring 

of these complex processes and accurate documentation and 

monitoring of the production processes. 

The actual fermenters are supplemented by plant systems for receiving, 

storing and preparing raw materials as well as sterile inoculation, 

dosing and addition systems and various mixing and gassing 

units. Downstream equipment with discharge, filtration, separation 

or storage is also part of the broad spectrum. The flexibility and scalability 

of the entire fermentation processes enable adaptation to 

different production requirements, from small laboratory batches to 

large-scale industrial production. 

Ruland relies on the continuous development of fermenter technologies 

not only to increase efficiency, but also to support the development 

of sustainable and environmentally friendly production 

processes. Overall, fermenters are indispensable tools that form the 

basis for many advances in biotechnology, enable product innovations 

such as vegan alternatives and advance the manufacture of conventional 

products. 

The Ruland experts will be at Achema to answer all your questions 

on plant engineering and assembly and production processes 

for liquid products and, in particular, in-depth questions about our 

fermenters. The tank and apparatus manufacturer M. Roth complements 

the cross-industrial know-how in engineering and plant 

construction. 

Ruland Engineering & Consulting GmbH 

D 67435 Neustadt 

(Copyright: Ruland) 


page 20/44

© AdobeStock / 629167079 / Maximusdn © AdobeStock / 208620732 / pickup 

Industrial water management: 

Paving the way for new processes, 

sustainable production and site security 

Water is key for the process industry: whether as a coolant or solvent, as a reagent or product component. Chemical and 

pharmaceutical production is constantly evolving - hydrogen, digitalisation, recycling, new production processes. What 

does this mean for industrial water management? 

CO2 neutrality, hydrogen production, power-to-X processes, circular 

economy and zero pollution are currently at the top of the process 

industry‘s agenda. Water is an irreplaceable resource, especially for 

chemical and pharmaceutical production. If industrial water management 

can be successfully integrated into production and site 

management, process efficiency can be increased, circular solutions 

become possible and the transformation towards a sustainable process 

industry progresses. In addition, close integration of production 

and industrial water management strengthens the competitiveness 

of companies and sites, reduces the risk of production downtime 

and increases investment security in corporate development. The 

increasing water stress at many process industry sites means that 

business success is increasingly dependent on efficient industrial 

water management. 

Water as the key to hydrogen production 

The utilisation of renewable energies and their storage in the form 

of hydrogen or derived products is one of the most important prerequisites 

for a climate-neutral process industry. A growing number of 

initiatives in various sectors are accelerating the expansion of capacities 

to produce and utilise hydrogen: More than 1,400 international 

hydrogen projects, as well as many reference projects in Germany 

such as Aquaventus, H2Giga, H2Mare or Kopernikus emphasise this 

development. While industry uses hydrogen as an energy storage medium 

or for high-temperature processes, R&D projects are focussing 

on hydrogen infrastructure, mass production of electrolysis technologies 

and the synthesis of basic chemicals based on hydrogen. 

Commercially available electrolysers require around 10 to 17 kilograms 

of deionised water to produce one kilogram of green hydrogen. 

Green or sustainable energy, the basis for green hydrogen, can 

be produced particularly economically in sunny or windy regions. 

However, the regions with the highest potential for renewable energies 

are usually also the regions where there is a high level of water 

stress and therefore a water risk. Once the local resources have been 

used up, this has an irreversible impact on the region. Alternative 

water resources for hydrogen production are therefore becoming 

increasingly important. Examples include desalinated water and water 

reuse. A growing number of seawater desalination plants leads 

to new challenges in terms of wastewater discharge (emissions into 

the sea) and opens up opportunities for the utilisation of brines and 

concentrates, for example. The production of green hydrogen will 

increase in the future. As a result, water will have to be utilised and 

reused more efficiently in the production process, especially cooling 

water and wastewater streams. This is where optimised, integrated 

water management comes into play. 

More and more new hydrogen projects are focussing on a direct conversion 

of hydrogen into basic chemicals and chemical energy sto- 


page 21/44

© AdobeStock / 637385657 / AUUSanAKUL 

rage, such as ammonia, methane or eKerosene. The thermal energy 

released in this production step can be made available to other processes. 

Thermal desalination technologies with higher efficiency, as 

well as biological wastewater treatment, can thus benefit from the 

available thermal energy and move further into focus. This development 

is not only relevant for the hydrogen economy; new membrane 

separation processes or extensions to biological water treatment can 

also have a positive impact on industrial water management in terms 

of process and energy efficiency. 

„Water is the key to realising large-scale plants for the production 

of green hydrogen and its downstream products such as methanol 

or ammonia. That‘s why we need to think about integrated water 

management together with strategies for renewable energies 

and hydrogen production right from the start. This is the basis for 

a successful green hydrogen economy. Plant engineering and process 

technology, as we will see at ACHEMA 2024, will make a decisive 

contribution to this,“ says Dr Thomas Track, Head of the Water 

Management Subdivision at DECHEMA e.V. 

In addition to renewable energies, efficient and robust 

water-related solutions are therefore needed: 

– Expertise and planning to produce hydrogen / follow up 

PtX products and water management must go hand in hand. 

– (Wastewater) treatment technologies and management 

concepts must be tailored to inland, coastal and marine 

production scenarios. 

– The recycling of water and material flows must be optimised. 

Water for the circular economy in the process industry 

Circular innovations are changing industry worldwide and are 

currently at the top of the process industry‘s agenda. The transition 

to a circular economy focussing on the entire product life 

cycle from raw material procurement to recycling requires a comprehensive 

transformation of industrial processes and structures 

towards climate neutrality and long-term competitiveness. 

The associated challenges for industry also have an impact on 

industrial water management. 

„The value chain of future circular production will have a high 

proportion of processes in the aqueous phase,“ says Dr Christoph 

Blöcher, Head of Infrastructure Processes, Materials & Corrosion, 

Covestro Deutschland AG. „Water management must therefore be 

taken into account in process development right from the start. New 

approaches are required for the aqueous residual streams in order to 

recover chemical energy and valuable substances, such as nutrients.“ 

In addition to its traditional role in industrial production and cooling, 

water as a resource is therefore increasingly coming into focus 

in new industrial fields of application. Processes for (waste) water 

treatment will change overall, from water purification to the utilisation 

of residues, water and its thermal energy through recovery. 

Chemical recycling processes as well as processes based on renewable 

raw materials and biotechnological processes generate aqueous 

residual flows that are characterised by a high-volume flow and 

high organic and salt loads. The composition of the process water 

in recycling processes therefore poses completely new challenges. 

Examples include the chemical recycling of plastics, composite materials 

(e.g. high-performance lightweight materials or composites 

for electromobility) or polymetallic composites in electronic components, 

battery cells or lightweight alloys. In addition to chemical 

processes, various biotechnological approaches are being pursued 

to recycle plastics, including the use of enzymatic processes. These 

are often associated with increasing water requirements. To meet 

these requirements, comprehensive technological approaches and 

processes for the treatment of wastewater must be developed, tested 

and implemented. 

Pharmaceuticals and hydrogen production: water for injection 

and ultrapure water 

Pharmaceutical production has become even more important, not 

least due to the coronavirus pandemic, and innovations have been 

launched. For the pharmaceutical industry, parts of industrial biotechnology 

and the laboratory sector, industrial water management 


page 22/44

consumption and close material cycles. In the process industry, this 

also applies to the interface between water management and industrial 

production. Be it to establish modular, dynamic and flexible production 

approaches or to realise supply security through integrated 

water resource management: Collecting the necessary information 

and processing the resulting data streams is only possible by using 

digital tools. 

© iStock / 1203503078 / da-kuk 

is focussing on water for injection (WFI) and ultra-pure water. 

Rising investment and maintenance costs, high energy prices and 

increasing consumer concerns about the environmental impact of 

production and packaging residues are causing many pharmaceutical 

companies to rethink their approach to more sustainable production 

options. Since 2017, it has also been permitted in Europe to 

produce water for injection no longer exclusively using distillation, 

but also using membrane processes, for example. This process has 

been standard in the USA and other parts of the world for many 

years. This production variant is not only more flexible and energyefficient, 

for operators of WFI systems it also offers advantages in 

terms of investment and production costs, space requirements, service 

and maintenance services, as well as the ability to expand the 

systems in terms of production volume and a wide range of process 

engineering options. 

Market analyses such as those by Transparency Market Research 

see the current global market for water for injection purposes at over 

USD 20 billion (2021), with growth prospects of over USD 50 billion 

in the next ten years. 

The global trend towards a green hydrogen economy is leading to an 

increasing demand for water for the operation of electrolysers. The 

focus here is on water treatment systems and closed-loop purification 

systems for ultra-pure water. This trend also suggests a positive 

development of the market for ultrapure water systems for electrolysis. 

„The current demand for ultrapure water systems is still characterised 

by the boom in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years and 

is receiving an additional boost from the current strong expansion 

in the production of green hydrogen,“ says Dr Eva Bitter, Managing 

Director of EnviroFALK PharmaWaterSystems GmbH. 

Optimising water management: Digitalisation, industrial 

intelligence and sensor-based process control 

Digital technologies are used to increase efficiency, reduce resource 

Especially at the interface between industrial production and industrial 

water management, complex plant structures can be linked 

with IoT/IIoT-based devices and sensors for monitoring and 

control. The processing (e.g. with artificial intelligence) of large 

amounts of data (big data) can be outsourced in a cost-flexible 

manner (edge vs. cloud). These technologies are essential for the 

processing and efficient utilisation of resources. The information 

obtained can be secured in distributed ledgers (DLT) and thus 

form the basis for automated and transparent contracts (smart 

contracts). All these technologies bring suppliers, manufacturers 

and customers closer together and enable an overview along the 

supply chain. ACHEMA 2024 will showcase these links in the exhibition 

with its Digital Hub and measurement, control and process 

control technology. 

„Digitalisation in the water industry („Water 4.0“) has become a buzzword 

and will lead to far-reaching changes in both the public and 

private sectors. For some time now, companies have been faced with 

the challenge of strategically adapting to the new digital world and 

rethinking their strategy, business models and cultures to this end. 

If an organisation fails to take this important step, it will lose its future 

viability and competitiveness,“ says Christian Gutknecht, Water 

Sector Manager at the Endress+Hauser Group. 

Water is a crucial resource for the process industry and energy 

supply, but it is also one of the most endangered resources. 

Especially in the context of the energy transition and the use of renewable 

energies, the interaction of individual processes is crucial. 

This is where digital twins can play a decisive role. They can simulate 

the increased demands on plant dynamics in real time, adapt 

production and thus secure a decisive competitive advantage. The 

increasing demands on supply security, product quality and plant 

efficiency can only be met through the digital transformation of 

traditional production. The trend is being led by numerous consortia. 

These are developing globally applicable standards for communication 

and plant safety, thereby accelerating the digital transformation. 

Conclusion 

The wide variety of processes and technologies - hydrogen production, 

circular economy, pharmaceutical production and digital integration 

– clearly shows that efficient water management is a central 

component of the process industry. This applies across all scales, 

from plant to operation and site to the entire company. In contrast 

to the energy and raw material base of the process industry, there 

are narrow limits to the substitution of water in industrial utilisation. 

Only by an intensive interaction industrial production and water 

management can realise their full potential for a green, circular and 

net-zero economy. 

DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH 

D 60486 Frankfurt am Main 


page 23/44

The transformation of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry is taking place in the 

industry‘s reactors, fermenters and plants. Innovation is therefore in demand. 

Chemical reaction engineering and its role 

in the transformation of industries 

Chemical reaction engineering lies at the interface between chemistry and process engineering. Anyone talking about scaling 

up processes, electrification or the use of hydrogen must automatically consider reaction technology: it determines 

the reaction conditions, regulates what takes place where and when, ensures energy efficiency and influences product 

properties. 

According to experts, three trends are currently making themselves 

particularly felt in reaction technology: 

– Integrated product and process design based on a fundamental 

understanding of reactors and reactions 

– Process diagnostics based on models, operando investigations 

and process data 

– Electrification of chemical conversion processes and large-scale 

implementation of electrochemical and chemical energy storage 

New diagnostic methods, a better understanding of processes and 

the customised production of reactors and components, for example 

with the help of 3D printing, make it possible to provide new equipment 

that meets the requirements arising from innovative processes. 

From laboratory to industrial process 

Increasingly, the most seamless possible path from the initial idea 

to the laboratory reactor to the large-scale process is being sought 

in order to avoid bottlenecks during scale-up and quickly bring new 

processes into application. Various diagnostic and modelling methods 

help here. Even on a laboratory scale, the reactors are extensively 

instrumented so that precise control over reaction conditions 

such as temperature, partial pressures, throughput times, etc. is possible. 

In addition, easily configurable process control systems are 

available to automatically operate today‘s often parallelized reactor 

systems over extended periods of time. Automatic data acquisition 

and processing facilitates the interpretation of experimental results 

and forms the basis for the continuous scaling of processes. 

The more precisely stoichiometry, thermodynamics, kinetics, 

transport phenomena and relevant safety data are known, the better 

the performance in the process in industrial scale can be predicted. 

These parameters can be used to calculate reaction times and heat 

or electricity consumption or production. If transport processes are 

taken into account, the reactor can be designed in such a way that 

the reaction can be carried out safely and with high yields. Miniplant 

studies are essential for this, as recycling flows and operation under 

partial load and during start-up and shut-down of the reaction must 

also be taken into account when designing and analysing the process. 

With the help of a good model, the process can be transferred 

directly to the production plant scale. In practice, however, a pilot 

plant is often interposed in order to further reduce the risks during 

scale-up. 

Big process in small structures? 

However, the goal is not always the largest possible reactor. This is 

demonstrated by another important research trend, flow chemistry. 

It opens up new avenues for catalytic reactors and production techniques. 

Nanoparticles and other functional materials can be produced 

in microfluidic reactors with precisely defined properties. Such 

reactors also enable better heat and mass transfer. Microstructured 

reactors are characterised by internal structures of ten to several 

thousand micrometres. In such structures, liquids can be heated or 

cooled within milliseconds. 

Microstructured production plants are also currently being developed, 

for example to produce synthetic hydrocarbons or highquality 

power-to-X chemicals using renewable energy. Thanks to 

their excellent heat transfer, they enable high space-time yields with 

© AdobeStock/179268256/Ivan Traimak © AdobeStock/408311903/Sergey Ryzhov 


page 24/44

high selectivity, precisely controlled product quality and a long catalyst 

service life. If they have a modular design and can be ramped up 

and down quickly, they are particularly interesting for decentralised 

use at the point of energy generation. Several companies, including 

Ineratec, are therefore already thinking ahead: they not only want to 

use microstructured reactors in development, but also expand them 

into commercial production plants. 

Developments in microstructured reactors in recent years have 

shown that the intensification of heat exchange in production processes 

was initially primarily limited to, but also driven by, singlephase 

systems. In principle, microstructured reactors can also be 

used for multiphase systems. Effects such as surface tension, wetting 

or non-uniform flow behaviour in parallel channels complicate 

the industrial application of microreactors. 

For large-scale production, an integrated scale-up concept is 

required to ensure the necessary flow rate while only minimally increasing 

the diameter of the channels. This preserves the advantages 

of microreaction technology, such as the high mixing rate, excellent 

heat transfer and targeted process control. The desired throughput 

can be realised, for example, by a parallel connection of channels to 

a channel bundle in the reactor. 

In 2016, Shaoxing Eastlake Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. commissioned the 

first large-volume production reactor based on microreaction technology 

for the production of an ingredient for agricultural applications 

in China. Three of these reactors are now running continuously 

with an overall throughput of 30,000 tonnes per year. 

Between stirred tanks and hybrid processes 

The development of new processes and the development of apparatus 

technology for the construction of chemical reactors go hand 

in hand. Today, the range of apparatus and reactor designs is as broad 

as the product portfolio of chemical plants. Due to its flexibility, 

the stirred tank is still the most widely used reactor type. However, 

the spectrum of technologies ranges from classic fixed-bed reactors 

with molten salt or evaporative cooling to heat exchange reactors, 

bubble columns, jet reactors, nozzle and fluidised bed reactors, hightemperature 

reactors and more complex apparatus such as microstructured, 

electrochemical and kneader reactors as well as hybrid 

systems such as reactive distillation, extraction or gas scrubbers. 

Although the stirred tank is one of the oldest chemical reactor 

designs, it is still constantly being improved. New solutions such as 

flexible baffles and other modifications have been developed for 

the „inner workings“ of enamelled stirred tanks, which have significantly 

improved the flexibility and energy efficiency of gas-liquid 

systems despite the otherwise limited production potential of 

enamelled devices. 

In order to increase heat transfer, heat exchanger plates can be 

introduced into the stirred tank, which offer larger exchange surfaces 

than internal heat exchange coils. This allows exothermic reactions, 

such as suspension hydrogenation, to be better controlled. Salt 

bath reactors are conventional fixed bed reactors for exothermic, 

heterogeneously catalysed gas phase reactions at high temperatures. 

They are used, for example, for partial oxidations, such as in the 

synthesis of acrylic acid. 

If the demands on heat exchange or temperature control are higher, 

so-called heat exchange reactors can be used. Based on plate or 

tube bundle heat exchangers, they enable very high heat exchange 

rates for single-phase systems. 

Challenges from the application 

The new industrial processes, the change in the energy and raw material 

base and the pursuit of economic efficiency will continue to 

pose challenges for reaction technology in the coming years. Particularly 

in view of the trends towards bio-based and recycled raw 

materials, whose composition and physical properties vary considerably 

more than those of conventional petrochemical raw materials 

and which typically contain far more impurities, reactors must be 

optimised as far as possible on the one hand, but also robust enough 

to cope with changing conditions on the other. 

For example, some biotechnological processes require large reactor 

volumes of more than 1,000 m³ and simultaneously high specific 

mass transfer rates. For a conventional aeration system, motor 

outputs of more than 10 MW are then quickly required, which is 

difficult to realise mechanically. The development of hybrid gassing 

technologies and new ways of dissipating heat could help to bring 

such processes into industrial application more quickly. 

In the production of new gene and cell therapeutics, on the other 

hand, which are highly individualised, all reaction steps should take 

place in a small space close to the point of care – the pharmaceutical 

factory in a compact, mobile “chest” would be a possible goal here. 

As diverse as the applications are, as innovative are the solutions 

that reaction engineers develop and for which the plant engineers 

and equipment manufacturers provide the equipment. In view of 

the numerous new developments, much can still be expected in the 

coming years. 



This ACHEMA trend report is based on the Roadmap Chemical Reaction 

Engineering, 3rd edition 2023, https://dechema.de/Roadmap_Reaction_Engineering-path-123211,124930.html 

© AdobeStock/261545234/Grispb © AdobeStock/394872322/gen_A 


page 25/44

analytica 2024 confirms 

its position as the world’s leading 

trade fair for the laboratory sector 

– 1,066 exhibitors from 42 countries, around 34,000 visitors from 117 countries 

– New record number of participants at the analytica conference 

– Focus on digitalization and sustainability in the lab of the future 

Great atmosphere in the exhibition halls, lively discussions, and crowded aisles characterized analytica 2024, where the 

international laboratory sector met in Munich from April 9 to 12. 1,066 exhibitors presented their innovations for the entire 

range of laboratory technology, analysis and biotechnology to around 34,000 visitors at the world-leading trade fair. Much 

discussed topics at the booths and in the extensive conference and supporting program were solutions for the digital and 

sustainable laboratory. 

“analytica 2024 was once again a resounding success and impressively 

confirmed its position as the world’s leading trade fair for the 

laboratory sector in a consolidating industry environment,” says Dr. 

Reinhard Pfeiffer, CEO of Messe München. “In terms of both exhibitor 

and visitor numbers, it can almost seamlessly build on the 

events held before the pandemic.” Armin Wittmann and Susanne 

Grödl, both responsible for analytica at Messe München, add: “We 

are proud that analytica brings together the industry’s global expertise. 

Whether in the analysis of pollutants, the early detection of diseases, 

or the development of vaccines, it is the innovative power of 

this industry that makes progress possible in the first place in many 

areas of daily life.” For Siegbert Holtermüller, Chairman of the Advisory 

Board and Vice President Microscopy Imaging Solutions Sales 

EMEA at Evident Europe, analytica is always an excellent platform 

for introducing new technologies and winning new customers in all 

segments. 

Enthusiastic exhibitors 

“Everyone has been waiting for this analytica: With numerous visitors 

and lots of good discussions, it provided crucial impetus for us 

and the entire industry in economically challenging times,” says Dr. 

Gunther Wobser, Managing Partner of Lauda Dr. R. Wobser. Mathis 

Kuchejda, Managing Director of Schmidt + Haensch and Chairman 

of the Analytical, Bio and Laboratory Technology Division at the 

industry association Spectaris, agrees: “Many innovative products, 

customers from all over the world, and information on the latest 

trends: This year’s analytica has once again lived up to its reputation 

as the world’s leading trade fair and industry meeting place for analysis, 

biotechnology and laboratory technology. Overall, the mood 

among both exhibitors and visitors is extremely good.” Mike Copps, 

President and CEO of the U.S. association Alda, appreciates the opportunity 

to meet many members and international partners at ana- 

Crowd pullers included the Live Lab with its fully equipped laboratory line as well as the special show Digital Transformation 

where visitors could experience the lab of the future live. 


page 26/44

About 34,000 visitors from 117 countries came to analytica 2024. 

lytica and thus achieve so much with numerous stakeholders in one 

place in just a few days. 

Strong supporting program with crowd-pullers 

A varied supporting program covered the main topics of the trade 

fair and offered visitors the opportunity to experience the laboratory 

of the future live. “We struck a chord with our offerings on digitalization, 

AI and sustainability, and the respective forum and conference 

programs were very well attended. That means our concept of 

providing the industry with orientational knowledge has once again 

proved to be fully successful at this year’s analytica,” says Susanne 

Grödl, Deputy Exhibition Director of analytica. The Live Lab, where 

standard laboratory processes were presented three times a day, 

drew a packed audience and full seats in the special stands. At the 

Digital Transformation special show, visitors could also experience 

and try out the smart laboratory of the future several times a day. 

Both special shows together attracted around 3,500 spectators. Another 

crowd-puller was the Occupational Health and Safety forum, 

which illustrated with explosive live demonstrations the risks of 

daily laboratory work and placed a special focus on handling lithium-ion 

batteries. Extremely popular was also the Jobday on the last 

day of the trade fair. There, graduates and young professionals were 

given information on career prospects in the industry in numerous 

presentations, and they had the opportunity to meet potential employers. 

Concentrated expert know-how at the conference 

The analytica conference set a new record this year with 2,225 participants. 

The audience was particularly full at the sessions on sustainability 

topics, AI in diagnostics and forensics. “As in the past, the 

analytica conference once again featured over 180 top-class lectures 

and a wide range of analytical topics, making it an ideal addition to 

the exhibition area,” sums up Prof. Oliver J. Schmitz from the University 

of Duisburg-Essen. In addition to the hot topics in the industry, 

the lecture program also dealt with the interdisciplinary potential of 

analytics, for example, in analyzing old oil paintings, in archaeometry 

or in solving criminal cases. 

analytica 2024 in figures 

1,066 exhibitors traveled from 42 countries and regions, with 53 

percent of them from abroad. The top ten exhibiting countries after 

Germany were (in this order): China, the U.S., Italy, Great Britain 

and Northern Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, South 

Korea, India, and Austria. There were around 34,000 visitors from 

117 countries and regions. The share of international visitors totaled 

about 39 percent. After Germany, the top 10 visitor countries were 

(in this order): Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Great Britain and Northern 

Ireland, France, the Netherlands, China, Spain, the U.S. and Poland. 

The next analytica will take place together with the analytica 

conference from March 24 to 27, 2026. 

1.066 exhibitors from 42 countries presented their innovations 

in five trade fair halls. 

Messe München GmbH 

D 81823 München 


page 27/44

The highly successful, enhanced ALF 5000 V platform enables pharmaceutical manufacturers to achieve high yields 

and precise filling processes thanks to new functionalities. 

Achema: A new approach to liquid 

pharmaceutical processing 

– Enhanced ALF 5000 V with new functionalities for processing high-value drugs 

– Inspection machine AIM5 combines visual inspection and CCIT 

– RMA assembly machine for small batches of pens and autoinjectors 

At Achema, Syntegon showcases its comprehensive expertise in 

the flexible processing of liquid pharmaceuticals. In addition to an 

advanced filling machine, an expanded inspection system, process 

and assembly solutions and comprehensive service offerings will be 

on display. “Regulations such as Annex 1, high-value drugs, and the 

increasing use of RTU containers require highly efficient technologies 

along the entire value chain,” explains Tobias Göttler, Director 

Product Management Pharma Liquid at Syntegon. “With innovative 

solutions, extended functions for proven systems, and new services, 

we enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce sensitive drugs 

according to the most recent requirements of the pharmaceutical 

industry.” 

ALF 5000 V: highly precise filling technology 

Syntegon demonstrates how this can be achieved with the ALF 

5000 V for the precise and gentle filling of small-volume parenterals. 

“When filling high-priced products such as blood plasma derivatives, 

the focus is on high yields, minimal product loss, and precise 

filling processes,” Göttler emphasizes. “The consistent further 

development of our successful platform fulfills these requirements 

with new functionalities.” Syntegon’s ALF 5000 V is a flexible solution 

that enables pharmaceutical manufacturers to combine two filling 

systems on one platform. While the time-pressure filling system 

is suitable for large quantities, the peristaltic pump with up to twelve 

filling stations enables gentle product handling and precise dosing 

of very small batches. Thanks to the optional twin fill process from 

the new “Max Pro” portfolio, the filling weight can be optimally determined 

and readjusted via main and secondary dosing with 100% 

in-process control at any time. 

Hot topic RTU: comprehensive expertise 

Ready-to-use (RTU) containers are very popular for both small batches 

and high-performance lines. Visitors can gain insights into 

Syntegon’s comprehensive technological and pharmaceutical expertise 

in the “RTU Open Space” at the booth. In addition to virtual 

presentations of the Versynta portfolio for small and micro batches, 

the experts from Syntegon will offer comprehensive advice on all 

aspects of RTU containers – from Annex 1 compliance and filling 

with 100% IPC to the use of gloveless barrier technologies. 

AIM5: first-class inspection 

After filling, the highly precise inspection of products and containers 

ensures product quality. “With the AIM series, Syntegon has 

been setting standards in the flexible inspection of vials, syringes, 

cartridges, and ampoules for decades – as is proven by several hun- 


page 28/44

The RMA assembly machine for small batches supports pharmaceutical 

companies in assembling their pens and autoinjectors 

for antidiabetics and weight management products. 

At Achema, Syntegon demonstrates how visual inspection and 

leak detection (CCIT) can be combined on one machine in a 

space-saving and efficient way with the AIM5 for vials. 

The new patented settle plate changer SPC 1000 automates 

viable monitoring and reduces production interruptions and 

human intervention in the process zone to a minimum. 

dred machines installed worldwide,” says Göttler. At Achema, the 

company demonstrates live for the first time how visual inspection 

and leak detection (CCIT) can be efficiently combined on a spacesaving 

AIM5 for vials. The machine on display features a combination 

of a pre-rotation tower and camera technology for the visual 

inspection of liquid and lyophilized products as well as a state-ofthe-art 

measuring sensor in the star wheel for oxygen measurement. 

RMA assembly machine: flexible assembly of small batches 

Pens and autoinjectors play a key role in antidiabetics and weight 

management products. They can be precisely assembled thanks to 

the new RMA from Syntegon. This space-saving, semi-automatic 

assembly machine for clinical trials and small batches was developed 

by Syntegon in close cooperation with customers. The system supports 

pharmaceutical manufacturers in determining the properties 

of their drug delivery systems and assembling them in accordance 

with regulatory standards. The RMA follows Syntegon’s design philosophy 

on scalability, offering customers a seamless and easy transition 

to machines with higher outputs when increasing capacity for 

a market launch. 

Service at Syntegon. “Settle plates may be exposed to cleanroom air 

for a maximum of four hours and must then be replaced. The new 

automatic settle plate changer significantly reduces manual operator 

intervention to replace the plates. This greatly decreases the necessary 

production interruptions and the negative impact on machine 

availability.” The SPC 1000, which is available for both existing and 

new machines, fulfills a further requirement of Annex 1, reducing human 

intervention in the process zone and the risk of contamination 

to a minimum. 

Comprehensive expertise for liquid pharmaceutical processing 

Visitors to the Syntegon booth can also obtain advice on customer 

and pharma services. These include, for example, service agreements, 

the cloud-based software solution Synexio, as well as qualification 

and validation services. 

With its broad portfolio, Syntegon covers all steps in the production 

of liquid pharmaceuticals, including a new bioprocessing 

system and formulation systems for small-volume parenterals from 

the subsidiary Pharmatec as well as freeze dryers with a patented 

loading and unloading concept from Schoeller-Bleckmann Medizintechnik 

(SBM). 

Syntegon will hold the following presentations 

as part of the congress program in hall 4.1: 

– June 11, 3.30 p.m.: From paper to hardware – a technology perspective 

on EU GMP Annex 1 (2022); Dr. Johannes Rauschnabel 

– June 12, 2.30 p.m.: Cell and gene therapies – an equipment builder’s 

view on current and future challenges; Dr. Andreas Mattern 

– June 13, 11.30 a.m.: Towards net zero – carbon emissions from water 

use in pharmaceutical manufacturing; Christian Lavarreda 

Annex 1-compliant thanks to new services 

Compliance with regulatory standards is also the focus of Syntegon’s 

service offerings. In addition to the successful RABS retrofits for 

existing equipment, the patented Settle Plate Changer SPC 1000 has 

recently been added to the portfolio. “Viable monitoring has become 

even more important when filling sterile products in the context 

of EU GMP Annex 1” says Steffen Gröber, Global Product Manager 

Syntegon Technology GmbH 

Blaufelder Straße 45 

D 74654 Crailsheim 

Telefon: +49 7951 4020 

eMail: packaging-ph@syntegon.com 

Internet: http://www.syntegon.com 


page 29/44

ACHEMA 2024 showcases 

solutions for a more sustainable 

and resilient process industry 

professionals. A job board, which will be set 

up throughout the week, will present the job 

offers of all participating companies. As part 

of a career consultation, young professionals 

can ask their own personal career questions 

in 20-minute discussions with HR experts 

and receive advice. In addition, a full-day 

supporting programme will take place on the 

action area: In addition to employer pitches, 

there will be informative keynote speeches 

on topics such as as engineer salaries or the 

impact of AI on the recruiting/application 

process. 

In June, Frankfurt will once again be the centre 

of the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology 

industries: The 34th ACHEMA 

will be opened by the German Federal Minister 

for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck 

on June 10. The ACHEMA kick-off will focus 

on the question of how the process industry 

can successfully position itself in a changing 

world. On all five days of the trade show, a 

diverse programme for young people will 

also contribute to securing the future of the 

industry. 

The process industry is facing many 

challenges. The decades-long trend towards 

greater globalisation is currently being replaced 

by increasing instability and, in some 

cases, protectionist tendencies in trade policy. 

Meanwhile, the shift towards greater 

sustainability, the development of the hydrogen 

economy and the endeavour to secure 

raw materials require new global networks. 

How do companies in the process industry 

position themselves in this environment? 

What technologies are needed to 

respond to the new challenges? And what 

political framework conditions need to be 

created to enable an economic transformation 

that meets the global challenge of climate 

change in particular? These questions 

will be the focus of this year‘s ACHEMA 

opening event on the evening of the first 

day of the trade show, June 10, 2024 from 5 to 

6:30 p.m. in Room Europa in Hall 4.0. 

Robert Habeck, the German Federal 

Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate 

Action, will open ACHEMA 2024 by video. 

Following the welcome address by Klaus 

Schäfer, Chairman of DECHEMA e.V., Julia 

Schlenz, President of Dow Germany, Austria 

and Switzerland, Friederike Köhler- 

Geib, Chief Economist of the KfW Group, 

and Markus Miertz, Member of the Executive 

Board of SAMSON AG, will share their 

views on the situation, critically examine 

exemplary challenges and discuss possible 

solutions. 

Concrete solutions for these and many 

other challenges will also be the focus of 

around 2,700 exhibitors from more than 50 

countries, who will be presenting a diverse 

range of innovations and products across 

twelve exhibition groups and a special show. 

With more than 1,000 speakers, the accompanying 

congress and stage programme will 

also provide impetus for a successful transformation. 

“ACHEMA once again emphasises its 

role as a central platform and meeting place 

for all stakeholders in the process industry. 

With a notable surge in exhibitors and one 

of the most diverse lecture programmes in 

recent ACHEMA history, this year‘s event 

also offers an unparalleled opportunity for 

young technical and scientific talent”, says 

Dr Björn Mathes. CEO of DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH. 

Diverse programme for (young) professionals, 

students and school pupils 

On Thursday, June 13, 2024, the ACHEMA 

Career Day will take place from 10:00 am 

in Foyer 5.1/6.1. ACHEMA companies will 

present themselves as employers on site. 

Their offers are aimed equally at (young) 

professionals as well as graduates or young 

For school pupils, ACHEMA offers two 

days of events tailored to their needs: 

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 11:00 to 

12:30 and from 15:00 to 16:30, young people 

can ask industry and research what we 

can do about resource scarcity and climate 

change; leading experts from industry and 

research will provide first-hand insights. On 

Friday, June 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., students 

of process engineering, chemistry and biotechnology 

will talk about their day-to-day 

studies and answer questions from the audience. 

Young professionals will describe 

their experiences of starting out in working 

life and give tips on how to kick off a career 

successfully. Both events will take place in 

the Portalhaus on Level 1 in Room Transparenz 

1. A Science Rally is being held throughout 

ACHEMA in Hall 6.0 for students and 

pupils. More information is available on 

site at the at the hydrogen flagship projects 

stand (D75). 

In addition, in the Start-up Area in Hall 

6.0, companies of tomorrow will present their 

innovations and welcome the global process 

industry to their booths. The start-ups here 

will show here show how science and technology, 

coupled with ambition and perseverance, 

can be turned into new services, profitable 

products and the latest processes. 

“As organisers, we actively support the 

entire industry in overcoming the challenges 

of the shortage of skilled workers and 

offer a wide range of formats. From the acclaimed 

DECHEMAX student competition, 

focusing on central ACHEMA themes, to 

bespoke student gatherings and comprehensive 

career planning for graduates and 

young professionals, to fostering connections 

for budding entrepreneurs. The topics 

of talent and career advancement will once 

again be in the spotlight at the world‘s most 

important industry gathering for chemistry, 

pharmaceuticals and biotechnology”, concludes 

Mathes. 




page 30/44

Prepared microbiological media product insight to be shared on Dorte Egelund’s stand 

by Cherwell experts at LabDays Stockholm 2024 

Cherwell demonstrates strong 

distributor support at LabDays 2024 

Cherwell, cleanroom microbiology solutions expert, will be supporting 

its Scandinavian distributor, Dorte Egelund, at Sweden’s biggest 

laboratory industry event of the year, LabDays Stockholm 2024 on 

17-18 April. On Dorte Egelund’s stand, Cherwell will provide expert 

insight on prepared microbiological media, highlight a forthcoming 

new more environmentally friendly media product, and present on 

prepared media selection for differing sterile process and environmental 

monitoring needs. 

Cherwell will demonstrate a range of its Redipor® prepared 

media products on Dorte Egelund’s stand; including irradiated and 

fresh media, contact plates, petri dishes, vials and bottles with a mix 

of volumes, caps and closures. In addition, new to the range will be 

Redipor autoclavable plastic bottled media products which offer a 

more sustainable option to glass bottles. Wan Li Low, Cherwell’s Microbiology 

Product Specialist, will also be sharing useful insight in 

her presentation at the event on “Prepared media: What’s right for 

you? An intro to neutralisers, double strength media, barrier packs 

and more!” 

In a recent testimonial interview, Dorte Egelund, underlined 

how good quality products, strong relationships, flexibility and an 

ability to innovate are the recipe for happy customers. “We’ve been 

working with Cherwell for over 10 years and it has proved a very 

successful partnership. When our customers come to us to ask for 

something specific, we know that we can take it to Cherwell - we 

have never had a ‘no’ only ‘yes’!” confirmed Dorte. “Cherwell can be 

flexible and innovative when needed to develop and bring in new 

or bespoke products, whilst being large enough to always deliver on 

standard products too.” 

The importance and benefits of close distributor partnership is 

exemplified by the new Redipor Plastic Bottle range which has been 

developed by Cherwell following a request by a Dorte Egelund customer 

driven by their sustainability targets. The ‘carbon expense’ of 

glass is a prime reason for adopting the use of plastic in aseptic environments; 

as in some regions, such as Scandinavian countries, this 

is considered a key factor to supporting the drive towards the United 

Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals. 

“To ensure that we can best meet our Redipor customers’ needs, 

I see it as hugely important that we build excellent working relationships 

with our dedicated business partners such as Dorte Egelund,” 

said Melis Parmaksiz, Channel Business Development Manager, 

Cherwell. “We are committed to working with our partners to provide 

guidance, support and training on all our products. So, attending 

shows such as LabDays, alongside reliably delivering both standard 

and bespoke products enables us to fully support Dorte Egelund and 

their customers in all aspects of prepared microbiological media.” 

Cherwell’s new autoclavable Redipor plastic bottled media 

products will be launched soon to provide a more environmentally 

friendly alternative to glass bottled media for the sterile pharmaceutical 

manufacturing market. 

Cherwell Laboratories Ltd 

OX26 4XB BICESTER 

United Kingdom 


page 31/44

The Gentlewing impeller meets 

the need for flexible batch 

production and achieves fill 

levels of between 20 and 80 

percent thanks to its unique 

geometry. 

Achema: The highest flexibility for 

oral solid dosage processing 

– Exemplary OSD production line shows all possibilities: from laboratory to big batch production 

or continuous manufacturing 

– Fluid bed processes: drying, granulating, and coating in just one product container 

– Xelum platform for continuous manufacturing using fluid bed granulation or direct compression 

At Achema, Syntegon presents its comprehensive portfolio for the 

development and production of oral solid dosage (OSD) forms. “We 

are currently seeing two trends that offer pharmaceutical companies 

different advantages: on the one hand, production in ever larger batches 

and, on the other hand, continuous manufacturing,” says Fritz- 

Martin Scholz, Product Manager at Syntegon. “We are continuing to 

develop our existing portfolio in both directions and can therefore 

identify and implement the best solution for our customers’ applications.” 

An exemplary OSD production line and further exhibits give 

trade show visitors the opportunity to see this wide range of possibilities. 

Gentlewing: effective mixing and granulation 

With the Gentlewing impeller from the Syntegon subsidiary Hüttlin, 

the company presents a solution that meets the need for flexible 

batch production. Its unique geometry enables the innovative mixing 

tool to achieve fill levels of between 20 and 80 percent and is 

a core component of the Hüttlin high-shear mixer technology. “The 

Gentlewing achieves optimum granulates with high yields in all versions,” 

Scholz emphasizes. This makes it possible to produce batches 

of between 0.1 and 720 kg, from R&D to pilot and production 

scale. The technology is available in top or bottom drive executions. 

HDGC: versatile fluid bed system 

Pharmaceutical companies also require a high degree of flexibility in 

terms of process and batch sizes when it comes to fluid bed technology. 

The HDGC fluid bed system enables the highly efficient drying, 

granulation, and coating of powders, granulates, and pellets in just 

one product container – from laboratory scale to batch sizes of more 

than 1,200 kg. Thanks to the special air flow of the Hüttlin Diskjet, 

the system ensures optimum use of process air. This results in homogeneous 

fluidization, shorter process times, and a low filter load. 

During granulation and coating, a special three-component nozzle 

provides higher spray rates and an optimized yield without interrupting 

the process. 

Xelum: continuous manufacturing at all scales 

In addition to batch production, continuous manufacturing is a 

time- and cost-efficient alternative. With the Xelum platform, Syn- 


page 32/44

With the Xelum platform, Syntegon offers a flexible solution for both 

continuous fluid bed granulation and continous direct compression. 

tegon offers a flexible solution for both continuous direct compression 

and continuous fluid bed granulation. Xelum doses and mixes 

active ingredients and excipients as individual X-keys (packages), 

which run continuously through the process chain and are continuously 

removed from the system, for example as tablets from the integrated 

TPR tablet press. “Xelum ensures shorter time to market for 

new formulations,” Scholz explains. This is further supported by the 

simple scale-out: “The process parameters of the Xelum R&D can be 

transferred directly to the production system – for a faster production 

start and significantly lower development costs.” 

TPR 500: production-scale tablet compression 

Flexibility in tablet shapes and batch sizes as well as robust manufacturing 

processes are the main requirements for tablet presses. 

The TPR 500 on show at Achema can produce more than 400,000 

tablets per hour in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. “Our customers 

appreciate the broad range of mixtures and granulates that can be 

processed, as well as the ergonomic and user-friendly design of the 

press,” Matthias Moessinger, Product Manager at Syntegon, underlines. 

The modular powder feed system can be adapted to any powder 

characteristic. All filling and machine parameters that are important 

for product quality are continuously monitored and documented in 

accordance with GMP and GDP. 

Sepion Coater: reliable coating with 

maximum batch size flexibility 

The Sepion series enables both film and tablet coating. It offers 

pharmaceutical manufacturers a reliable solution for closed filling, 

sampling, and emptying, which can be easily upgraded for containment. 

The Sepion series covers drum sizes from 175 to 1,000 liters. 

Thanks to innovative, fully welded mixing elements within the drum, 

the coater can achieve filling levels of between ten and 100 percent 

without changing the mixing elements. The optimized drum geometry 

leads to a flatter tablet bed and more spray nozzles, which results 

in higher spray rates and significantly shorter process times. 

GKF 720: maximum flexibility in the production 

of small capsule batches 

Syntegon also offers numerous solutions for hard capsules. From the 

preclinical phase to large-scale production, platforms, dosing units, 

and control technologies are available for all applications. The GKF 

720 on show at Achema fills up to 43,200 hard capsules per hour. 

Thanks to its modular concept, the machine can be quickly and 

easily converted to other dosing technologies, as well as to increased 

operator protection up to OEB5. As one of many innovations, 

Syntegon presents interchangeable stations for dosing powders and 

pellets. Depending on the production requirements, a tamping or a 

dosing station can be used. To check the dosing quality, customers 

can choose between a high-precision gravimetric scale for statistical 

in-process control and 100% weight control using a capacitive Net 

Weight Detection System (NWDS). 

Containment: comprehensive support 

All Syntegon OSD systems can be designed with customer-specific 

containment. With the OSD Customer Service Centers, Syntegon 

has a global network of customer centers and partner laboratories 

that provide support in the development of OSD products and corresponding 

manufacturing processes. Service agreements tailored 

to customer needs, the cloud-based software solution Synexio, as 

well as qualification and validation services round off Syntegon‘s 

service portfolio. 

Syntegon Technology GmbH 

Blaufelder Straße 45 

D 74654 Crailsheim 

Telefon: +49 7951 4020 

eMail: packaging-ph@syntegon.com 

Internet: http://www.syntegon.com 

The TPR 500 tablet press on show at Achema 

can produce more than 400,000 tablets per 

hour in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. 


page 33/44

parts2clean goes biennial 

Following its strong showing in 2023, parts2clean is continuing to develop its market-oriented strategy and is going biennial, 

taking place as of now in the odd-numbered calendar years. This was decided upon by the organizers Deutsche Messe 

AG in Hannover, together with the German Industrial Parts Cleaning Association (FiT), the trade fair advisory board and 

the exhibiting companies. 

The next parts2clean will take place from 7 – 9 October 2025 in Stuttgart. 

„We held in-depth discussions with the exhibiting companies and 

our partners on making parts2clean a biennial event,“ explains 

Christoph Nowak, parts2clean project manager at Deutsche Messe. 

„In light of its positive showing in 2023, our goal now is to drive 

forward and build on parts2clean‘s standing as a benchmark trade 

event, and thus strengthen the fair as a brand in the long term,“ adds 

Nowak. The next edition of the leading international trade fair for industrial 

parts and surface cleaning will take place from 7 – 9 October 

2025 at the Stuttgart Exhibition Center. 

Nowak: „We are organizing the event for and together with the 

industry. Adopting a biennial cycle as of now is a logical step in this 

context, seeing as the survey conducted among the exhibitors at 

parts2clean 2023 confirmed that both the two-year innovation cycle 

and the changing travel behavior among the attendees necessitate 

this reorientation.“ 

Gerhard Koblenzer (Managing Director/CEO LPW Reinigungssysteme 

GmbH): „For our company, parts2clean is and will remain 

the leading German trade fair for industrial parts cleaning and matters 

related to technical cleanliness in production environments. We 

very much welcome Deutsche Messe AG‘s decision to change the 

cycle. It gives us the opportunity to alternate our presence at other 

international trade fairs, so that we can adapt to the rapidly changing 

markets. Moreover, it gives us the time to actively support the activities 

of the parts2clean organizers in expanding the event‘s spectrum 

of offerings. We are looking forward to 2025!“ 

parts2clean has developed along highly positive lines since the 

COVID pandemic, expanding each year in terms of exhibitors, exhibiting 

space and attendees. 2023 was the strongest edition to date 

after the pandemic, with more than 150 exhibitors on 4,500 square 

meters and over 3,000 attendees. What makes parts2clean so special 

is the high density of world market and technology leaders it attracts 

from the various sectors of industrial cleaning technology. They all 

share the common goal of maintaining the event‘s high level of quality. 

Christoph Nowak: „We are convinced that the biennial cycle will 

play a key role in sustainably advancing parts2clean and maintaining 

its high quality. Now is the right time to set a new course: after all, we 

are leading parts2clean into a new future with the tailwind of three 

highly successful events.“ 

The Industrial Parts Cleaning Association (FiT) is very much in 

favor of parts2clean‘s new biennial cycle: „Our members need parts2clean 

as a strong leading trade fair with all suppliers as exhibitors 

and with numerous visitors from many sectors. The change to a twoyear 

cycle is a response to changing travel and business habits. This 

will strengthen the trade fair as a meeting place for the parts cleaning 

industry for all relevant topics and innovations,“ confirmed Dr. 

Michael Flämmich, member of the FiT Board, the decision. 

The decision on the reorientation of parts2clean is also welcomed 

by the exhibitors. 

Ulrike Kunz, Spokesperson of the Exhibitor Advisory Board of 

parts2clean and Head of Technical Center at SurTec Deutschland 

GmbH: „Both the Exhibitor Advisory Board and SurTec see parts2clean 

as the leading trade fair for everything to do with the cleaning 

of parts in industry. This is a unique feature that no other trade 

show offers. We welcome the event‘s switch to a biennial cycle; this 

will reinforce the status of parts2clean as a flagship trade show since 

it will be presenting itself in an even more innovative way. From 

now on, all market participants and competitors alike will be taking 

part together, and not having to alternate their presence as was sometimes 

the case in the past. And that is important for the event‘s 

attendees. parts2clean thus offers the unique opportunity to directly 

address all topics and bring all participants together in one place, for 

example to discuss the planning of a new cleaning facility or solve 

problems with existing processes. We are certainly looking forward 

to 2025.“ 

Rainer Straub, Vice President Sales & Service and Member of the 

Management Board of Ecoclean GmbH, also emphasizes: „Our global 

positioning requires flexible country and industry-specific marketing 

and trade fair strategies. In order to meet these requirements, 

we at Ecoclean welcome the new 2-year cycle. Whether for customers 

in general industry, the automotive, medical or semiconductor 

industries - parts2clean is the leading trade fair where we present 

our innovations and new developments to the industry for the first 

time. Here, trade fair visitors and we as Ecoclean will find the complex 

network of suppliers, knowledge transfer and development to 

overcome the challenges of parts cleaning together with the industry 

experts. We are therefore delighted that so many exhibitors and 

industry colleagues have confirmed their participation in p2c 2025.“ 

Deutsche Messe AG 

D 30521 Hannover 


page 34/44

Turnkey system makes 

toolboxes in the Arburg design 

– Efficient: flexible turnkey system based around a hydraulic Allrounder 920 S 

– In demand: toolbox in the stylish Arburg design 

– Sustainable: processing of ISCC-certified PC/ABS and recyclate from PET films 

In a live demonstration, a hydraulic Allrounder 920 S with a clamping force of 5,500 kN produce the main components of 

the much sought-after toolbox in the Arburg design at NPE 2024. The turnkey system also includes a Scara robot integrated 

into the machine controller, a Multilift V linear robot system and an innovative tool carrier facility. The high-quality plastic 

product will be completed by hand and the stylish toolbox handed out to the trade fair visitors. 

Over-moulded 3D films and hot-stamped Arburg 

lettering help create the high-grade aesthetics of 

the meticulously designed giveaway. The centre 

section, handle, closing clips and the feet were likewise 

pre-manufactured at Arburg in Lossburg on 

Allrounders. 

Automated: robotic systems work hand-in-hand 

Film inserts positioned on workpiece carriers are 

fed into the production cell by a double sliding table. 

A KUKA Scara robot, programmable via the Gestica 

control system, prepares the pre-produced film 

inserts and places them on a centering station to 

suit the cavity spacings of the mould. A linear robot 

system then comes into play: the Multilift V 40 picks up the inserts, 

moves past an ionisation bar, which cleans them, and inserts them 

into the 1+1-cavity injection mould. Here, they undergo in-mould lamination 

in the insert moulding process. The two moulded parts are 

then removed. The raised Arburg lettering on the top shell is refined 

inline in a hot stamping station, and this is discharged together with 

the bottom shell via a conveyor system. The innovative tool carrier 

facility is combined with a manual workstation outside the turnkey 

system, on which the toolbox is completed with its centre section, 

handle, locking clips and feet. 

Sustainable: biomaterials and recyclate from PET films 

Stylish toolbox: over-moulded 3D films 

and hot-stamped Arburg lettering 

provide the high-grade aesthetics. 

(Photo: ARBURG) 

Covestro is processed for the main components. 

The case closures and handles are 

created from components made of Recopound® 

from Arburg partner Leonhard Kurz. 

This material is extracted from post-industrial 

recyclate (PIR) on the basis of PET films. 

It uses up to 40 percent less CO2 than new 

materials. For homogeneous material processing 

and consistently high product quality, 

the exhibit is equipped with Arburg’s recyclate 

package, which includes hardware and 

software elements. 

„Intelligent“ assistance systems 

„Intelligent“ Gestica assistants provide active support at the machine. 

The „aXw Control FillAssist“ function is networked with 

Simcon’s Varimos plug-in for filling simulation in the control system 

itself. With the help of this AI-supported variant analysis from 

Cadmould, the injection moulding simulation is automated with the 

FillAssist and „learns“ which effects the machine parameter changes 

have. Another assistance function for this application is the 

„aXw Control EnergyAssist“ for optimised switching on and off of 

all heating zones. The, „aXw Control PressurePilot“ ensures bionically 

optimised pressure regulation. As an addition to the recyclate 

package, the adaptive process control works with the „aXw control 

RecyclatePilot“ feature to create a stable shot weight. 

A sustainable, biomass-balanced and ISCC-certified PC/ABS from 

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG 

D 72290 Loßburg 

A Scara robot and a Multilift V 40 linear robot system handle 

the toolbox halves. (Photo: Arburg) 

A flexible turnkey system based around a hydraulic Allrounder 920 S 

produces the main components of the much sought-after toolbox in 

the Arburg design at NPE 2024. (Photo: Arburg) 


page 35/44

The Leading International Processing Trade Fair for Powder, Bulk Solids, Fluids and 

Liquids, taking place in Nuremberg from 23 to 25 September 2025, has a new look. 

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2025: 

Kick-off with a new design 

The green light to prepare for POWTECH TECHNOPHARM has been given: The Leading International Processing Trade 

Fair for Powder, Bulk Solids, Fluids and Liquids, taking place in Nuremberg from 23 to 25 September 2025, has a new look. 

Not only has the brand been revamped, the concept has also undergone adjustments. With the new subtitle “International 

Exhibition for Process Operations”, POWTECH TECHNOPHARM is preparing to be the meeting place for a multi-sector 

community in 2025. 

Starting in 2025, the former POWTECH will operate under the name 

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM, and with this new refinement it will 

provide the perfect platform for the growing pharmaceutical and life 

sciences industry in particular. 

“POWTECH, as the core of mechanical processing technology 

for powders, granulates and bulk solids, will of course remain,” explains 

Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions. “This core will 

be expanded to include TECHNOPHARM and pharmaceutical process 

technology for solids and liquids. We are thus specifically addressing 

the pharmaceutical industry as one of our top three visitor 

sectors and are also focussing on the GxP-compliant manufacture of 

pharmaceutical products in solid, semi-solid and liquid form.” 

“In the flow” – the new POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 

brand identity 

Just in time for the start of sales, POWTECH TECHNOPHARM is 

presenting itself in a new design: A fresh new look is now framing the 

trade fair, developed from the familiar blue-green colour scheme. 

The unifying concept is symbolized by the “flow” between POW- 

TECH and TECHNOPHARM in the refreshed logo. The new claim 

– “Your destination for processing technology” – leaves no doubt 

that POWTECH TECHNOPHARM will be the hotspot for the entire 

processing technology sector in September 2025. The new website 

picks up on this and also presents itself in a new look: cross-industry, 

dynamic and user-friendly with a clear structure – online now at 

https://www.powtech-technopharm.com/en. 

Brand new: “Industry Insights” from 

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM is very important to numerous user 

industries. With “Industry Insights”, the exhibition is utilizing synergies 

profitably and creating a section on the website that provides 

the community with relevant content on the international processing 

market all year round. “Industry Insights” offers key ideas and 

inspiration – with reports on trends and current projects in the chemical, 

pharmaceutical, food and other process markets. Insights are 

provided into the opportunities and challenges offered by decarbonization, 

digitalization, hygienic design and safety, as well as the 

latest views of experts from science and practice – and, of course, 

all the information about POWTECH TECHNOPHARM. Anyone 


page 36/44

who wants to be part of the Processing Technology Community can 

register on the website and receive all news directly to their email 

inbox every month. 

Extensive knowledge-sharing at the multi-sector exhibition 

Preparations for POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2025 are already in 

full swing. It will take the form of an international exhibition whose 

advantages lie in knowledge-sharing between sectors. Both exhibitors 

and visitors will benefit from the resulting synergies and have 

the exceptional opportunity to gain knowledge from both their own 

and other sectors. In addition to the focus areas of chemicals, food/ 

feed, pharmaceuticals and energy, there is also strong representation 

for the areas of cosmetics, building and non-metallic minerals, 

plastics/rubber, ceramics/glass, environment and recycling, and also 

mechanical and plant engineering. 

Marianny Eisenhofer, Director POWTECH TECHNOPHARM, 

comments on how the plans are proceeding: “POWTECH TECH- 

NOPHARM is now ‘your destination for processing technology’. It 

will have an integrated strategy: a shared product range, exhibitors 

will be placed together as desired, and a digitalized joint trade fair 

guide will ensure orientation at the exhibition. In the accompanying 

programme, the POWTECH Forum and the TECHNOPHARM 

Forum will be dedicated to their specific areas of application with 

high-quality expert knowledge.” 

Concentrated expertise under one roof 

In 2025 in particular, exhibitors and visitors will benefit twice over: 

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM, International Exhibition for Process 

Operations, will take place in the North-West area, while FACH- 

PACK, the European Trade Fair for Packaging, Technology and Processing, 

will be held in the South-East area. PARTEC, the International 

Congress on Particle Technology, will round out the programme 

in NCC Ost. 

NürnbergMesse GmbH 

D 90471 Nürnberg 

K 2025 motto and key topics: The Power of 

Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible. 

Earlier this year the committees of K 2025 chose the motto for the 

coming K in Düsseldorf, The World’s No.1 Trade Fair for Plastics & 

Rubber, from 8 to 15 October 2025. It consists of one slogan and 

three core messages, all focusing on the key topics of K in 2025: 

The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible. 

– Shaping the circular economy 

– Embracing digitalization 

– Caring about people 

The slogan reflects the current values and goals of the industry mirrored 

by the trade fair. “The Power of Plastics!” underscores the indisputable 

role that plastics play in various sectors of industry, ranging 

from medical device technology and automotive to packaging 

solutions. Plastics are an indispensable component of many industries, 

make a significant contribution to innovations and progress 

and are essential to designing a sustainable future. “Green – Smart 

– Responsible” is synonymous with the sector’s commitment to 

act sustainably, smartly and responsibly in plastics production and 

handling. 

The additional core messages focus on the following 

three key topics: 

– Shaping the circular economy: 

The sector is increasingly based on a sustainable circular economy 

that promotes the re-use, recycling and reduction of plastic 

waste. 

– Embracing digitalisation: 

The companies operating in the plastics and rubber industry are 

aware of the transformative power of digitalisation and employ more 

and more digital technologies to boost the efficiency of their machines 

and products and to drive innovations. 

– Caring about people: 

The sector is aware of its social responsibility to protect the environment. 

Responsible handling of resources is in focus here. At 

the same time, the sector increasingly promotes young talents and 

creates future prospects for young professionals in the plastics and 

rubber industry. 

K 2025 invites its exhibitors, experts, multipliers and interested parties 

from around the world to follow its motto and join forces to shape 

the future of the plastics and rubber industry. 

Exhibitor registration for K 2025 is still open until 31 May 2024. 

(Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf / tillmann) 

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH 



page 37/44

An electric Allrounder 520 A Ultimate demonstrates an innovative application 

for medical technology. The high-performance machine will be 

producing IML centrifuge tubes at NPE 2024 as part of a joint project. 

(Photo: Arburg) 

Thanks to functional IML labels, the centrifuge 

tubes have features such as a filling scale and 

temperature-sensitive elements. Automation 

from Beck ensures precise positioning. 

(Photo: Arburg) 

NPE 2024: Highly innovative IML 

application for medical technology 

– Innovative: In-mould labelling (IML) for centrifuge tubes creates added value 

– Sustainable: Medical technology products with adhesive-free IML labels made from mono-material 

– In partnership: Joint project around high-performance electric machine 

While in-mould labelling (IML) is standard for packaging products, this process is still rarely used in the medical industry. 

Using a centrifuge tube plus label made of PP mono-material as an example, Arburg will be presenting a sustainable IML 

application with high repetition accuracy and added value for the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries at 

NPE 2024. The ready-to-use product is manufactured in a fast, space-saving and cost-efficient way using a turnkey system 

centred around an electric Allrounder, without any additional hygiene risks. 

Prestigious partners Kebo (mould), MCC Verstraete (label), Beck 

(automation) and Intravis (camera inspection) are all involved in the 

innovative joint IML project centred around an electric Allrounder 

520 A in clean room design. 

Sustainable: Product made from mono-material 

The pioneering technology was first presented as a proof of concept 

at Fakuma 2023 and met with a great response. The product is also 

particularly interesting in terms of sustainability: the tube and label 

are both made of PP, meaning that the mono-material product can 

be easily recycled. Because the integrated label can contribute to 

the stability of the tube, its wall thickness can be reduced if necessary 

and plastic material can be reduced in volume production. In 

addition, work steps such as bonding and printing are eliminated, 

meaning that no adhesives are required and there is no waste due to 

contamination with liquid colour. 

Electric: High-performance machine for medical technology 

Another important aspect is the compact footprint of the production 

cell, which fits into predefined production grids. The centrepiece 

is an electric Allrounder 520 A „Ultimate“ with a clamping 

force of 1,500 kN, designed for fast and sophisticated processes. The 

high-performance machine in clean room design meets the requirements 

of class ISO 7. With an 8-cavity mould from Kebo, ready-touse 

tubes, each with a capacity of 15 millilitres, are produced from 

PP in a cycle time of around 10 seconds. The servo-electric drives 


page 38/44

of the injection moulding machine ensure precise and reproducible 

mould positioning. A label adjustment head from Beck ensures that 

the labels are precisely aligned and applied, while a camera system 

from Intravis integrated into the automation handles the visual inspection 

of the finished parts in real time. In a real application, the 

tubes could also be screwed together and packaged in tubular bags 

in the production cell. 

Precise: Accurate positioning of the functional labels 

While the print to cut distance for IML decorations for packaging 

products is usually around 1 to 1.5 millimetres, it is only around 0.2 

millimetres for the centrifuge tube application example. The labels 

with a wall thickness of 57 micrometres must be positioned as precisely 

as possible in the cavities. The labels are precisely aligned and 

applied using an automated system from Beck. A label adjustment 

head equalises the manufacturing tolerance to a few hundredths. 

This is an important requirement for functionality and significantly 

reduces quality fluctuations and rejects. 

Integrated: Additional functions 

Primarily, the tubes have a scale on the scratch-resistant label 

that indicates the exact fill level. These types of labels with inscriptions 

are also interesting for insulin pens and medical measuring 

cups, for example. Another function is the monitoring of 

temperature profiles. An additional temperature-sensitive element 

allows any interruption in the cold chain to be detected at 

a glance: as soon as the temperature of the filled tube rises above 

seven degrees Celsius, for example, the thermochromic printing 

ink changes irreversibly. Additional information on recycling and 

warehouse management can also be added to the product using a 

QR code, for example. In the future, it is also conceivable that the 

process, quality and patient data for each individual part will be 

100% traceable via an RFID code. 

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG 

D 72290 Loßburg 

Registration starts for 

exhibitors at interpack 2026 

Inspired by the great success of interpack 2023, concrete planning for the trade fair’s next edition scheduled for 07 to 13 May 

2026 is under way. About two years before the start of the trade fair, the registration phase has now officially begun. This 

gives companies from all over the world the opportunity to secure a place at the industry’s leading trade fair. 

From start-ups to global corporations: no business is too small or too 

large to be part of this unique event. In 2026, interpack will continue 

to bring together the global processing & packaging industry and become 

a driving force for the industry‘s future topics. 

For seven days, the entire value chain of the industry will be represented 

– from packaging machines and processing technology, 

packaging supplies, packaging materials and packaging aids, the 

production of packaging supplies, converting and printed packaging, 

marking technology and labelling up to warehousing, logistics and 

transport technology. There are products and services for all types 

of application industries: food, beverages, confectionery and bakery, 

pharma, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods. 

interpack and components, the parallel trade fair for the industry’s 

suppliers, last year welcomed 2,809 exhibitors from 61 countries. 

And 95 percent of them want to come back. One reason is that 

interpack is always about “big business”: 82 percent of the visitors are 

top managers involved in investment decisions. 

The waiting list for the world’s largest trade fair of the industry 

is traditionally long, so early booking is an advantage. Starting on 

20 March, exhibitors can register online and reserve their desired 

booth. interpack 2026 will take place from 7 to 13 May at the Düsseldorf 

Trade Fair Centre. All halls will be available again. The new 

assignment of halls according to sectors of the industry, which was 

introduced at the last interpack, will be continued. This makes it easier 

for visitors to efficiently navigate the event. 

Registration documents for interpack and components 2026 are 

available at: https://www.interpack.com/en/Exhibit/Become_an_exhibitor 

and https://www.packaging-components.com/en/Exhibit/ 

Become_an_exhibitor. 

Previous exhibitors from 2023 can use their known access data 

to log in and register. First-time exhibitors will be guided step-bystep 

through the registration process. 

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH 



page 39/44

New autoclaves: Systec DX-Series and Systec VX-Series 

The Systec DX-Series (table-top units) is available for chamber volumes 

ranging from 25 to 200 liters, while the Systec VX-Series (floorstanding 

units) ranges from 40 to 150 liters. The new generation of 

the Systec VX-Series and Systec DX-Series thus complements the 

market-proven Systec HX-Series, consisting of horizontal laboratory 

autoclaves in various sizes, with a chamber volume of 65 to 1580 

liters, as well as the practical Systec H series 2D pass-through autoclaves 

from 90 to 1580 liters. 

These autoclaves are versatile, capable of handling demanding 

sterilization processes, from waste bags to liquids to porous solids. 

All Systec autoclaves can be modularly expanded with options and 

accessories to optimize sterilization processes. 

For instance, they can be equipped with a vacuum system for sterilizing 

solids and waste in bags, removing air entirely from the product. 

Furthermore, additional innovative options are available to enhance 

the efficiency and safety of sterilization processes: 

New generation 

autoclaves 

Systec GmbH & Co. KG launched its latest innovations in the field 

of autoclaves at Analytica 2024. Following the successful launch of 

the Systec HX-Series, the company was presenting the new generation 

of the Systec VX-Series and Systec DX-Series in Hall B.1, Stand 

502. These feature a new touch display control, a revised interior and 

an attractive design. These autoclaves not only offer an aesthetic 

improvement, but also a range of functional benefits. Energy and 

resource-saving technologies also minimize electricity and water 

consumption, which not only brings economic but also ecological 

benefits. They also offer faster process times, which ensures an additional 

increase in efficiency in the laboratory. 

The autoclaves have a USB and Ethernet connection and optional 

WLAN for optimum connectivity. Thanks to the connectivity 

options, documentation data can be exported in PDF or CSV format 

and enable updating, remote maintenance and remote control of the 

autoclaves. The volume of the internal memory allows documentation 

data to be stored for at least 10 years, making separate programs 

for documentation and archiving superfluous. 

The new functions of the series are of particular interest from 

a regulatory perspective. The autoclaves fulfill an essential point of 

the FDA guideline 21 CFR Part 11. Further functions serve to fulfill 

regulatory requirements from the pharmaceutical sector. Automatically 

generated PDF and CSV files are tamper-proof thanks to digital 

signatures. In addition, all adjustments and events are stored in an 

audit trail to ensure full traceability. 

Constructed from corrosion-resistant stainless steel, these autoclaves 

facilitate easy cleaning. The pressure vessel, made from pharmaceutical-grade 

stainless steel, is designed to withstand up to 4 bar 

/ 140 °C as standard, with an optional extension to 5 bar / 150 °C. 

– Radial ventilator: Accelerates heat transfer from the sterilized 

goods to the cooled sterilization chamber through air circulation, 

with optional jacket cooling using cooling water. 

– Ultracooler: Significantly reduces cooling and overall batch times 

by integrating an additional heat exchanger in conjunction with a 

radial fan, jacket cooling, and support pressure. 

– Superdry: Enhances drying efficiency of solids and porous sterilized 

goods such as filters and textiles, eliminates odor formation, 

and eliminates the need for separate post-drying. 

– Air exhaust filtration: Ensures the safe sterilization of biological 

hazardous materials through an autoclavable sterile air filter with 

0.2 μm pore size and automatic inline sterilization with every sterilization 

process. 

Additionally, many other options are available, including special programs 

like glass testing according to pharmacopeia standards, along 

with other accessories to further enhance the functionality and 

adaptability of our autoclaves. 

Systec Connect DS 

The new Systec Connect Documentation System (DS) allows realtime 

monitoring of all autoclave processes without the need for physical 

checks. It requires no special hardware or software and can be 

accessed via a browser from various devices, thereby enhancing time 

efficiency and requiring only an Ethernet or WLAN connection. 

With an intuitive user interface, information can be quickly accessed 

and process data exported as PDF or CSV, enabling not only 

time savings but also immediate detection of irregularities. A free 

Systec Connect app is also available to monitor the live data of the 

autoclaves. 

Visit Systec’s booth at Analytica 2024 in Munich to discover the 

latest autoclaves and sterilization solutions, and to learn more about 

their advanced features and capabilities. 

Systec & Solutions GmbH 

Wilhelm-Schickard-Str. 9 

Telefon: +49 721 663510 

eMail: talk@systec-solutions.com 

D 76131 Karlsruhe 

Internet: http://www.systec-solutions.com 


page 40/44

New Series of TOC/TNb analyzers 

for simplified laboratory workflows 

With the multi N/C x300 series, Analytik Jena (https://www.analytik-jena.com), a leading global manufacturer of analytical 

laboratory measurement technology, is launching promising new TOC/TNb analyzers. With its robust user-friendly design, 

flexible automation options, and intuitive new software, the multi N/C x300 series provides easy-to-use, high-throughput, 

and cost-optimized instruments for environmental analysis and the pharmaceutical sector. 

The new product series of TOC/TNb analyzers offers “TOCnology 

made for you”: robust, durable, and user-friendly hardware combined 

with intuitive software. The top priority during development was 

to give users more time for their core tasks and to significantly reduce 

the time spent on non-value-adding activities. 

New intuitive and easy-to-use software, flexible automation options, 

and a user-friendly design significantly reduce the time and 

effort required for sample preparation, calibration, and maintenance. 

The multi N/C x300 series represents high sample throughput, 

durability, and low total cost of ownership, also making it an attractive 

financial prospect. 

The new operating software, which displays live results, is a real 

highlight. It shows all the key information at a glance, enables intuitive 

workflows and offers pharma-compliant data integrity. An 

automatic Self Check System continuously monitors critical factors 

such as system tightness and oven temperature. As the samples are 

measured exclusively under optimal conditions, it is safe to operate 

the device unattended. 

The TOC/TNb analyzers of the multi N/C x300 series are ideally 

suited to the environmental and pharmaceutical sectors. Whether 

the samples are liquid or solid, particle-rich wastewater, ultrapure 

water, drinking water, saline, acidic or alkaline, the multi N/C x300 

analyzers deliver reliable results. Analytik Jena offers analytical devices 

that are perfectly matched to the special areas of application: 

From the compact and robust specialist for particle-rich samples 

and the allrounder optimized for standard environmental analysis 

with high throughput, to the ultra-precise UV digestion device for 

TOC trace analysis. 

The new devices can be ordered with immediate effect, with the first 

deliveries leaving the factory on May 1, 2024. 

Analytik Jena GmbH+Co. KG 

D 07745 Jena 


page 41/44

New GEMÜ BB0F ball valve series 

The new ball valves in the GEMÜ BB0F series from valve specialists GEMÜ cover a wide range of applications in the 

chemical industry thanks to their configuration and the available construction and actuator versions. 

In the standard version, the media wetted 

seat seals are made of PTFE with glass-fibre 

reinforcement (reinforced 

GEMÜ B2F manually operated ball valve 

from the new GEMÜ BB0F series. 

PTFE). This is what gives them exceptionally 

high material resistance when exposed to 

changing media and enables a 

wide range of applications and 

a high level of safety when using 

dangerous media. The stainless steel ball 

valves are suitable for use in applications at 

temperatures between -40 °C and 220 °C. 

Thanks to its two-piece body, the ball 

valve has only one connection point, guaranteeing 

reliable tightness. The ball valve 

has a fire safe design as standard in accordance 

with API 607 and DIN EN ISO 10497, 

with the housing and shaft seal made of graphite. 

The risk of fire can exist in all types of 

production plant, but fire protection measu- 

res play an important role in some industrial 

sectors and processes. In these areas of application, 

a fire safe valve such as the GEMÜ 

BB0F is the right choice. The ball valve is 

available in nominal sizes DN 15 to DN 200 

with flanged connections ANSI class 150 

and PN40/PN16. 

Alongside applications in the chemical 

industry, this ball valve can also be used for 

heating systems and HVAC applications. 

The new GEMÜ BB0F series includes 

the GEMÜ B2F manual ball valve, the 

GEMÜ B4F pneumatic ball valve and the 

GEMÜ B6F motorized version. 

GEMÜ Gebr. Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG 

D 74653 Ingelfingen 

Smallest Hybrid-Bearing 

High-Power Turbopump on the Market 

– For light gases 

– Compact and portable 

– Patented Laser Balancing Technology 

The new HiPace 30 Neo turbopump from 

Pfeiffer Vacuum is a vacuum pump for compact 

analysis systems and portable applications. 

Due to its high gas throughput and 

exceptional compression, it is suitable for 

light gases and has excellent critical backing 

pressure. The good balancing quality of the 

rotor, which runs at up to 1,500 revolutions 

per second, makes the vacuum pump ideal 

for vibration-sensitive applications. 

Alexander Kreuter, Product Manager 

at Pfeiffer Vacuum: “As one of the leading 

suppliers of vacuum technology, we are 

proud to be able to present the smallest hybrid-bearing 

high-power turbopump on the 

market. It combines high performance with 

practicality. This small pump is particularly 

versatile in the area of analytics and is portable. 

And, with our patented Laser Balancing 

technology, it has the lowest vibration 

level on the market. This makes it perfect for 

applications that are sensitive to vibrations!” 

The HiPace 30 Neo combines compactness, 

drive efficiency and intelligence. 

It thus makes a further contribution to the 

sustainability of the turbopump portfolio. 

For example, the more compact design and 

the associated material savings mean that 

a significant proportion of CO2 can be saved. 

Thanks to the use of intelligent sensor 

technology, the pump is always operated 

with the best possible energy input. Thanks 

to the intelligent control system, the pumps 

can be interconnected without great effort, 

i.e. upstream and turbo pumps interact with 

each other. In this way, a complex, IoT-capable 

vacuum system can be realized in just 

a few steps. 

The pump is both compact and smart: 

With its special Pfeiffer Vacuum accessory 

interface, AccessLink, which recognizes accessories 

automatically, the system can be 

up and running quickly in just a few steps. 

The HiPace 30 Neo incorporates a new 

high-performance lubricant, which guarantees 

safety and reliability with improved 

aging resistance, optimized lubrication behaviour 

and high temperature resistance. 

The HiPace 30 Neo pumps run maintenance-free 

for up to 5 years. 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 

D 35614 Asslar 


page 42/44

motan‘s special MED products meet all regulatory requirements 

Safety and cleanliness 

all along the line 

Medical products are designed for very long-term stability and continuity. 

The medical technology market is considered stable and crisis-proof. 

On the other hand, there are long development times, rigid 

and strict regulations and the associated high costs at all stages of 

product development. Traceable, validated, transparent and hygienic 

manufacturing processes are a prerequisite. And this starts with 

material management. The motan group contributes its many years 

of experience in the field of medical technology to special MED versions 

of various product lines and thus supports plastics processors 

in optimally fulfilling the special requirements of the medical and 

pharmaceutical industry. 

The medical technology market is growing despite high regulatory 

requirements and geopolitical changes. Frost & Sullivan forecasts 

an average annual growth in the global medical technology market 

of around 5 per cent in the coming years. The field of application for 

plastics seems limitless. Whether surgical instruments, ventilators, 

diagnostic components, syringes, implants and prostheses or disposable 

laboratory products such as cuvettes and pipette tips, whether 

small series or mass products – the regulations must be mastered. 

These include the requirements of GMP (Good Manufacturing 

Practices), the regulations of the American regulatory authority FDA 

(Food and Drug Administration) or the EMA (European Medicines 

Agency) as well as the EN ISO 13485 quality management system for 

medical device manufacturers. 

Safe, stable and clean production processes are essential. As the 

global market leader, motan develops and builds products, systems, 

and system solutions for the complete handling of raw materials. 

From the contamination-free storage process in small containers 

or external silos to fully documented drying and high-precision, 

constant dosing and mixing technology through to a mix-up-proof 

conveying concept, motan offers customized solutions including 

intelligent control and regulation technology for the medical and 

pharmaceutical industry. 

METRO G med (motan group) 

The risk of particle contamination must be eliminated from the delivery 

of raw materials such as granulates, masterbatches and additives 

to the end product. For this reason, motan has designed the METRO 

G med material loaders and the GRAVICOLOR 110 med gravimetric 

batch dosing and mixing unit especially for plastics processors 

in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. The comprehensive 

METRO G med range of units is based on the established METRO G 

series and fulfils all strict hygiene requirements in accordance with 

FDA 21 CFR. During development, particular attention was paid to 

process-safe use in cleanrooms. Special filters with high-quality 

FDA-compliant seals and electropolished stainless steel surfaces 

ensure reliable, dust-free and contamination-free operation. One 

highlight is the new membrane implosion vacuum valve, which does 

not require compressed air. 

The new FDA-compliant version of the GRAVICOLOR 110 med 

gravimetric batch dosing and mixing unit was developed by motan 

for flexible and reliable mixing and dosing in injection moulding, 

blow moulding and extrusion applications. The integrated and improved 

IntelliBlend analysis function records the recipe, material 

and application environment and documents all process data. This 

seamless logging is essential for continuous batch tracking. 

motan holding gmbh 

D 78467 Konstanz 

GRAVICOLOR 110 med (motan group) 


page 43/44

Aluminum Profile Systems 

Designed for User-Friendliness 

Ganter has long offered an extensive range of accessories for building machines, systems or workstations with standard 

profile systems. The aluminum profiles themselves have now also been added, along with the associated connecting parts. 

Ganter always thinks in terms of applications – that is the great 

strength of the market leader in standard parts. The same is true for 

the newest additions to the product portfolio: system-based aluminum 

profiles. The anodized, extruded profiles match the dimensions 

and properties of the longstanding systems of Bosch and Item, with 

heavy and light versions, a variety of cross-sections, dimensions and 

slot arrangements. 

For some time, Ganter’s product range has included many key 

elements for the custom use of profile systems. These include diverse 

angle brackets, T-nuts and everything else for attaching parts 

directly and indirectly to modular profile constructions: U-handles, 

hinges, panel support clamps and leveling feet, just to list a few 

examples. 

Now the profiles themselves are included, as are specific connecting 

elements and other parts, such as cover and edging profiles, 

end caps, joints and foot plates. Thanks to these additions, it is now 

possible to build entire fixtures, machines, systems or workstations 

with Ganter parts – with no need to order additional parts from other 

suppliers, making procurement simpler and more efficient. 

The same is true for handling of the profiles themselves: Here, 

Ganter intentionally departs from the previously typical practice of 

offering the profiles exclusively in the form of 6 meter long bars. Instead, 

the profiles can be ordered in all cross-sections in lengths of 

2 or 3 meters – delivered in practical bundles. This yields a number 

of advantages: First, the products can be shipped via fast parcel services. 

Second, it is easier to handle profiles cut to individual lengths. 

And third, special storage spaces are not required for profiles that are 

not yet needed. 

On its website and in its catalog, Ganter provides detailed instructions 

for the assembly of the new elements as well as any necessary 

modifications – and easily followed video tutorials will soon be 

available to make this content even easier to access. 

Otto Ganter GmbH & Co. KG 

Triberger Straße 3 

Telefon: +49 7723 65070 

Telefax: +49 7723 4659 

eMail: info@ganternorm.com 

D 78120 Furtwangen 

Internet: http://www.ganternorm.com 

Impressum: 

cleanroom online / W.A. Schuster GmbH · Mozartstrasse 45 · D 70180 Stuttgart · Tel. +49 711 9 64 03 50 · Fax +49 711 9 64 03 66 

info@reinraum.de · www.cleanroom-online.de · GF Dipl.-Designer Reinhold Schuster · Stgt, HRB 14111 · VAT DE 147811997 

Original texts and images 

The contributions mentioned by name are the responsibility of the particular author. Reprinting, also of extracts, are permitted only with the approval of 

the editor and with reference to the source. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations. The publisher 

is granted the exclusive, spatial, temporal and contentual limited right to freely use the article in unchanged or edited form for all purposes as often as 

desired or to transfer it to third parties for use. This right of use relates to print and electric media (Internet, databases, data carriers of all kinds). 


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