The industry pioneer MediGrün GmbH has been relying on machines from us for many years.
Nutraceuticals like dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular. For companies like MediGrün GmbH, this development is both an opportunity and a challenge. MediGrün is both a renowned bio-certified manufacturer of dietary supplements and one of the European market leaders in contract filling. Since 2007, company owners Dr Mihaela Grün and Dr Markus Grün have been using Syntegon Technology capsule filling machines in their day-to-day production.
Dr Grün, what kind of nutraceuticals do you produce at MediGrün?
We specialize in the production of capsules and tablets along the entire value chain, as well as in the filling of powders and liquids. At the beginning of their value chain, our customers can rely on our expertise in the development of complex formulations. We also offer them services from mixing the raw materials to dosing and secondary packaging of the final products. For instance, we have the largest line for counting and packaging of oral solid dosage (OSD) products. In total, we produce more than one billion capsules per year – either filled with powder, microtablets, liquids or combinations.
Which trends and challenges do you think will influence the market for dietary supplements in the next years?
Quality management is an important topic in the production environment. The industry for dietary supplements is booming. New and highly innovative products are constantly pushing onto the market. Hence, production standards are rising continuously and will be further adapted to those of the pharmaceutical industry. Consequently, automation will also increase in production processes in our industry. The demand for lines with integrated inspection technology is already growing. At the same time, we are experiencing constant cost pressure and subsequently the need for a more cost-sensitive production. On the product side, we assume that the share of capsules filled with liquid, will increase significantly, for example in vitamin products. Moreover, customers are highly interested in combination filling: they are looking for ways to fill capsules into capsules or even tablets into capsules.
To what extent is MediGrün prepared for these developments?
Our goal is to always be a reliable partner for our customers − only those who help others to be successful can be successful themselves. Some years ago, we already decided to see these developments as an opportunity for our business: we align our production with pharmaceutical standards and continuously invest in state-of-the-art equipment. For example, we have been using the GKF capsule filling machines from Syntegon Technology for our capsule production for a long time.
Which machines from Syntegon Technology do you use?
In 2019, we acquired ten new GKF capsule filling machines. For our quality control, we rely on the capsule filling machines GKF 2500 100% ASB (with ASB for automatic troubleshooting), GKF 1400 100% ASB, as well as the checkweighers KKE 1700 and KKE 2500. Due to current market developments we recently also invested in a combination of GKF 2500 ASB with KKE 2500 and a GKF liquid capsule filling machine. In addition to these GKF machines we also have a TPR 200 tablet press from Syntegon Technology. With these investments we are well prepared for all upcoming changes.
Can you explain this in more detail?
Not only do we have more than ten years of experience in producing dietary supplements; as a family business, we also provide a high degree of flexibility and a comprehensive range of services. Contract manufacturing, however, is above all a matter of trust and reliability: hygiene, safety and a well-implemented quality management system play a crucial role. We take this responsibility very seriously. Syntegon Technology’s machines enable us to offer our customers particularly high quality and safety standards. At the same time, we can respond flexibly to various needs – without losing sight of cost efficiency.
In 2019, you received the “Customer Appreciation Award” for the most purchased machines worldwide as a customer of Syntegon Technology (formerly Bosch Packaging Technology). What do you particularly appreciate about Syntegon Technology?
Quality, speed and reliability are decisive factors for selecting our suppliers and partners. Syntegon Technology performed especially well in terms of speed and availability during ongoing projects. However, we were also convinced by the delivery reliability and the reaction time for service and maintenance issues.
The machines from Syntegon Technology meet all criteria that are relevant for us. First, the GKF capsule filling machines operate reliably and with low maintenance. The short set-up and cleaning times also ensure high productivity. Besides that, the modular GKF machines can be flexibly converted to a wide range of formats in a short amount of time, which significantly reduces downtimes. We can choose between different filling options for various products, which means we can optimally process even complex products with changing filling parameters.
By using GKF machines with slide-gate technology, MediGrün was able to significantly reduce product loss.
Moreover, we were able to significantly reduce product loss by using GKF machines with slide-gate technology: it enables highly accurate filling of powders and pellets into capsules, making our production even more sustainable. At the same time, generating less waste naturally means lower costs for our customers. Our own production processes benefit from shorter cleaning times due to less contamination.
How satisfied are your employees with the machines?
Thanks to the modular design, our employees can convert the capsule filling machines in the shortest possible time. The freely accessible production area allows easy cleaning and user-friendly operation. This is further optimized by touch screen monitors. All things considered, our operators are very satisfied with the user-friendliness of the machines and were able to familiarize themselves with them within a few hours.
