Gerresheimer has started an investment programme to install converting machines for vial manufacturing at all its plants.
It said the latest-generation machines and high global standards will enable it to meet stringent product quality requirements in the future.
The rollout of the new machine strategy in the USA is almost finished. It commenced at its Morganton, NC, plant - the Gerresheimer Group’s Center of Excellence for Vials - and at its US tubular glass plant at Forest Grove in Vineland, NJ, in 2014.
Next was the Querétaro, Mexico, plant at the end of 2015. This shifted the upgrade focus to vials, after the installation of new machines, technology, inspection and camera systems for ampoule production at the site in 2014.
Six new vial machines have been installed to date, and another three will be in place by the end of the year. Querétaro now uses the latest technology and produces vials to exactly the same quality as the two US plants.
The new machine strategy has been introduced at the Polish sister plant in Bolesławiec, where the first of the new vial machines was installed in April. Two more will be installed and be put into operation by the end of the year.
The second and third machines are also scheduled for installation this year, and further machines will follow in 2017 and 2018.
The company is in the process of building a tubular glass plant in Kosamba, India, where it will also install the latest-generation machines and inspection technology. It will upgrade the machine parks and invest in camera systems at its Chinese plants.
Now the focus is on finishing all the rollouts and on the global vial supply of global customers who require a consistently high quality. In 2016 Gerresheimer plans to supplement the vial machine programme funding with further investments to introduce the latest cartridge manufacturing technology at its Forest Grove and Querétaro plants.
“The aim of this project is absolutely clear,” said a company spokesperson. “We want to supply our customers with significantly improved vials to the highest possible quality. The latest generation of machines, monitoring and inspection systems guarantees the same high Gerresheimer quality standards at every single one of our tubular glass converting plants around the world.”
