Corporate

Reinheim Commissions New High-Performance Tube Production Line

Frankfurt am Main,February 2, 2017

Merz today officially commissioned a new high-performance tube production line at its site in Reinheim, Germany. The investment, which cost around four million euros, will allow the company to boost its capacity for filling tubes, for ointments for example, by 30 percent.

The new machine fills aluminum and plastic tubes with liquid and viscous products and packages them. It replaces two old tube filling machines which have since been dismantled. “The new line allows us to cater even better for the growing demand for our products such as Contractubex and consequently makes us much more competitive,” says site manager Marc Overesch. “The investment is not only a commitment by the company to production here in Germany, but also helps to safeguard our location’s future.”

The high-performance tube production line was supplied by a specialist machine manufacturer in mid-October 2016 and assembled in six weeks. Following initial test runs in December, the startup and qualification process was completed by the end of year.

The plant can fill up to 200 tubes per minute, giving it an annual output of some 20 million units. The tubes are not only filled, but also packed and palletized fully automatically. The tube production line can also serialize pharmaceutical products, that is to say apply anti-counterfeiting codes to the packagings, and therefore satisfies the latest regulatory requirements.

As well as pharmaceuticals, Merz manufactures consumer care products for the German and international markets in Reinheim, including bath supplements, shower gels and dietary supplements bearing the tetesept brand. The site with its 200-strong workforce also produces goods for other companies.

Photos

Tube feeding device of the new high-performance tube production line at Merz’ site in Reinheim.