At FIP 2026, which will take place in Lyon from 2-5th June, Netstal will present an integrated production solution for the highly efficient series production of autoinjector housings for the administration of GLP-1 drugs.
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Lyon, France
At the heart of the fully automatic system is a new all-electric Elion with a clamping force of 1200 kN in a medical-grade design. The new generation of the Elion series enables the shortest cycle times with maximum process stability and minimum energy consumption.
Netstal presented the new generation of the established Elion series in a medical technology version to the international trade audience for the first time at K 2025 in Düsseldorf. The new Elion builds on proven technology and adds significant optimisations to further increase production efficiency. Thanks to a significantly shortened and compact design compared to the predecessor model with the same clamping force, the efficiency per square meter of production area can be increased. The new geometry of the double connecting rod toggle lever ensures even shorter dry cycles, optimised power distribution and greater long-term stability.
Separate shafts for connecting rods and ejectors provide users with improved accessibility, shorten regular maintenance calls and thus extend effective production times. The optimised design of the protective cover is easy to clean with its smooth surfaces and, compared to the previous model, allows for particularly quick disassembly and good accessibility for maintenance work. By means of a new injection gearbox with compact metering drive, optimised load distribution and a more even power consumption, the energy consumption of the injection moulding machine is reduced by up to 5%. The Elion injection moulding machines are already cleanroom-compliant up to class ISO 7 as standard. With other medical equipment options, higher cleanroom requirements can be achieved individually according to customer requirements.
The Elion series is currently being modernised gradually and in line with customer demand. Combinations with 1200 and 1750 kN shooting force and electric injection units up to size 870 are already available from the modular system. The target portfolio will cover the clamping force range up to 4200 kN. In the future, customers will also be able to choose from hybrid and electric injection units in the higher clamping force range. This means that customers from all areas of application, from medical technology to packaging and closures, always receive the desired and optimal solution from Netstal according to their individual specifications and requirements.
At its FIP booth K22-L09, Netstal will produce housings for autoinjectors with the new Elion MED. These autoinjectors are needed in very large quantities in the booming market for GLP-1 drugs. Together with mould partner Zahoransky, an innovative solution was developed that reduced the cycle time by 50 percent to around 9 seconds compared to conventional lift-and-strip molds with the existing number of cavities. This is an enormous competitive advantage over increasing output by raising the cavities, which would result in an expansion of the plant on expensive cleanroom space.
The 4-cavity mold from Zahoransky with hot runner technology from Ewikon comes up with innovative index technology: In contrast to conventional approaches, the index plate is located off-centre in the mould. This is made possible by an integrated rotary unit with servo motor, which rotates the parts from the injection position to the removal position when the mold is closed. While the six-axis robot mounted on the injection molding machine is still removing the finished parts, the next injection cycle is running. Part removal is thus cycle-neutral and does not cost any additional time.
Another efficiency lever: After injection, the parts continue to cool on the cores outside the cavity. This shift in residual cooling significantly shortens the effective cooling time in the cycle. The conformal cooling guides the cooling channels very closely along the component geometry and thus enables faster and more uniform cooling of the parts and thus a high degree of dimensional stability. The concept is complemented by an integrated scraper function and the absence of complex relative movements, which significantly simplifies the automation connection. Zahoransky designed the quadruple mold as a technology demonstration. For series production, concepts with 16- or 32-cavity moulds are planned.
Saxe's ultra-compact automation solution, which is adapted to the dimensions of the injection moulding machine, includes optical quality control as well as a fully production-ready solution for automatic container changes. The highly efficient handling system is also fully integrated into the Axos control system of the injection moulding machine. Axos thus becomes the control centre through which the entire system is controlled.