Highly Reliable Assembly Station for Haselmeier – Key Project for Clinical Study
Strama-MPS, in cooperation with medical technology specialist Haselmeier, has developed a semi-automated assembly station with manual loading for medical technology applications, playing a central role in the execution of a time-critical clinical study. Within a tight four-month window, a six-figure quantity of the PiccoJect autoinjector was to be produced at the Dnešice site in the Czech Republic – a challenge that was successfully mastered with the equipment installed by Strama-MPS.
Haselmeier, a company of the medmix Group, has been developing and manufacturing innovative drug delivery solutions for pharmaceutical partners worldwide for decades. The company is known for its technologically sophisticated pen and autoinjector systems used in self-medication, meeting the highest requirements in terms of reliability, safety and user-friendliness.
Proof of Concept as Project Kick-Off
The project started with a Proof of Concept of the PiccoJect pressing process at the Strama-MPS technical center in Straubing. From the very beginning, patient safety was the top priority: all quality-relevant process steps of the PiccoJect assembly were fully automated, monitored and consistently designed for complete traceability in the final system. This ensures that the pressing and joining processes in particular are reproducible, stable and highly precise — essential requirements for regulated markets such as medical technology.
Joint Development for Demanding Assembly Processes
The new assembly system was created in close technical coordination between the project teams of both companies and includes:
two semi-automated joining stations
one camera inspection station
peripheral equipment for component feeding and provision
The operator-guided stations are designed for simple, safe and reproducible workflows. After manual loading and confirmation, a safety guard closes automatically and the joining process starts. After a successful pressing operation, the station opens automatically again and visualizes the result for the operator. The pre-assembled subassemblies can then be removed or directly transferred onward. Each station is accessible from three sides and equipped with a mobile panel for process visualization.
Quality Assurance Through Comprehensive Sensor Technology and Force-Displacement Monitioring
To meet the high requirements of medical technology, Strama-MPS integrated several inspection systems:
Verification of correct latching of components
Inspection of an additionally assembled cap
Additional camera and force-displacement monitoring to ensure consistent assembly quality
These quality checks ensure maximum process reliability and patient safety, as well as stable and reliable production conditions as required for clinical studies.
“The greatest success was that we were able to deliver the required volume in first-class quality within a very short timeframe. A key success factor was the reliable support provided by Strama-MPS throughout the entire project.”
Outstanding Reliability in Implementation
A key success factor was the close coordination between Strama-MPS and Haselmeier. The machine builder’s broad automation experience across various industries made a significant contribution to the rapid implementation. Despite the very short development time, the system ran stably throughout the entire production phase, enabling the Design Verification Test (DVT) to be successfully completed within the specified timeframe.
In addition to the high system availability, Haselmeier also emphasized the fast response times during the joint planning process.
„Ideas turned into reality: Strama-MPS supported us with well-thought-out solutions and implemented the jointly made decisions directly.” “
