Pharma Contract Manufacturer Expands Large Batch Production to 110,000 Capsules Per Hour

Wiewelhove expands capsule filling line, enabling the company to fill pellets into capsules with the GKF 2600 from Syntegon Technology. Collaboration on special requests led to a smooth implementation.

The GKF 2600, which was developed for the high-performance range, achieves an output of more than 110,000 capsules per hour with capsule size 00.
The GKF 2600, which was developed for the high-performance range, achieves an output of more than 110,000 capsules per hour with capsule size 00.

Wiewelhove GmbH has been a contract manufacturer of solid oral dosage forms for more than 15 years, processing plant-based and synthetic active ingredients. Established in 1976, the family business has developed into an international contract manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, homeopathic products, and dietary and vitamin supplements. With two production sites and a laboratory in Ibbenbüren, Germany, the company has a range of machines suited for all common manufacturing processes for solids and uses the Syntegon Technology GKF series including the GKF 400, GKF 700, and GKF 2000 capsule filling machines. When Wiewelhove decided to expand its production capacity to accommodate large batches with a high unit count, it decided to add another GKF machine. Rainer Wibbelmann, technical director at Wiewelhove, said, "We can look back on good experience with the company and their machines, which have been running reliably for many years at our sites. After some market research, we quickly realized that we again wanted a GFK.”

Training, a successful strategy

Both the number of machines and employees is increasing at Wiewelhove. In addition to its long-standing workforce, Wiewelhove relies on young talent who must be trained before operating the machines - making training and education a top priority. "When we order new machines, training sessions held by our supplier are part of our requirements specification," Wibbelmann said. "Our operators need to become experts so that they can use all the machines’ advantages for our production – and ultimately for our customers. In turn, we must give them the opportunity to ask questions before new machines are put into operation. Only then will they feel comfortable with the technology and look forward to using it."

Employees were trained in two three-day training sessions on the new GKF 2600 capsule filling machine at the equipment provider’s site in Waiblingen. Production staff learned how to start-up and prepare the machine for production runs and how to perform format changeovers. Calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance were also part of the in-depth training, and, since the training sessions took place two weeks before the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), there was time to submit requests for changes. "During the FAT, we took over a machine that met our requirements down to the smallest detail," Wibbelmann said.

It’s the little things that count

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