Newsletter_12-2023_EN

EN 12/23 

Leading edge semiconductor 

research on 200/300 mm 

wafers

Fraunhofer IPMS presents semiconductor services at „Semicon Europe“ 

Leading edge semiconductor 

research on 200/300 mm wafers 

in the heart of Silicon Saxony 

and Europe 

Modern electronics developments require state-of-the-art technologies and manufacturing processes, which are a financial 

challenge for many companies. Located in the heart of Silicon Saxony, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems 

IPMS offers both large chip manufacturers and smaller companies access to the latest research results and technologies on 

200 and 300 mm silicon wafers. Services range from consulting and process development to pilot production. Green ICT - 

i.e. sustainability - is also playing an increasingly important role. 

Innovative, small, fast and accurate. And a touch of energy efficiency. 

These are the desired ingredients for many advanced technologies 

and miniaturized components. In order to continue the rapid technological 

progress, Fraunhofer IPMS also offers smaller companies 

access to its research portfolio, state-of-the-art technologies and 

equipment, as well as 200 mm and 300 mm cleanrooms. 

MEMS technologies and devices on 200 mm wafers 

At Fraunhofer IPMS, the technological development and support of 

MEMS technologies is carried out along the entire value chain: from 

individual processes to technology modules to complete technologies, 

as well as the process-technological support of the equipment 

in the cleanroom. i. After successful development, the institute offers 

pilot production or support for technology transfer. Fraunhofer 

IPMS covers the technological maturity levels (TRL) from three to 

eight. Especially start-ups, SMEs and companies without their own 

fab can thus benefit from low investment costs. 

In the field of sensors and actuators, Fraunhofer IPMS develops, 

for example, capacitive ultrasonic sensors. These are offered 

as a platform for rapid customer-specific adaptations. This provides 

small and medium-sized companies with cost-effective access to 

high technology. 

Another important aspect for customers: A simple and cost-ef- 

fective way to test the latest developments in their application. For 

this purpose, Fraunhofer IPMS offers evaluation kits. With these 

ready-to-use setups, customers can, for example, immediately integrate 

the microscanner technology into their product development, 

since the appropriate control electronics according to the specifications 

are already included in the scope of delivery. Costly in-house 

development is no longer necessary. 

300 mm semiconductor process and 

product development for nanoelectronics 

With the Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), Fraunhofer 

IPMS conducts applied research on 300 mm wafers for chip manufacturers, 

suppliers, equipment manufacturers and R&D partners. 

A wide range of technology development and support services 

are offered in the area of Ultra-Large-Scale Integration (ULSI). These 

include individual process developments in the areas of atomic 

layer deposition, chemical-mechanical polishing, wafer metallization, 

wafer cleaning, metrology and nanopatterning. The CNT‘s cleanroom 

is also used to evaluate and optimize chemicals and consumables 

for the latest CMOS technologies and to qualify equipment. 

The main focus of R&D activities is in the front-end area with a focus 

on the integration of functionalities in wiring layers (BEoL module). 

This mainly includes various non-volatile memories, capacitors or 

300 mm cleanroom at Fraunhofer IPMS. © Fraunhofer IPMS 300 mm cleanroom at Fraunhofer IPMS. © Fraunhofer IPMS 

www.reinraum.de | www.cleanroom-online.com NEWSLETTER | Edition EN 10-2023 

page 2/37

Customer evaluation kit for quasi-static MEMS scanners. 

© Fraunhofer IPMS 

varactors. Together with Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID (focus on heterointegration 

and wafer level packaging), competencies are bundled in 

the center CEASAX (Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration 

Saxony) and research is focused on neuromorphic computing, 

cryo- and quantum technology as well as advanced packaging. 

To expand the possibilities, a technology center for semiconductor 

metrology and process analysis was founded with the company 

Applied Materials. For this purpose, state-of-the-art eBeam 

metrology equipment from Applied Materials has been installed at 

Fraunhofer IPMS. Precise metrology is crucial for quality control in 

the production of microchips to validate physical and electrical properties 

and to ensure the targeted yield. 

Green ICT - Sustainable information and 

communication technology 

Increasing digitalization presents both opportunities and challenges 

for environmental protection. The intelligent control of devices 

saves energy, but the continuing proliferation of these devices 

increases energy consumption. Microelectronics therefore needs 

new approaches to minimize the environmental impact in both manufacturing 

and design. Fraunhofer IPMS is working closely with 

Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) in the Green ICT 

competence center to actively promote the reduction of resource 

consumption. This includes energy-efficient sensor edge cloud systems 

(battery-free sensors and neuromorphic AI accelerators) and 

communication devices (Li-Fi and Ethernet TSN) as well as resource-optimized 

electronics production on 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. 

The latter includes optimization of material consumption and 

substitution of critical materials in wet processes and lithography, as 

well as optimization of energy consumption and emissions impact. 

December 2023 

Dear cleanroom professionals , 

Christmas is fast on its way, we are 

looking forward to the holidays and then the 

year is already over. 

Someone said to me the other day „Good 

news is rare at the moment“. 

Nevertheless, take some time, relax and try to 

look back and remember a few good moments. 

But before that, here‘s something 

interesting read: 

> Leading edge semiconductor research 

on 200/300 mm wafers 

> Snow ensures cleanliness for space missions 

> New possibilities for the production 

of drives for medical technology 

> Answers to the transformation 

processes in the industry 

> Focused on “Serving Pharma” 

> Development work with a clear perspective 

With kind regards 

Reinhold Schuster 

Latest research results at „Semicon Europe“ 

From November 16 to 19, Fraunhofer IPMS will present its latest research 

results and technologies at the „Semicon Europe“ exhibition 

in Munich. Visitors have the opportunity to get in contact with the 

researchers at the joint booth of Silicon Saxony #B1-221/33a. Appointments 

can be made in advance via the Fraunhofer IPMS website. 

Three other FMD members - Fraunhofer ENAS, Fraunhofer IZM- 

ASSID and the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics 

(IHP) - will also be represented as part of the Research Factory Microelectronics 

Germany (FMD). 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Photonische Mikrosysteme IPMS 

D 01109 Dresden 

© Adobe 

Stockphoto 


page 3/37

Since even tiniest grains of dust or particles of manufacturing residues can impair the performance of satellites, extreme 

high cleanliness requirements have to be fulfilled. (Photo credit: OHB System) 

quattroClean technology for cleaning lightweight CFRP structures 

Snow ensures cleanliness 

for space missions 

When it comes to the performance of satellites and their successful use in space, the tiniest grains of dust or particles of 

manufacturing residues can be decisive. A global player in the international aerospace industry uses quattroClean snow 

jet technology as a solution to clean the interior of coated baffle and CFRP structures - with and without integrated cable 

harnesses - that even supplies proof of cleanliness at the same time. 

The family-run listed space and technology group OHB SE is one of 

the top 3 players in the European space industry. Divided into the 

three segments of Space Systems, Aerospace and Digital, the Group 

employs a workforce of around 2,800. The largest subsidiary, OHB 

System AG, based in Bremen and with a further site in Oberpfaffenhofen, 

has over four decades of experience in the development 

of high-tech solutions for space travel and other applications, with 

composite materials such as CFRP playing a key role. The company‘s 

portfolio of products and services encompasses the construction 

of complete satellite systems for earth observation, navigation, 

telecommunications, science and reconnaissance as well as the 

development and execution of space exploration missions and the 

development of systems for human space flight. As a systems specialist, 

OHB System cooperates with leading national and international 

companies, combining technologies to create new solutions. 

Meeting and proving high cleanliness specifications 

The same is true where cleaning technologies are concerned. Because 

in the wrong place, even tiny amounts of particulate manufacturing 

residues can impair the success of a mission for which 

the company bears responsibility. “That is why, eleven years ago, we 

set up the Cleanliness and Contamination Control division. In the 

meantime, eleven experts deal with the aspect of cleanliness along 

the process chain, as well as contamination engineering, proof of 

cleanliness, simulation of contamination transfer phenomena and 

cleaning operations in the high-end sector,” reports Dr. Axel Müller, 

Lead Expert Contamination Control at OHB System. In 2016, work 


page 4/37

To clean the CFRP structures of satellites - here with integrated cable harness and thermal components - OHB System and acp have 

designed a solution which enables cleanliness to be proved during the cleaning process. (Photo credit: OHB System) 

began on certifying the CO2 cleaning technology as a cleaning process 

for space travel within the company. This involved cleaning cable 

harnesses and CFRP structures with a diameter of approximately 

2,000 x 2,000 mm, which have a special, black, light-absorbing coating. 

Thanks to this so-called baffle, only the light to be detected or 

the desired image information is transmitted to optical components 

such as mirrors, lenses and detectors. “For example, if isolated particles 

reach the mirror as a result of the vibrations during launch, these 

are sufficient to cause light reflections that distort images and may 

even result in the failure of a mission,” explains Axel Müller. “For us, 

however, the challenge lies not only in getting the inner surfaces of 

baffle so clean in a damage-free process that no particles larger than 

ten micrometers are present but also in proving this. And this proof 

is usually extremely labor-intensive, time-consuming and costly.” A 

corresponding cleaning solution based on the scalable quattroClean 

snow jet technology from acp systems AG was jointly developed and 

integrated into an ISO Class 3 cleanroom. 

Four effects for highly clean surfaces 

The dry quattroClean technology uses liquid, climate-neutral carbon 

dioxide as a cleaning medium, which is guided through a wear-free 

two-substance ring nozzle. On exiting this nozzle, the carbon dioxide 

expands to form fine CO2 snow, which is then bundled by a separate 

circular jacket jet of compressed air and accelerated to supersonic 

speed. The easily-focused jet of snow and compressed air develops 

a combination of thermal, mechanical, solvent and sublimation effects 

when it impacts on the surface to be cleaned. The interaction of 

these four mechanisms of action removes particulate contamination 

right down to the submicrometer range and also filmic contamination 

reliably and reproducibly. The crystalline carbon dioxide sublimates 

completely during the process, leaving the cleaned surfaces dry. 

Thanks to the two laser pointers integrated into the nozzle head, 

the optimal distance away from the inner surfaces to be cleaned 

can be set. (Photo credit: OHB System) 


page 5/37

The swiveling nozzle head is attached to a lance, through the openings 

of which the detached contamination is extracted. Proof of cleanliness 

is supplied by particle counters integrated into the exhaust air stream. 

(Photo credit: acp systems) 

The baffle is placed on the fork of the cleaning machine 

by crane. A camera system integrated into the nozzle head 

displays the entire cleaning process live on the screen. 

(Photo credit: acp systems) 

Cleaning in the cleanroom with direct proof of cleanliness 

Unlike CO2, which is in a gaseous state at the end of the cleaning 

step, the detached manufacturing residues and dusts remain as solids. 

This gave the cleanliness experts the idea of proving cleanliness 

at the same time as cleaning. “In order to do this, we have developed 

a method whereby a stream of ultra-clean air flows around the part 

during the cleaning process, which transports the detached contaminants 

away from it to the extraction system. We have integrated 

a particle counter into this airflow, which displays the number and 

size of the particles present in real time,” reports Axel Müller. This 

measurably worsens the cleanroom class. However, by measuring 

the particle count per volume, it is possible to demonstrate that the 

cleanliness level in the cleanroom is quickly restored when the CO2 

cleaning process is interrupted. Then the next cleaning step begins. 

During this, the number and size distribution of the remaining contaminations 

are continuously reduced by the cleaning effect, and 

this is documented in parallel. These cleaning and regeneration cycles 

are repeated until the baffle meets the required cleanliness specification 

in terms of acceptable residual contamination or particle 

size distribution, respectively. “To my knowledge, the quattroClean 

snow jet technology is the only cleaning process of its kind where the 

cleaning result can be displayed live,” remarks Axel Müller. 

Sophisticated cleaning machine 

Based on these results and the recent certification of the cleaning 

solution for space applications, acp engineered a cleaning machine 

in high purity design for cleaning the interior of large, fully-assembled, 

semi-enclosed CFRP structures of three different baffles. 

Among other things, the machine features a media treatment unit for 

the liquid carbon dioxide, which ensures a purity of 99.995 percent; 

the compressed air quality is 1.2.1. 

The baffles, which weigh up to 125 kg and are shaped like a truncated 

pyramid rounded at the top, are fixed to an interface plate and 

placed on the fork of the machine by a crane. This can be moved in 

the X, Y and Z directions. To make sure that all the inner surfaces of 

the parts - which have a maximum size of 1,600 x 1,600 x 2,000 mm 

- are reached, the nozzle with swiveling jet is inserted into the baffle 

on a lance, where it scans it in a meandering pattern and rotates as 

it does so. During the cleaning process, the air inside in the baffle 

is extracted and the particles contained therein are analyzed according 

to size and number as well as place and time of detection, thus 

allowing the cleaning result to be evaluated. 

Collision control via digital twin 

Collisions, which could damage the CFRP structures, must be reliably 

excluded during the cleaning process. At the same time, it is 

essential that each area is cleaned effectively. The motion sequences 

must therefore be defined individually for each baffle. “We use a 

digital twin to this this, which models the machine, the part and the 

cleaning process, as well as the cleaning result,” explains Axel Müller. 

To measure the distance away from the part, the nozzle head is 

equipped with an ultrasonic sensor and two laser pointers. Thanks to 

a camera system that is also integrated, live images can be displayed 

any time during the cleaning step. Proof of cleanliness is supplied by 

particle counters integrated into the exhaust air stream. “With this 

machine, which is probably the only one of its kind in the world, we 

can now clean the parts 10,000 times more effectively than before. 

And this with huge time savings as well as significantly higher process 

reliability and reproducibility,” concludes Axel Müller. 

acp systems AG 

Berblingerstraße 8 

D 71254 Ditzingen 

Telefon: +49 7156 480140 

eMail: mail@acp-systems.com 

Internet: http://acp-systems.com 


page 6/37

Opening of the first permanently installed clean room at the FAULHABER location in Schönaich (Germany) © FAULHABER 

Opening of the first permanently installed clean room at the 

FAULHABER location in Schönaich (Germany) 

New possibilities for the production 

of drives for medical technology 

On September 13, 2023, the new clean room at the FAULHABER main location was unveiled and presented in the presence 

of the management board as well as those responsible for the project. The production area measuring 90 m² will in future be 

used to manufacture products for medical technology and the pharmaceutical industry under special conditions. Production 

in the clean room will begin in the middle of next year. 

The medical technology market is continuously shaped by new 

trends and also poses particular challenges in terms of the quality 

and purity of the used drives. To expand the production capacity of 

drive systems intended for this industry in the future, FAULHABER 

has installed and recently unveiled a new clean room at its main location. 

The drives which will be manufactured there from 2024 meet 

the special requirements of the medical industry and can be used in 

many different areas of medical technology and the pharmaceutical 

industry. 

The new clean room measures 125 m², 90 m² of which is purely 

for production, surrounded by airlocks for personnel and material to 

ensure that clean room conditions are maintained. „Our clean room 

will be certified to ISO class 7; in other words, the permissible concentration 

of indoor air particulates is restricted and microbiological 

contamination of the air is limited,“ explains Andreas Melzer, head 

of the Safety, Facility & Maintenance department at FAULHABER. 

This is ensured by an air exchange rate of 25 times every hour, which 

means that the room air is replaced completely about every two and 

a half minutes. Comparison with air exchange rates of three to four 

times per hour in other areas of production where there are no clean 

room conditions illustrates the performance of the ventilation system 

for the new clean room. 

The new production area took seven months to complete. The 

construction work was carried out behind a dust protection wall so 

as not to affect ongoing production. Opening of the new clean room 

took place on September 13, 2023, in the presence of the project 

team as well as the managing directors Lutz Braun, Dr. Udo Haberland 

and Hubert Renner. 

For FAULHABER, the newly constructed area means an increase 

in its clean room capacity – the location at Schönaich has had a 

clean room tent for products from the semiconductor industry since 

2021. „Nevertheless, the first permanently installed clean room at 

the location is something completely new and extremely exciting for 

us,“ says Melzer. Commissioning is scheduled for the middle of 2024 

when there will be permanent staff made up of FAULHABER employees 

who will be trained and equipped for work in the clean room 

and will be active primarily in the new facility. Until then, there are a 

number of work steps that still need to be completed, such as fitting 

out the room with workstations and equipment as well as the connection 

of the cleaning system to the material lock. This ensures that 

all components used satisfy the clean room requirements. 

Thanks to the modular structure of the new FAULHABER clean 

room, a further expansion of production capacity in this area will be 

possible in the future. 

Dr. Fritz Faulhaber GmbH & Co. KG 

D 71101 Schönaich 


page 7/37

With the changes in numerous industrial sectors, the tasks in industrial parts cleaning are also changing. This requires 

manufacturers to diversify their product and service portfolios more strongly. (Picture: Ecoclean GmbH) 

Ecoclean meets current and future challenges with diversification 

Answers to the transformation 

processes in the industry 

The economy is undergoing a transformation that poses challenges for many areas of industry. New products and various 

megatrends require adjustments to manufacturing technologies as well as to the range of products and services. Ecoclean 

GmbH is proactively addressing this change through greater diversification of the solution portfolio for industrial component 

cleaning and the new business area of hydrogen technology. 

Energy transition, sustainability, demographic change, mobility, automation 

and digitization, and security - these megatrends are resulting 

in technological and social changes. And at an increasingly rapid 

pace. This development demands increasingly higher flexibility and 

agility from companies. This is also evident in the field of industrial 

parts cleaning: Whereas yesterday it felt like the automotive industry 

was setting the standards in terms of cleanliness requirements, 

today it is completely different industrial sectors, each with its own 

specific requirements. Ecoclean, one of the world‘s leading suppliers 

of equipment and systems for industrial component cleaning, surface 

treatment and automation, is responding to these changes with a 

future- and market-oriented diversification strategy. The course for 

this was already set several years ago with corresponding financial 

and personnel investments. As a result, new solutions for high-tech 

industries can now be offered in addition to equipment and systems 

for tasks in the previous industrial sectors, such as the automotive 

and supplier industry, mechanical engineering, joining technology, 

the jewelry and watchmaking industry, and the aerospace industry. 

High Purity - Cleanliness in the third dimension 

This includes, for example, the semiconductor industry and its suppliers. 

To be able to manufacture ever smaller and more powerful microchips 

by means of EUV lithography, extremely high demands are 


page 8/37

An initial solution in the new electrolysers business area 

was completed in September 2023 with a test rig for alkaline 

pressure electrolysis. (Picture: Ecoclean GmbH) 

High-tech industries such as the semiconductor supply industry, 

precision optics and medical technology require product and 

industry-specific cleaning and turnkey solutions for the highest 

cleanliness requirements. (Picture: Ecoclean GmbH) 

placed on the components for the production equipment in terms of 

purity. In addition to ultra-fine particulate residual impurities in the 

nanometer range and extremely strict specifications regarding filmic 

contamination, outgassing rates for organic substances and residual 

moisture as well as „prohibited“ substances/elements play a qualitycritical 

role here. Likewise, stringent cleanliness requirements must 

be met for vacuum technology components for the UHV, XHV and 

UCV range - for example in high-power laser systems, high-tech 

measuring, and analysis equipment. Precision optics, micro-optical 

parts, and sensor systems, among others for semi-automated and 

autonomous driving as well as digitization applications in industry, 

also require a very high degree of cleanliness for lasting fault-free 

function. For these challenging tasks, Ecoclean offers industry and 

application-specific solutions from pre-cleaning to intermediate 

and final cleaning connected to or integrated in a clean room. For 

the design of process and plant technology, the company has its own 

High Purity Test Center with a validated clean room and corresponding 

measurement technology. 

Turnkey solutions for medical technology - 

MDR and FDA compliant 

High cleanliness requirements have always been commonplace in 

medical technology. With the introduction of the European Medical 

Device Regulation (MDR), the requirements for cleaning medical 

devices such as implants, instruments, and equipment, as well as 

for qualification, documentation, and traceability of the processes, 

have become even stricter. In the meantime, the U.S. Food & Drug 

Administration (FDA) is planning to harmonize its quality system 

regulation with the MDR, so that uniform regulations will apply regardless 

of market access. To solve the very different tasks in medical 

technology in a requirement-oriented, efficient and sustainable 

manner, Ecoclean not only offers a complete and globally available 

portfolio of qualified cleaning systems. Cooperation with renowned 

partners also enable the realization of turnkey projects with corresponding 

packaging and cleanroom solutions. Software specially 

developed for medical technology, RFID technology and audit trail 

ensure that all specifications regarding component identification, 

documentation and traceability are completely fulfilled. In addition, 

the company‘s experts provide support with qualification (IQ, QQ 

and PQ) on request. Thanks to the company‘s comprehensive medical 

technology and regulatory know-how, combined with extensively 

equipped technology centers including a cleanliness laboratory 

and validated cleanroom, the technically and economically optimal 

solution can be devised for every cleaning task. It can be easily duplicated 

for further production sites, which accelerates qualification 

and commissioning. 

Green hydrogen - energy source of the future 

By entering into the development, manufacture and sale of electrolysers 

for the production of green hydrogen and solutions for its 

use, the company is opening up a new business area. To this end, 

Ecoclean and the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie und Wassersoff-Forschung 

Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) have pooled their expertise in 

the joint project „EcoLyzer BW“. Based on the robust and well-tested 

system technology for alkaline pressure electrolysis developed 

by the ZSW and Ecoclean‘s expertise and decades of qualification 

in process engineering and industrial production technology, electrolysers 

are designed as a modular system with compact standard 

modules. With power classes initially ranging from one to ten megawatts, 

they enable the simple and cost-efficient construction of 

electrolysers that can be adapted to a wide range of applications, for 

example in industry, mobility, energy supply for neighborhoods and 

storage of regeneratively generated, surplus energy from wind power 

and photovoltaic plants. A first solution in this area was completed 

in September 2023 with a test rig for alkaline pressure electrolysis. It 

will make it possible to test and validate electrolysis stacks with an 

output of up to 500 kW and a diameter of 1,200 mm. 

Through this diversification strategy, Ecoclean is helping to meet the 

challenges associated with disruptive developments as well as various 

megatrends. 

Ecoclean GmbH 

D 70794 Filderstadt 


page 9/37

Innovative quattroClean technology for cleaning with dry CO2 granules 

Automated, inline powersnow 

cleaning process with integrated 

cleaning granule 

production 

For inline dry component cleaning applications, acp systems 

has developed the new powersnow quattroClean technology. 

In this innovative process, recycled liquid carbon dioxide 

is compressed into cleaning granules by a unit integrated 

into the system. These are then accelerated by compressed 

air, fed through a nozzle designed especially for the respective 

purpose and blasted onto the surface to be cleaned. 

Thanks to the elimination of the customary external pellet 

production and logistical effort associated with conventional 

dry ice cleaning, a fully-automated and uninterrupted 

cleaning or deburring process can be realized. 

The innovative quattroClean Powersnow technology enables dry, fully 

automated inline cleaning processes. Recycled, liquid carbon dioxide is 

compressed into cleaning granulate in an integrated system and blasted 

onto the surface to be cleaned at an accelerated rate using compressed 

air. (Image source: acp systems) 

In industrial parts cleaning, the goal of optimizing energy and resource 

efficiency is leading to the increased use of dry processes to 

reliably remove contamination. At the same time, more and more 

companies are demanding automated cleaning processes that can 

be integrated into their production lines. The innovative powersnow 

from acp systems AG fulfils both requirements. The new cleaning 

process efficiently removes stubborn particulate and filmic contamination 

from virtually all materials and material combinations 

found in industry. Using cleaning granules made from recycled liquid 

carbon dioxide, the process can be implemented to clean entire 

surfaces or selected areas in a reproducible manner. Applications 

range from surface finishing in the so-called “body-in-white” stage 

and the removal of welding beads, to the fine deburring of medical 

instruments and high-quality watch components. 

Fully-automated processes through integrated 

cleaning granule production 

The medium is fed to the quattroClean powersnow system from 

cylinders or tanks and therefore has an unlimited shelf life. A purpose-built 

unit integrated in the system compresses the liquid CO2 

into fine cleaning granules. This constitutes a decisive difference 

to conventional dry ice cleaning, where pellets or dry ice blocks are 

produced externally and fed to the cleaning system. The system’s 

continuous, automated media supply of the powersnow is an essen- 

The continuous, interruption-free media supply is the essential 

prerequisite for fully automated, production-integrated cleaning 

processes in which the nozzle is guided by a robot. (Image 

source: acp systems) 


page 10/37

Differently designed nozzles allow to optimally adapt the dry cleaning process to different cleaning tasks. The nozzle design 

and dimensions also ensure that hard-to-reach component areas can be cleaned. (Image source: acp systems) 

tial prerequisite when it comes to fully-automated, inline cleaning 

processes. 

Fast, effective and reliable process thanks to 

four mechanisms of action 

The macro particles generated by the compressor unit are accelerated 

by compressed air and blasted via a nozzle onto the surface to be 

cleaned in a targeted manner. The jet of compressed air containing 

the granules has a temperature of around minus 78°C. On impacting 

on the surface, four effects occur. The thermal effect leads to sudden 

local cooling, and the different expansion coefficients between the 

substrate and the contaminants cause cracks to form in the latter. 

The mechanical effect due to the momentum transfer detaches the 

impurities. When the snow granules impact on the surface, they undergo 

a transition from the solid to the gaseous phase, with an abrupt 

increase in volume of around 600 times. This so-called sublimation 

effect creates micro-pressure waves that also detach contaminants. 

In addition, during the transition phase, a solvent effect removes filmic/organic 

contamination. 

The strength of these effects and thus the intensity of the cleaning 

jet can be adapted to different cleaning applications or workpieces 

by varying the volume flow of carbon dioxide, the compressed 

air pressure and the type of nozzle. 

From surface finishing in the body-in-white stage 

to fine deburring 

This process flexibility makes the new quattroClean powersnow 

technology extremely versatile. For example, the surfaces of car 

body parts can be selectively cleaned and activated automatically 

prior to bonding. This is also the case when different materials, 

such as metal & plastic, metal & wood or different plastics, are to 

be permanently bonded together. The robustness of the process as 

well as a large working window thus offer advantages over other 

dry cleaning methods such as atmospheric plasma and laser. If adhesive 

residues need to be removed after bonding, the new process 

also rapidly achieves the required cleanliness. Other typical uses 

include the preparation of surfaces for bonding or welding and the 

removal of welding beads. Lines can also be utilized for these tasks, 

with robots carrying out the respective pre- and post-processing 

steps. In the automotive industry and electromobility, other areas 

of application include cleaning tasks during the manufacture of 

fuel cells and batteries, including solid-state batteries. The process 

is also used to automate the regular cleaning of DLC coating tools, 

thus increasing throughput. 

The mechanical force of the granules and the local embrittlement 

caused by the intense cooling effect enables burrs to be efficiently 

removed inline from metal components such as high-quality 

watch components and medical instruments. 

Likewise, burrs can be removed from injection-molded or machined 

plastic components, including those made of polyphenylene 

sulfide (PPS) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK), as well as fiberreinforced 

plastics. 

Task-specific, cost-effective solution 

Tests in acp‘s technical center determine the general suitability of 

the powersnow cleaning technology for the task at hand and define 

the necessary process parameters. The key factors influencing these 

parameters are the cleanliness and/or deburring requirements as 

well as the cycle time specifications. Based on these, acp systems 

develops appropriate system concepts for implementation as standalone 

solutions, for integration into the specific production process 

or for integration into interlinked manufacturing environments. Since 

all process parameters are recorded and documented, full traceability 

is guaranteed. 

acp systems AG 

Berblingerstraße 8 

D 71254 Ditzingen 

Telefon: +49 7156 480140 

eMail: mail@acp-systems.com 

Internet: http://acp-systems.com 


page 11/37

GMP monitoring system brings 

peace of mind to drug manufacturer 

The quality of manufactured or processed products at cleanroom 

facilities are protected by applicable good manufacturing practices 

(GMP) that specify stringent environmental monitoring requirements. 

The Swedish drug manufacturer APL (Apotek Produktion & 

Laboratorier) recently installed Vaisala’s viewLinc Continuous Monitoring 

system at its manufacturing plant, and has been delighted 

with the reliability and peace of mind that the system delivers. 

Moustapha Ismail was employed by APL as an external consultant 

in the qualification and replacement of an older monitoring system 

at the site. He says: “The previous monitors had been in place 

for around fifteen years, so we took this as an opportunity to evaluate 

the latest technology on the market before making any decisions.” 

With more than 500 employees and five manufacturing units in 

Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Umeå, APL is one of Europe’s 

leading manufacturers of extemporaneous drugs and stock preparations, 

as well as a contract manufacturer in the life sciences sector. 

One of the key requirements for the new monitoring system was 

ease of use, because this was regarded as a weakness in the existing 

system. “Naturally, we were looking for monitors that could offer the 

highest levels of uptime and reliability, but conscious of the benefits 

of smart technology, we were keen to take advantage of the latest 

developments,” Moustapha explains. “Members of the team had 

previously used Vaisala sensors, so we were already aware of their 

accuracy and long-term reliability, so Vaisala was invited, along with 

others, to quote for our user requirement specifications.” 

To demonstrate viewLinc’s capabilities, Vaisala staff ran a virtual 

demonstration of the system in operation at Vaisala’s manufacturing 

facility in Helsinki. “This provided an opportunity for the APL team 

to learn how easy it would be to setup a viewLinc system using Vaisala’s 

VaiNet wireless temperature and humidity loggers,” explains 

Vaisala Sales Manager Janne Halonen. 

The VaiNet data loggers use low frequency communications to 

provide long-range signal strength without the need for amplifiers, 

even in locations with obstacles such as metal or concrete structures. 

The low frequency also means that VaiNet does not interfere 

with other network traffic. If necessary, it is also possible to connect 

data loggers, transmitters, or other devices to the viewLinc system 

using Ethernet, PoE and USB connections. 

The VaiNet AP10 network access points transfer data from the 

data loggers to the viewLinc Enterprise Server, and both the access 

point and the software verify that data have been received correctly. 

Data are then stored in viewLinc‘s secure database to protect data 

integrity and security. Data redundancy is achieved through load 

distribution between different VaiNet access points, which share 

multiple in-range loggers. The onboard memory of each logger, and 

viewLinc’s database, complete the audit trail. 

The probes in the data loggers use Vaisala HUMICAP® humidity 

technology and platinum RTD sensors to provide best-in-class 

levels of measurement stability. HUMICAP® sensors employ a capacitive 

thin-film polymer technology that is resistant to contamination 

by dust and condensation. 

Following the viewLinc demonstration, and after a full evaluation 

of reference customers and Vaisala’s technical and pricing proposal, 

APL selected the viewLinc Continuous Monitoring System, 

which was installed in 2022. The system comprises over sixty VaiNet 

wireless RFL100 temperature & humidity data loggers, supported by 

multiple VaiNet AP10 wireless access points. While the data loggers 

are equipped with sensors designed for long-term stability, they 

must be calibrated to maintain accuracy and compliance. Vaisala offers 

a yearly calibration service, however APL chose instead to use 

Vaisala’s training and tools to manage calibrations in-house. 

Summarising, Moustapha says: “From an operational perspective, 

we have been delighted with the ease of use of the system, and 

we have built a high level of trust in viewLinc. Our team can log in 

and view readings at any time of day or night, and we know that the 

VaiNet loggers are accurate and reliable, so we can rest assured that 

the system will protect our vital indoor facilities and issue an alarm if 

any monitoring point approaches a threshold value.” 

Vaisala GmbH 

Rheinwerkallee 2 

D 53227 Bonn 

Telefon: +49 228 249710 Telefax: +49 228 2497111 

eMail: vertrieb@vaisala.com 

Internet: http://www.vaisala.de 


page 12/37

Sustainable surface disinfection 

– mikrozid® universal wipes green line 

now also available in maxi format 

– Now available: Medical ready-to-use disinfection wipes for medium-sized surfaces in maxi format, 

100% plastic-free and produced in a climate-neutral way 

– schülke supports clinics and care facilities in sustainable surface disinfection 

mikrozid® universal wipes* green line are now also available in maxi format. The new format (23x25 cm) of the medical 

disinfection wipes is particularly suitable for material-friendly disinfecting of medium-sized surfaces. Like the innovative 

mikrozid® universal wipes* green line in the standard format, the wipe material of the maxi wipes is also completely free of 

plastic and produced in a climate-neutral way. 

In contrast to conventional PET-based medical disinfecting wipes, 

the new maxi-wipes leave a carbon footprint reduced by up to 30% 

thanks to the innovative nonwoven with VEOCELTM** fibers. In 

addition, the optimized packaging with 90 wipes lowers plastic waste 

by 18% compared to the large-format premium version with 80 wipes. 

The 12.5% higher pallet utilization ensures sustainable transport 

and warehousing. 

Special viscose fibers reduce environmental impact 

For the wipe material of the mikrozid® universal wipes* green line 

maxi, schülke uses VEOCELTM fibers. The raw material wood, 

which forms the basis of the fibers, comes from controlled and sustainably 

managed forests and plantations. The high quality of the 

fibers with very good liquid distribution and excellent absorbency 

is achieved through a strictly applied manufacturing process with 

particularly low environmental impact, which allows the complete 

elimination of fossil-based synthetic fibers. 

To protect people, the environment and the climate 

With the mikrozid® universal wipes* green line products, schülke 

supports clinics and care facilities in achieving more sustainability 

in their daily routines. Especially where a high level of consumables 

cannot be avoided to protect patients from infections, the protection 

of the environment must have a high priority. This is where 

the company makes an important contribution with its mikrozid® 

universal wipes* green line. The new maxi format offers the perfect 

complement for sustainable surface disinfection. „Protecting people, 

the environment and the climate is our top priority,“ says Stefan 

Kukacka, CEO at schülke. „We are proud to also fulfill these goals 

with the mikrozid® universal wipes* green line maxi.“ 

Schülke & Mayr GmbH 

Robert-Koch-Str. 2 

D 22851 Norderstedt 

Telefon: +49 40 521000 

eMail: life.sciences@schuelke.com 

Internet: http://www.schuelke.com 

* Use disinfectants safely. Always read the label 

and product information before use. 

** VEOCEL is a trademark of Lenzing AG. 


page 13/37

High-End Performance Packaging from wafer to system. © Fraunhofer IZM 

Pioneering work for the microelectronics 

of tomorrow: From Chiplet Integration to Cooling 

– Challenges in High-End Performance Packaging 

The future of microelectronics faces exciting developments and important trends. But how will this technological sector 

develop in the coming years? Which application areas will significantly drive 2.5D/3D hetero-integration and high-end performance 

packaging, and where are the limits of what is physically possible? 

On the institute‘s 30th anniversary, RealIZM, the science blog about microelectronics at Fraunhofer IZM, met with Prof. Dr. 

Martin Schneider-Ramelow. The institute’s director gives a comprehensive insight into the future of microelectronics as 

well as current and planned research activities. 

RealIZM: How do you envision the future of microelectronics? 

Which important trends do you think will shape the coming 

years? 

The fact is that we will not produce the logic and the memory devices 

with the finest structure widths within semiconductors (nodes) 

in Europe, even if large manufacturers like Intel or TSMC want to 

locate here. In this field, as we know, here are only a few large international 

manufacturers who have the machinery and expenditure to 

produce nodes smaller than 5 nm. BUT… It is becoming increasingly 

important to bring these devices together with other devices that 

have different internal structures, such as sensors, power electronics, 

voltage supplies, etc. 

At Fraunhofer IZM, we have been researching and working on 

2.5D/ 3D hetero-integration for many years. The equipment and the 

possibilities that our institute has for research and development in 

this field are unique in Europe. This has encouraged me to remain 

with the institute for as long as I have and to take on the role of institute 

director. 

Some companies are already talking about 5.5D hetero-integration. 

This is the combination of 2.5D and 3D. In other words, chips 

are stacked on top of each other and electrically connected to each 

other, and are also connected to each other on an interposer or organic 

substrate on which other components as well as semiconductors 

or chiplets are located. In packaging, the trend is emerging to go further 

and further with width and height. Our Institute for Microintegration 

is very well positioned in this area. Our goal is to continue to 

play a pioneering role in this area. 

RealIZM: Which application areas are significantly 

driving 2.5D/ 3D hetero-integration? 

These are buzzwords that have been heard in the professional world 

for the last three to five years. The demand for high performance 

applications for data centers, high performance computing (HPC), 

quantum computing and neuromorphic computing, smart sensing, 


page 14/37

optoelectronics, 5G and 6G communications, artificial intelligence 

(AI) and also autonomous driving is steadily increasing. 

On the one hand, AI training and inference is driving demand 

for data center servers. On the other, more and more supercomputers 

are being used to perform complex tasks such as imaging digital 

twins and calculations for climate research and quantum mechanics. 

Last but not least, cloud computing and video streaming are becoming 

increasingly popular. 

All these applications generate an extremely large amount of 

data, and their processing and transmission require much better 

computing. With 3D hetero-integration, Fraunhofer IZM is making 

an important contribution to this. 

RealIZM: If conductor paths become even narrower in 

the future, via diameters even smaller, wafer thicknesses 

even thinner - when will we reach the limit of what is physically 

possible? 

Some years ago, people said that Moore‘s Law would slowly put an 

end to fine internal structures. Some leading manufacturers have 

announced that they will be using nodes smaller than 5 nm in the 

future. Yet a few years ago, no one could have imagined this. 

A new trend is also emerging for finer structures on printed 

circuit boards, i.e. organic substrates, which are targeting the lower 

single-digit micrometer range. This is not yet state-of-the-art. I am 

convinced that colleagues at our institute will be instrumental in advancing 

this field. The foundation has already been laid for achieving 

even smaller sizes. For one thing, we are applying new technologies 

such as hybrid bonding. Secondly, major research and funding measures 

mean we have numerous new devices at our disposal that can 

be used to implement even smaller structures. 

Since 2022, Fraunhofer IZM‘s QuantumPackagingLab has been 

one of the leading centers for the development of reliable packaging 

approaches in quantum photonics. Our experts in optical interconnect 

technology, for example, have a special 3D printer for laser processing 

of glass with an accuracy of about 1 μm at 200 x 200 mm. To 

our knowledge, there are only 10 machines in use worldwide in this 

research area. The machine is designed for four processes: selective 

laser-induced etching of glass, welding of glass, writing of 3D waveguides, 

and two-photon polymerization. Normally, a single machine 

is required for each of these processes. 

Quantum technologies and high-speed computers using superconductors 

are among the latest electronics trends. However, the 

structures with which qubits on chips, for example, can be controlled 

and read out in real time are still larger than the qubits themselves. 

A research group at our institute has recently developed a process 

which allows them to use indium bumps to double the connection 

density compared to previous solutions. They now want to use this 

technology to optimize the drive electronics. In addition, we have 

set up a cryogenics laboratory at our Berlin site, which can be used 

to test the performance of the electronic assemblies at temperatures 

of just a few Kelvin. 

To return to the initial question, there will indeed be a point 

where we will not be able to get any smaller. Eventually, photonic 

data transmission, which is already used from rack to rack, will also 

go directly into the PCBs as well as from chip to chip. We have already 

been working on this for several years. 

RealIZM: A few weeks ago, the Research Fab Microelectronics 

Germany (FMD) and Intel, together with key players in German 

industry, presented a Roadmap 2030+ for 3D integration 

research. What contribution will Fraunhofer IZM make to this? 

Our institute has played an important role in initiating talks with 

Intel; we have been working closely together for many years. The 

research roadmap just presented was developed in a series of workshops 

organized by FMD and Intel Europe Research. The first workshop 

took place at our premises in Berlin at Fraunhofer IZM. 

We have also been actively involved in the development of the 

roadmap and are preparing the foundations for future microelectronics 

together with the relevant stakeholders. It is of great strategic importance 

that Europe as a location does not fall behind and that future 

developments are promoted and advanced in close cooperation with 

industrial partners. Chiplets have been talked about for many years. 

However, only small quantities are in production worldwide. We are 

still a long way from supplying finished chiplet solutions, but there is a 

roadmap for implementation in the coming years in place. 

In the future, nodes with extremely fine structures will have to 

be combined with sensors, MEMs, photonic elements, LiDAR, radar, 

and much more for use in the automotive sector. The resulting 

data volumes must be processed. At Fraunhofer IZM, we are convinced 

that this will only be possible in the future with chiplets. The 

semiconductors and components from the various Fabs and from 

the Fraunhofer Institutes or other European research and technology 

organizations (RTOs) must be very tightly interconnected in 

the smallest possible space. Technologies such as our panel level 

packaging play an important role in this context. The fact is, in the 

end everything has to be integrated onto a substrate to connect the 

chiplets with the other components. Before mass production can 

start, key questions need to be answered: Who are the potential customers 

for these components? What opportunities are there for cooperation 

with industry in Germany and Europe? 

On the way to market-ready quantum technologies: Packaging 

technologies for quantum photonics are being developed at the 

Berlin QuantumPackaging Lab. © Fraunhofer IZM | Matthildur Valfells 

Chip assembly for readout electronics in quantum computers 

on cryo test pedestal. © Fraunhofer IZM | Volker Mai 


page 15/37

RealIZM: The current institute brochure shows a visualization 

of a High-End Performance Package (HEPP). What does this 

illustration show and what exactly constitutes a HEPP? 

The graphic visualizes how crazy systems get when they are supposed 

to be highly functional and what technologies are needed to 

achieve this. We illustrate what is already being done today in highend 

performance packaging and where our institute is active in the 

field of hetero-integration. We put chips on and into the printed circuit 

board. We build interposers, stack chips and process MEMS in 

systems. We take care of cooling, antennas and data transmission. 

Fraunhofer IZM is the packaging institute in Germany, Europe and 

worldwide. 

The current challenge is that the industry is setting new standards 

in terms of finer structures, micro-bumps, fine lines and 

spaces. To keep up with this and deliver innovations ourselves, we 

need the latest machines and measurement techniques. We contribute 

by developing and building systems that the industry can then 

produce. Whilst we look at the overall concept, companies focus on 

specific areas of development, e.g. packaging, chip design development 

and the production of chips, MEMS, or sensors. However, in 

the end, a functional system must be created from these individual 

building blocks. 

We see ourselves as a link between the manufacturers of the materials, 

machines, components and the specialists in packaging and 

interconnection technology. As an application-oriented research 

institute, our approach is to understand what the respective application 

requires in terms of technologies, components, materials and 

reliability. We are at the center of all activities in the preparations for 

the European Chips Act (ECA). 

RealIZM: Hybrid bonding and chiplet integration are increasingly 

being mentioned in connection with advanced packaging. 

However, new approaches must be taken for packaging 

modern power semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) or 

gallium nitride (GaN). How is Fraunhofer IZM positioned 

in this respect? 

As explained earlier, the microelectronics industry has been increasingly 

focusing on heterogeneous integration for several years in order 

to integrate more computing, memory and other functions on a 

given area. To increase 3D interconnect density, multiple advanced 

and/or mature chips are being placed in a single package. However, 

for high-performance applications, the IO spacing requirement 

shrinks below what can be achieved with flip-chip interconnects. 

To reliably interconnect chips with a pitch of 10 μm, hybrid bonding 

technology is currently the only option. 

We have been working on hybrid bonding in industrial projects 

at our site in Saxony for several years. So far, we have been working 

with bonding widths of 4.5 – 6 micrometers. We need to collaborate 

to reduce that by half, as we do not yet have the necessary machinery. 

However, we are planning to acquire the necessary equipment 

through funding programs (including the ECA). We know how and 

under what conditions this works in a clean room. There is still a lot 

of development to be done for the expected sub-micrometer structures 

by the end of this decade. 

We also play a pioneering role in the field of chiplets. We work 

on both silicon and glass interposers and are also exploring the possibility 

of working on organic substrates. Over the next few years, it 

is expected that the internal chip structures for some types of semiconductors 

will drop to a size range of less than 2 nm. As far as 

the bonding of these chips on substrates is concerned, the first IC 

substrates with two micrometer lines and spaces (L/S) are already in 

use in Asia. However, there are still a number of technical questions 

to be answered here, e.g. whether the high-frequency capability and 

signal integrity are guaranteed, and how does heat dissipation of the 

system take place? These are also the challenges that motivate me 

personally. 

It is important to understand that Fraunhofer IZM does not manufacture 

semiconductors, i.e. we are not a CMOS institute that 

designs and manufactures chips. We start with the wafer. But if, in 

the future, the external connections of the chips and other components 

are also to become smaller and smaller and are to be placed 

as a system on an organic, glass-based, or ceramic substrate or even 

embedded in the printed circuit board, there will be some development 

work required. This is where Fraunhofer IZM comes into play. 

Our two main technologies are wafer level packaging and (large area) 

substrate system integration, both of which are being stringently developed. 

Using printed circuit board technology, we have embedded 

Glass interposer with 3 assembled daisy chain test chips. The thickness 

of the glass interposer 450 µm with completely Cu-filled TGVs and RDL 

routing on both sides. Glass can offer a superior performance for RF 

applications (depending on glass type) and can be processed to an 

interposer with thicknesses in the range of 50-800 µm, TGVs can be 

used for power or signal routing or to improve thermal management. © 

Fraunhofer IZM 

Silicon interposer with two assembled Risk-V-based chiplets and two 

high bandwidth memory stacks (HBM2) for high performance computing 

and AI workloads. Chip/system design: ETH Zurich, interposer finish and 

chip assembly. © Fraunhofer IZM 


page 16/37

power semiconductors partly with ceramic interposers to realize 

high-performance power electronics. For this purpose, we build subsystems, 

modules, and systems and also take care of the packaging 

and cooling. For many years, our institute has been involved in predevelopment 

on future topics at ECPE, the European Competence 

Center for Power Electronics. 

I am certain that we will make significant contributions to microelectronics 

in the future. One thing is for sure, we will not run out 

of research topics in the next 30 years. 

RealIZM: What ideas and plans are there for the future design 

of Fraunhofer IZM‘s three sites in Berlin, Dresden and Cottbus? 

The Innovation Campus for Electronics and Microsensors Cottbus - 

iCampμs Cottbus – was established in 2019 with six non-university 

research institutions as well as professors from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. 

Our institute is involved in various projects in the field of 

high-frequency and high-speed systems and antenna configurations. 

One example project is the development of a mobile ultra-low 

power radar system for medical applications. I am very pleased that 

we are also represented with a professorship in the field of high frequency 

technology at iCampμs Cottbus since the beginning of 2023. 

Next year, the iCampμs Cottbus Conference (iCCC2024) will 

take place, to which I cordially invite everyone from research and 

industry. The transfer conference for innovations in science and 

industry will highlight potentials and new applications arising from 

powerful sensor technology, the use of innovative microelectronics 

and AI for Industry 4.0, the energy industry and (tele)medicine. 

I have high hopes to expand Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID at our Dresden 

site in the long term. Unlike Berlin, the site in Moritzburg is owned 

by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. This means that we have the opportunity 

there - provided we have the funds available (in the lower 

three-digit million Euro range) - to double the existing cleanroom 

area and equip it with the appropriate machinery. 

For Germany, it would be great if Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID had its 

own manufacturing capacity. I believe we could supply sophisticated 

modules, submodules, small systems and preliminary products 

in the future. I am happy to support this path, we just need the financial 

resources and also the demand from industry. However, this is 

still all pie in the sky. 

Another option is to rent existing or planned clean rooms. Together 

with the Fraunhofer IPMS, we have found a solution for this 

at the Centers Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) in Dresden. In 

summer 2022, the new cleanrooms at the CNT and the 300mm Center 

for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration in Dresden-Moritzburg 

were opened together with the IPMS. Over the next five years, 

we plan to create additional cleanroom capacity of up to 900 m2 and 

equip it with a pool of equipment to work together with the Fraunhofer 

IPMS and CNT. 

We need to have access to the latest machines and plan cleanroom 

capacities in this regard in order to keep up with developments 

in high-end performance packaging. We therefore cooperate with 

numerous partners - machine, material, user and packaging specialists. 

Various support measures and our cleanrooms mean we have 

been very successful in this so far. Our location in Berlin is currently 

benefiting in particular from funding from the German Federal Ministry 

of Education and Research (BMBF) for the „Research Factory 

for Quantum and Neuromorphic Computing“ (FMD-QNC) project. 

The existing premises are continuously optimized and modernized 

and technologies are further developed. 

RealIZM: In addition to the term microintegration, Fraunhofer 

IZM has the term reliability in its name. Where should reliability 

assessments ideally start? 

The reliability of electronics is the basis for functioning systems. At 

Fraunhofer IZM, we look at high-end performance packaging, i.e. 

heterosystem integration, in terms of materials, components, and 

machines as well as assembly and interconnection technologies, 

testing, characterization, and reliability, all the way to the application 

as a whole. We are therefore particularly strong in physics-of-failure 

analysis. This means that when we build new systems with new materials 

and finer structures, we know which stresses are to be expected 

depending on the area of application. This allows us to reliably 

align and simulate electronic systems in a targeted manner. We are 

interested in then applying the simulation to the new technologies 

we develop and new materials we use. Not only do we do the reliability 

testing and analysis, but based on that we describe the failure 

and failure mechanism. What is the use of building a system that is 

defective in application after two days? 

The evaluation of reliability must be carried out at coordinated 

technology levels and requires an understanding of the respective 

system. Where, how and when is the component installed and to 

which stress factors (temperature level and change, humidity stress, 

Ein historisches Treffen an unserem Institut, das den Beginn einer außergewöhnlichen Partnerschaft darstellt: Der 1. FMD-Intel-Workshop zur heterogenen 

3D-Integration für 2030+ am 28. Oktober 2022 in Berlin. © Fraunhofer IZM 


page 17/37

load duration, etc.) is it exposed? Reliability measurements should 

be taken as early as possible in the process. The need for technologyaccompanying 

reliability analysis will play an increasingly important 

role in the topic of chips. If chips from different manufacturers and 

technologies are installed in a multi-package, in the worst case a 

„bad“ chip or an inadequate interconnect is enough to cause the 

entire system to fail. 

RealIZM: After all the insights, you get the feeling that these are 

golden times for microelectronics. Is that really the case, or are 

there also challenges? 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Schneider-Ramelow 

director of Fraunhofer IZM. 

© Fraunhofer IZM 

Background information on 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Schneider-Ramelow 

Professor Martin Schneider-Ramelow has established himself 

as one of the leading microelectronics researchers and 

teachers in Germany. Since 2014, he has held an honorary 

professorship at TU Berlin and, since January 2017, a professorship 

for „Materials of Hetero-System Integration“ at the 

Institute for High Frequency and Semiconductor System 

Technologies at the Faculty IV Electrical Engineering and 

Computer Science at TU Berlin, heading the research focus 

Technologies of Microperipherics. 

Since 2023, Martin Schneider-Ramelow has been the 

institute director at Fraunhofer IZM, where he works on the 

thematic-strategic orientation of the institute‘s activities, the 

further development of the institute within the framework of 

the European Chips Act Initiative and the deepening of 

cooperation with universities and institutes. He also is a strong 

advocate for the more than 400 employees and their further 

development. As a professor, he supervises numerous doctoral 

and graduate students and develops mentoring programs 

and personnel coaching. Martin Schneider-Ramelow is author 

and co-author of more than 250 technical articles. He is 

considered a specialist in the field of quality and reliability of 

metallic interconnects and is recognized worldwide as an 

expert in wire bonding. For example, as chairman of Working 

Group 2.4 „Bonding“ for the German Welding Society (DVS), 

he was instrumental in rewriting DVS Standard 2811, which is 

more than 20 years old and has been the basis for evaluating 

high-quality wire bond connections since 2017. Furthermore, 

he is a member of six national and international conference 

program committees in the field of electronic packaging, 

Senior Member of IEEE, Fellow of IMAPS USA and, for 14 years, 

First Chairman of the International Microelectronics and 

Packaging Society (IMAPS) Germany. 

The need to constantly renew machinery and to maintain and 

operate cleanroom infrastructure are cost-intensive. There is also a 

shortage of skilled workers. At the Berlin site, we currently have over 

100 laboratories across a total area of 8,000 m2. In order to staff all 

of these, we need aspiring scientists and technicians. We have been 

training future microtechnologists for over 20 years. Our research 

institute offers exciting tasks and perspectives for further development, 

for students and even more so graduates. 

Sovereignty is currently a key topic in the industry. In order to 

be able to provide essential advance developments for industry, research 

institutes need the financial resources to build and operate an 

appropriate technical infrastructure. My appeal to our headquarters 

in Munich and also to the decision-makers in politics is as follows: 

Continuous investment in the education and training of specialists 

for microelectronics and in equipping the research institutes is worthwhile 

and will continue to be necessary. We have already achieved 

a great deal. As a result of the European Chips Act (ECA) and numerous 

initiatives such as FMD funding by the BMBF and the above-mentioned 

„FMD-QNC“, I am observing increasing networking 

with European research organizations such as imec and CEA-Leti. 

It is only together that we can develop solutions for the current and 

future challenges in electronics research. 

Despite all the euphoria about technology, it is also important 

to consider the impact of newly developed technologies on the environment 

and their energy efficiency. The fact is that more and 

more electronics are being installed. If medical operations are performed 

in the future with the support of a digital twin, or if vehicles 

drive autonomously, this will also mean higher energy requirements. 

Operating new electronic products at the lowest possible 

energy level, thinking about their recycling through to reparability, 

are becoming increasingly important in electronics and packaging 

technology. 

Fraunhofer IZM has been concerned with the impact of technological 

progress on the ecological footprint since its foundation. We 

have been the absolute pioneer in this field for 30 years in the international 

research community. In the early days of our institute, we 

discussed the topic of „lead-free electronics“ thoroughly and have 

continued to work on the issue of electronics-specific sustainability 

ever since. Our work in this area is currently culminating in the 

„Green ICT @ FMD“ project. In this, we are looking at how sustainable 

electronics can be. For example, we are looking at the material 

cycles and carbon footprint of electronics in all the areas that are 

used in high-end performance packaging. Our job is to take a holistic 

view of what we develop and build in high-end performance packaging. 

It‘s not enough to have the most innovative packaging process. 

We also have to make sure that the technologies we use work reliably 

and are sustainable at the same time. 

Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und 

Mikrointegration IZM 

D 13355 Berlin 


page 18/37

Global Polymer Specialist Launches Biopharma Fluid Processing Portfolio, Reveals 

New Brand for Tubing, and Solidifies Commitment with New Manufacturing Facility. 

Focused 

on “Serving Pharma” 

SILMOTION tubing BRAIDMOTION tubing THERMMOTION tubing 

RAUMEDIC, a leading global provider of 

polymer-based product solutions for the 

medical and pharmaceutical industries, has 

extended its portfolio for biopharmaceutical 

fluid processing products and launched 

a new brand for biocompatible tubing. Further, 

the company is expanding its global 

headquarters with a cutting-edge ISO-7 

clean room manufacturing facility. For over 

a decade, RAUMEDIC serviced a key solutions 

provider in the biopharmaceutical 

and life science sector exclusively as an exclusive 

supplier. Now, leveraging more than 

70 years of polymer processing expertise, 

the company is offering its state-of-the-art 

product range directly to the broader market. 

The portfolio encompasses a diverse 

selection of biocompatible fluid processing 

tubing from various materials: SILMOTION 

- silicone tubing, BRAIDMOTION - braided 

silicone tubing, THERMMOTION - TPE tubing, 

PVC tubing, and FEP tubing. Additionally, 

the range features tubing connectors 

constructed from PC (polycarbonate), along 

with tailored customer-specific developments 

such as tube sets. 

Serving Pharma as a One-Stop-Shop 

for Polymeric Product Solutions 

Nina Kaiser, Head of Pharma, explains why 

RAUMEDIC has decided to openly serve 

the pharmaceutical and biotechnological 

industries - as a direct supplier: “When it 

comes to polymer tubing, RAUMEDIC is 

one of only a handful of global companies 

sophisticated enough to fulfill the strenuous 

regulatory demands for extruded biopharma 

tubing itself. But our capabilities actually 

go beyond this.”, says Ms. Kaiser. 

When asked about what truly sets 

RAUMEDIC apart from its competition, 

Ms. Kaiser points out that “it’s the ability 

to serve customer demands in the entire 

product environment of polymer fluid processing 

products, made possible through 

our broad technological expertise and repertoire”. 

With manufacturing technologies such 

as extrusion, molding, and assemblies available 

across five global production sites, Ms. 

Kaiser points out that “RAUMEDIC has set 

out to become a true one-stop-shop for polymeric 

product solutions for pharma and 

biopharma fluid processing products.” 

New ISO-7 Clean Room Manufacturing 

Facility: Commitment to Industry 

Partnerships 

RAUMEDIC is also expanding its global 

headquarters in Germany with the construction 

of a state-of-the-art ISO-7 clean 

room manufacturing facility. With the expansion, 

the company is underlining its intent 

of becoming a premier destination for 

industry partners in the pharmaceutical and 

biopharmaceutical industry. 

To actively promote these opportunities 

for new partnerships in the market, RAUM- 

EDIC has chosen the claims ‚WE SERVE 

PHARMA‘ and ‚SERVING PHARMA‘. This 

decision underscores the polymer specialist‘s 

strategic intent and commitment to 

collaborations with the (bio-)pharmaceutical 

industry. 

New Brand Names for 

Sought-After Tubing 

As part of its new strategic alliance with 

the pharma and biopharma industries, 

RAUMEDIC has also unveiled its registered 

brand names for three of its most coveted 

biocompatible tubing products: 

– SILMOTION for silicone tubing with a 

unique and patented Low-Tack surface. 

– BRAIDMOTION for braided silicone 

tubing with medical grade PET mesh 

material. 

– THERMMOTION for TPE tubing that is 

free of Irgafos168 and optimized for cell 

growth. 

Tubing is in stock available in common 

standard dimensions – or can be provided 

in customer-specific dimensions on request. 

Raumedic AG 

D 95233 Helmbrechts 


page 19/37

How one of the largest health care providers in the U.S. leverages Vaisala humidity and 

temperature instruments to meet strict accreditation standards for safe operating 

room and laboratory environments. 

Empowering patient safety and 

hospital accreditation through 

reliable measurement data 

One of the most significant U.S. health care systems is harnessing 

the power of measurement technology to help patients feel whole 

and deliver compassionate, world-class care. A key element of that 

commitment is enhancing care quality and patient safety through 

a more efficient outcomes-based accreditation program. DNV GL‘s 

pioneering NIAHO® program integrates ISO 9001 with the Medicare 

Conditions of Participation to restore efficiency and value to 

hospital accreditation. 

The challenge: Difficulty calibrating transmitters in critical 

spaces to ensure compliance 

As the health care industry — as well as the rest of the world — continues 

its adoption of digital technologies, those innovations are increasingly 

deployed in new ways to help improve care outcomes. The 

Building Efficiency and Controls Group at a U.S.-based health care 

provider began its digital transformation in 2015, and that journey 

continues today as that team oversees about 12 million square feet of 

building space across eight hospitals in its region. 

The problem for the group was twofold: First, it was receiving 

inconsistent data due to variations in measurement instruments. 

Leveraging equipment from many sensor vendors, including Vaisala, 

the team struggled with consistent measurements, device standardization 

and large-scale humidity drift. Second, the third-party 

service the team was using to calibrate the humidity and temperature 

transmitters in its critical spaces (i.e., anesthesia, radiology and 

operating rooms, laboratories, and pharmacies) was having difficulty 

calibrating units. 

Calibration is important to ensure the health care system meets 

the requirements to achieve and maintain hospital accreditation 

that validates Medicare compliance. The first and only accreditation 

program to integrate the CMS Conditions of Participation with the 

ISO 9001 Quality Management Program, the DNV GL NIAHO accreditation 

program directly addresses content management system 

(CMS) requirements. 

Any U.S. hospital that accepts Medicare and/or Medicaid must 

comply with federal health and safety standards, but providing the 

best possible patient care can be difficult when care providers are 

already overburdened by accreditation and certification processes. 

Complicating the issue, our client was still facing compliance-related 

issues due to the variety of installed sensors and lacking confidence 

in the accuracy of the measurements. Consequently, its 

Building Efficiency and Controls Group was forced to make repeat 

service calls and required multiple visits to adjust the humidity issues, 

understand how to service the various sensors and replace the 

sensors for which calibration was not available. 

The solution: Digital system to capture, document and report 

data to meet accreditation standards 

Since our client’s team is audited yearly regarding data points for critical 

spaces, its humidity and temperature instruments must be tested 

and calibrated on an ongoing basis. To overcome the issues our 

client experienced surrounding critical space testing and instrument 

calibration, as well as consistent measurements, device standardization 

and large-scale humidity drift, the group made Vaisala’s Humidity 

and Temperature Transmitter Series HMW90 and Handheld 

Humidity and Temperature Meter HM70 its standardized products 

in 2017 and brought calibration in-house in 2019. 

Through a Calibration Care Agreement, the group sends the handheld 

meters back to Vaisala for annual calibration to ensure reliable, 

accurate measurements. The most economical and convenient way 

to maintain the accuracy of Vaisala instruments over their lifespans, 

such agreements provide several benefits: 

– Lower calibration costs for multiple years. 

– Flexibility to add calibrations with agreed terms within the agreement 

period. 

– Faster delivery time with priority processing and a convenient 

return process managed via the Vaisala Online Store. 

– Vaisala MyLearning license for access to online training and regular 

Q&A sessions with experts 

Vaisala’s Calibration Care Agreements can be customized according 

to unique needs and are available for all Vaisala instruments 

with a calibration offering. 

To evaluate the Vaisala solutions, our client installed data logs 

and provides a director’s report monthly with a focus on compliance 

and accuracy. The HMW90 measures relative humidity and 

temperature in indoor environments, where high accuracy, stability 

and reliable operation are required. Designed for demanding humidity 

measurement in spot-checking applications, the HM70 is 

ideal for field checking and calibration of Vaisala‘s fixed humidity 

instruments. Leveraging the HMW90 and HM70, our client added 

the design standard specification for critical spaces to all dependable 

data logs. 

Ensuring critical health care spaces meet certain standards for 


page 20/37

humidity, temperature and other important parameters is vital to improving 

patient safety, care quality and health care delivery. Whether 

for effective equipment operations, patient and staff safety and 

comfort, to prevent microbial growth, safe vaccine/medication storage, 

or to meet different standards and guidelines for anesthetization, 

measuring relative humidity and temperature is important in 

the critical spaces where complicated procedures are performed and 

where the environmental conditions surrounding patients and staff 

are essential. 

“We can plug into the wall-mounted device, calibrate it on the fly 

with the handheld meter, and it keeps us compliant,” said one of the 

specialists on our client’s team. “We don’t see big dips in humidity, 

and the failure rate is very low with these devices … it’s a very reliable 

sensor — and we don’t get that with other out-of-the-box solutions.” 

Integrated with sensors that meet specification, deliver high performance 

over time, and are accurate and reliable from installation 

to scheduled maintenance, the company’s digital quality management 

system calculates highs and lows over time, automatically 

creates work orders in the event of high/low alerts and empowers 

the Building Efficiency and Controls Group to learn about and fix 

problems, thereby meeting accreditation requirements and maintaining 

hospital accreditation. 

The benefits: Consistent, accurate and reliable measurement 

data to meet accreditation standards and ensure safe operating 

rooms, laboratories, and pharmacy environments 

Leveraging 85 years of experience in humidity sensor technology, 

Vaisala builds products that provide reliable measurement data, 

which is essential for meeting accreditation standards and ensuring 

safe operating environments in critical spaces. The primary benefits 

of utilizing Vaisala’s humidity and temperature instruments to meet 

DNV GL’s strict hospital accreditation standards are the accuracy 

and reliability of the sensors and the enhanced energy savings unlocked 

when used with temperature reset. 

“The provider made Vaisala a standard because of the accuracy 

and reliability of Vaisala solutions compared to other out-of-the-box 

options,” said the team’s director of control systems and energy management. 

“When we receive a new sensor, Vaisala has calibrated it 

and provided certified documentation that we can use toward compliance 

each year. With the ability to be more accurate in our recordkeeping, 

we can ensure the data we are presenting for compliance is 

correct because there’s no question whether the sensor is working.” 

As a result of implementing the Vaisala measurement solutions, 

our client not only experienced reliability in data presented for compliance 

but was also able to use the instruments to conduct an airhandling 

unit temperature reset and realize significant energy savings. 

In fact, the first hospital in the region that the group focused 

on regarding energy management is now the only Energy Star-certified 

hospital in the state. In the US, a building must meet strict energy 

use standards set by the EPA to be eligible for ENERGY STAR 

certification. But additional benefits of this implementation include 

cost savings, whether via reduced manpower to manually check humidity 

because the system is electronic or by way of reduced thirdparty 

vendor costs as calibration has been conducted in-house since 

2019. 

With our client and other forward-thinking organizations across 

the health care space continuing digital transformation efforts, Vaisala 

instruments will remain crucial as health care systems expand 

their digital footprints and install sensors in noncompliant critical 

spaces. Equipped with consistent, accurate and reliable measurement 

data, organizations across the health care sector can continue 

to improve the health, prosperity and well-being of the communities 

they serve by consistently upholding the highest standards to deliver 

exceptional health care. 

Vaisala GmbH 

Rheinwerkallee 2 

D 53227 Bonn 

Telefon: +49 228 249710 

Telefax: +49 228 2497111 

eMail: vertrieb@vaisala.com 

Internet: http://www.vaisala.de 


page 21/37

In the clean room of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, two employees of the space company OHB transfer part 

of the lens optics of the NISP instrument (left) to a measuring machine (right). © Johannes Maas 

The Euclid space telescope contains technology from two Max Planck Institutes 

Development work with 

a clear perspective 

Planning a space telescope mission like Euclid allows for only one launch attempt. Researchers and engineering teams from 

the Max Planck Society have had to overcome major challenges to make the technology work in space. They have developed 

optical components and parts of the instruments on board, and are now working to ensure that the data is flawless. The 

possibility of encountering unforeseen issues after years of planning highlights that Euclid is pushing the boundaries of 

what was previously visible. 

Decades of research and technological development preceded the 

moment when the Euclid space telescope sent its first images back 

to Earth. Researchers and engineers from the Max Planck Institutes 

for Astronomy in Heidelberg and for Extraterrestrial Physics in 

Garching near Munich were involved. They are part of the Euclid 

consortium, which includes research institutes in 17 countries. They 

helped to develop and build the telescope‘s two instruments, the optical 

camera (VIS, Visible Instrument) and the near-infrared camera 

(NISP, Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer). Another team 

from the two Max Planck Institutes, together with colleagues from 

other institutions, now ensures the operation of the telescope and 

the logistics and quality of the data transmitted. 

A unique telescope 

Euclid is located behind the Earth on an imaginary axis piercing 

through Sun and Earth. From there, the space telescope surveys a 

significant portion of the visible sky, scanning for distant galaxies. 

Here, the Earth‘s atmosphere can‘t interfere, and Euclid has a clear 

view of the dark and diverse universe. The telescope is unique. „Together, 

we have developed the largest optical lens systems ever used 

for a scientific space mission,“ says Frank Grupp, senior scientist at 

the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and the Ludwig 

Maximilian University in Munich. Four lenses, up to 18 centimetres 

in diameter and weighing 2.5 kilograms - an unprecedented achievement 

in space technology. 


page 22/37

The four infrared filters installed in the NISP instrument with 

diameters of four centimetres in the foreground and eight and 

fourteen centimetres in the background. At over 300 grams per 

filter, these are the largest and heaviest infrared filters ever used 

on an astronomical space mission. The basis of all filters is quartz 

glass, which is specially coated so that each filter only allows 

infrared light at very specific wavelengths to pass through. 

© MPIA/Felix Hormut 

The Esa mission Euclid in the clean room of the Laboratoire 

d‘Astrophysique de Marseille. The fully assembled NISP detector 

system is located on the right-hand side in the focus of the 

telescope. The shimmering blue lens system is clearly recognisable 

on the left-hand side, with the filters in the apparatus 

located behind the lenses. These filters are crucial, ensuring that 

the infrared light undergoes colour filtration before reaching the 

NISP instrument. © Euclid Consortium & NISP instrument team 

The NISP instrument‘s three colour filters are also breaking records. 

„They are the largest infrared filters of any astronomical space mission 

to date,“ says Knud Jahnke of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, 

which developed the filters in collaboration with industry. 

Euclid‘s camera plane captures an image roughly the size of the full 

moon and about 250 times larger than the Hubble Deep Field, a single 

image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, a narrow window in 

which thousands of distant galaxies have been seen. 

The large field of view and the large optics go hand in hand. They 

will be used to image almost the entire visible sky beyond our own 

galaxy in high resolution and detail in just six years, capturing billions 

of galaxies in a three-dimensional map. The aim is to answer the 

question of how the Universe has evolved and what role dark matter 

and dark energy have played in this process. 

The final test 

After many years of careful assembly of the telescope‘s instruments 

in ultra-clean conditions, Euclid lifted off on the shoulders of a Falcon 

9 rocket from Cape Canaveral spaceport on 1 July 2023 with a 

thunderous roar. Frank Grupp remembers: „When I felt the engines 

in my stomach and chest, I had to think about ‚my‘ lenses, which 

were subjected to much stronger vibrations just 60 metres away 

from the engines“. Nevertheless, he was confident that the optics 

would hold up. 

„Most of the mechanics are built to withstand two minutes of 

launch, during which extreme forces occur,“ says Knud Jahnke. The 

major mishaps came at the beginning of the planning phase. „Right 

at the beginning, a first lens design burst on the test bench. That 

hurt. It was light, but the material made it too brittle. We learned 

from that“, says Frank Grupp. „Failure is a sensitive subject, but it‘s 

important. The lenses that went into space were heavier, but more 

robust. It was a compromise, because every gram of launch weight 

is expensive. 

Success lies in the detail 

Calibration scientists are needed to ensure that Euclid‘s optics also 

produce images suitable for cosmological studies, i.e. images that 

are better than would ever be possible from the ground. At the Max 

Planck Institute for Astronomy, they mediate between the expectations 

of the telescope system under ideal conditions and the real 

conditions of the telescope in orbit during calibration. They optimise 

the images and data by closely studying the characteristics of the 

instruments and the telescope, as well as the influence of the harsh 

environment of space, and then taking them into account. „The instrument 

is what it is,“ says Knud Jahnke. „I can calculate what to expect 

on paper in advance, but the conditions in space are slightly 

different from those in a laboratory on Earth.“ 

A three-dimensional map of the universe 

After six years, Euclid will have provided about 40,000 images. To 

create a three-dimensional map of the galaxies in our observable 

universe from the two-dimensional images, ground-based telescopes 

will help determine the distances to the imaged galaxies. „The 

data from the telescopes we bring in from Earth far exceeds the 

volume of data from Euclid,“ says Maximilian Fabricius of the Max 

Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and the Ludwig Maximilian 

University of Munich, who heads the German Euclid data centre. 

This includes spectroscopic data, i.e. the colour components of visible 

light, which can be used together with Euclid‘s infrared spectra 

to determine the distances to the billions of galaxies. 

Trust leads to safety 

The first published scientific images show that the design of the telescope 

meets all the requirements. The Max Planck Institutes involved 

were part of a complex and detailed process during the telescope‘s 

development. A space telescope like this can only be launched 

once and cannot be repaired afterwards. According to Knud Jahnke, 

the key to success lies not only in expertise, but also in fostering an 

open culture of error during development: “It was immensely beneficial 

for the mission that problems could always be discussed openly 

and that we always treated each other with trust“. 

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. 

D 80539 München 


page 23/37

Companies sign joint memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership 

SICK and Endress+Hauser want 

to join forces in process automation 

German sensor company SICK and Swiss measurement and automation technology specialist Endress+Hauser want to intensify 

their cooperation. Both companies are aiming for a strategic partnership for SICK’s process automation business 

segment and have signed a joint memorandum of understanding. By bundling their strengths, the companies are striving to 

provide even better support for their customers in important areas such as energy and resource efficiency and protection 

of the climate and environment. 

The goal of the partnership is to expand 

the Endress+Hauser product portfolio with 

process analysis and gas flow measurement 

engineering from SICK. The two companies 

intend to establish a joint venture for 

the production and further development 

of SICK process technology. The sales and 

service teams of SICK’s process automation 

business segment will become part of 

Endress+Hauser’s global sales network. In 

total, this segment currently employs more 

than 1,400 people in 28 countries and generates 

more than 350 million euros in sales 

annually. 

Complementary offerings in process 

automation 

The process technology offerings from both 

companies complement each other. The 

process analysis and gas flow measurement 

engineering from SICK – for emissions monitoring 

in flue gas cleaning processes or for 

gas flow measurements, for example – are 

employed particularly in waste incineration 

facilities, at power, steel and cement plants, 

in the oil & gas industry, in chemical and 

petrochemical production and in the marine 

sector. In the past, the companies have 

frequently worked together on an order, 

project and customer basis. 

Both shareholder families, as well as the 

respective supervisory bodies of SICK and 

Endress+Hauser, are backing the planned 

strategic partnership. Using the memorandum 

of understanding as a foundation, 

experts from both companies are now conducting 

due diligence to determine how 

the collaboration can be accomplished and 

brought to fruition. The contract is expected 

to be signed before the end of the first quarter 

of 2024, while closing of the transaction 

is scheduled for the middle of next year. 

Partners see shared opportunities and 

mutual benefits 

“Our strategic partnership is about mutual 

benefits at many levels. We want to seize 

shared opportunities by bundling our 

strengths. Because SICK and Endress+Hauser 

are already highly successful companies 

on their own, we are acting from a position 

of strength. We are convinced that together 

we will be even more successful. And by 

working cooperatively, we can support our 

customers even better and accompany them 

in the sustainable transformation of the process 

industry,” explained Matthias Altendorf, 

CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group. 

Dr Mats Gökstorp, chairman of the Executive 

Board at SICK, said: “Through this 

strategic partnership, Endress+Hauser and 

SICK will break new ground. The impulse 

and source of momentum for this undertaking 

is the dynamic market environment 

for process automation, produced by the 

progressive decarbonization of industry. By 

working together, we can better capitalize 

on these excellent opportunities, while also 

developing the best solutions for and with 

our customers. Our years of collaboration in 

the past, similarities in the corporate cultures 

of our family-owned businesses, and our 

shared affinity for technology and people 

are key motivators. And successful joint projects 

with Endress+Hauser in the past show 

that we work well together.” 

SICK is one of the world’s leading solutions 

providers for sensor-based applications 

in the industrial sector. With more than 50 

subsidiaries and equity investments as well 

as numerous agencies, SICK maintains a 

presence around the globe. SICK has almost 

12,000 employees worldwide and generated 

a group revenue of around 2.2 billion euros 

in the 2022 fiscal year. The core business in 

factory and logistics automation, which accounts 

for more than 80 percent of sales, will 

remain unaffected by the strategic partnership. 

Process instrumentation plays a pivotal role in energy and resource efficiency, as well as in protecting 

the climate and environment. © Endress+Hauser 

Endress+Hauser AG 

CH 4153 Reinach BL 1 


page 24/37

Sanner Group announces construction 

milestone at new global headquarters 

and production site 

The Sanner Group announces that it has held a “Topping Out” ceremony at its new headquarters and production/development 

site, located in Bensheim, Germany. The “Topping Out” ceremony marking a critical milestone was held on October 

19, 2023, following the completion of the main structural building process. The building’s aggressive construction plan has 

remained on schedule since the initial groundbreaking held on January 21, 2023. Receiving the manufacturing equipment 

transfers from September 2024 on at the state-of-the-art production facility, Sanner will work closely with customers to 

move all production into the new facility by beginning of 2025. 

The building project is designed and managed by Goldbeck GmbH, 

one of Germany’s leading industrial construction companies. Deutsche 

Anlagen-Leasing (DAL), a leading specialist in large-scale asset-based 

investment projects, with a transaction volume of over 2.4 

billion euros, is financing the project which will effectively double 

Sanner’s existing production capacity in Germany. 

The new 30,000 square meter (322,917 square foot) facility will 

house a flexible injection molding and assembly hall that can meet 

packaging and device CDMO requirements. The facility was designed 

with an automated central material supply system to support 

efficient machine loading. Other facility design features include 

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) floors for assembly of devices that include 

electronic medical technology components, and Class 7 clean 

rooms. Current storage capacity will double with the addition of the 

new warehouse that will soon implement a fully automated warehouse 

management system to enhance efficiency. The new site will 

also include a 300 square meter (3229 square foot) “Sanner Technikum” 

technology and innovation center that will develop customerspecific 

solutions and device prototypes on site. 

The new building is designed to meet Sanner’s sustainability objectives, 

through the incorporation numerous features contributing 

to the long-term sustainability of the site. A significant portion of the 

energy required to run the site will be generated by the Photovoltaic 

system covering the entire factory roof, which converts thermal 

energy directly into electricity. Further energy requirements will 

come from energy efficient heat pumps, and wind turbines to support 

the outdoor lighting and electric bicycle and car charging stations. 

Utilizing modern isolation systems and state-of-the-art machinery 

reduces energy consumption as well. Sanner also took a green 

approach to the site grounds with the introduction of many trees and 

a green roof contributing to a more sustainable production facility. 

The new facility in Bensheim represents a lighthouse project for 

Sanner and the future of sustainable manufacturing with energy and 

resource-efficient operations. The Bensheim site construction is 

an important part of a greater expansion plan for the Sanner Group, 

which includes a new second facility in Kunshan, China. The expansion 

plan will enable the company to fulfill its strategic goals of 

providing pharma and nutraceutical desiccant packaging as well as 

medical CDMO services, with the best quality and flexibility for its 

customers. Sanner’s key objective is to provide next to the packaging 

portfolio exceptional and efficient development and production of 

drug delivery, diagnostic and medtech devices for customers around 

the globe. 

“This day is the next great milestone in our company’s history,” 

noted Sanner CEO Dr. Hans-Willem van Vliet. “This outstanding facility 

is the result of the hard work and dedication of many people, 

all of whom deserve great thanks. After all, this is where the Sanner 

Group will accelerate the development of pharma and medical technologies 

and provide smart solutions that benefit customers and patients. 

I strongly believe that the new facilities, as well as our current 

expansion efforts in Europe and the U.S., will lead to further profitable 

growth and sustainable capacity for the Sanner Group.” 

Sanner GmbH 

D 64625 Bensheim 

The new production and development site of the Sanner Group in Bensheim, 

Germany. 

Dr. Hans-Willem van Vliet, CEO of the Sanner Group, at the topping out 

ceremony on October 19, 2023. 


page 25/37

Innovation network honors pioneering technologies 

– Seamless remote monitoring even in remote locations 

A Complete Overview: Smart 

Monitoring IoT solution for industrial 

pumps from LEWA and generic.de 

receive Allianz Industrie 4.0 Award 

Pump manufacturer LEWA and its partner for digital product development generic.de were honored with this year‘s Allianz 

Industrie 4.0 Award for their jointly developed Smart Monitoring IoT solution. With the help of the intelligent monitoring 

system, industrial pumps can be reliably and seamlessly checked, monitored and evaluated during operation, even in very 

remote locations. The prize was awarded at the Startup the Future Event on November 22, 2023, in Stuttgart. 

The continuous operation of pump systems in critical applications 

goes hand-in-hand with high expenditures for monitoring and 

maintenance. Recording parameters such as flow rate, temperature 

and pressure often require expensive and high-maintenance instrumentation 

as well. „Our pumps meter and convey expensive and 

sensitive fluids. For this reasons, our customers have very high expectations 

in terms of process reliability. Over the past few years, we 

have acquired a great deal of monitoring expertise for our pumps,“ 

explained Moritz Pastow, Program Manager Digital Services & IoT 

at LEWA GmbH. The Smart Monitoring IoT system designed and 

realized together with generic.de enables LEWA to share its expertise 

in diagnostics with end customers automatically and based on 

key figures. The system outputs error states with precise error localization 

and in plain text for increased user-friendliness. At the same 

time, the technology is the basis for a whole range of other possible 

applications, such as predictive maintenance, intelligent energy management, 

remote service and performance analyses. 

Precise monitoring even at the edge of civilization 

A lot is demanded from the sensors used: They must also guarantee 

high-frequency data acquisition at 1,000 Hz for high-pressure applications 

up to 1,000 bar with highly toxic, extremely hot or cold, explosive 

and abrasive fluids. The industrial pumps are integrated into 

processes that must function 24/7. „Technologically, the project was 

extremely demanding. We are not just dealing with standard sensor 

values here. Up to 2,000 signals per second must be tapped and 

processed cleanly. In addition, online and offline connectivity was a 

major challenge,“ reported Michael Puder, CEO of generic.de software 

technologies AG. To make matters worse, many of the pumps 

provided by LEWA are used in the most remote places in the world: 

for example, on offshore oil platforms. The system must therefore 

be able to enable continuous monitoring, even without a permanent 

Internet connection. 

Users have a practical customer portal for remote access: „All 

parameters and statuses can be called up at any time and from any 

location,“ explained Pastow. As a single touchpoint for customer 

self-service, the portal allows LEWA customers to continuously monitor 

all pumps in the form of digital twins via special dashboards. 

In addition, important documents and spare parts lists can be made 

available via the digital asset management system. Connection to 

the end customer‘s ERP system is also planned. 

Product development with agile transformation included 

Pump manufacturer LEWA and its partner for digital product 

development generic.de were honored with this year‘s 

Allianz Industrie 4.0 Award. (Source: LEWA GmbH) 

New technologies and the growth of networking in the value chain 

have forced companies to pursue cross-company approaches to 

the digital transformation. „We very quickly realized that the classic 

development processes from mechanical engineering didn‘t really 

work for a digital product like ‚Smart Monitoring‘,“ Pastow confirmed. 

The project had more than just an impact on LEWA‘s technology 

portfolio. Agile methods have also found their way into the mechanical 

engineering company‘s product development processes. 

LEWA GmbH 

D 71229 Leonberg 


page 26/37

Wirthwein Medical puts innovative 

fully networked assembly line into operation 

Wirthwein Medical produces plastic components for the diagnostics, medical technology and pharmaceutical industries 

using a combination of injection molding and extrusion blow molding technologies as well as fully automated assembly 

systems. The Wirthwein subsidiary has now successfully commissioned a fully interlinked production and assembly line for 

test tubes. The installed large-scale assembly line combines the entire know-how from 15 years of production experience 

and is an excellent example of increased efficiency and resource conservation. 

The new fully networked assembly line, which 

is operated in a class 7 clean room, is connected 

to two injection molding machines by 

several robot cells and transfer lines. The injection-molded 

semi-finished parts are transferred 

directly to the assembly line in a fully 

automated process. Thus, intermediate steps 

such as packaging and additional handling are 

dispensed with, which not only increases efficiency 

but also minimizes the risk of contamination 

and damage to the assembled test tubes. 

The injection molds were manufactured 

in-house by Wirthwein Medical‘s toolmaking 

department. 

At the heart of the assembly line is the 

innovative laser welding technology, which 

ensures a 100% leak-proof connection of the 

semi-finished parts. The system continuously 

monitors the dimensions and tightness of 

the components using cameras and other 

state-of-the-art systems. The quality data is 

archived in accordance with GMP guidelines 

and can be traced back to the individual 

component level thanks to a DMC code that is 

applied to the component by laser. At the end 

of the process, the inspected components are 

automatically stored in trays and then sent for 

packaging. 

Christoph Merhold, the project manager 

responsible for the automation line, emphasizes: 

„ We focused on developing a lean and, 

above all, safe material flow in combination 

with highly efficient automation. These efforts 

lead to a significant increase in production 

output and at the same time guarantee 

higher product quality for our customers.“ He 

continues: „This achievement is the result of a 

remarkable team effort by Wirthwein Medical 

and underlines our commitment to excellence 

in the industry.“ 

The assembled test tubes are key components 

of diagnostic systems that are used by 

customers in fully automated blood analyzers 

and contribute to patient diagnosis. 

Wirthwein Medical GmbH & Co. KG 

D 64367 Mühltal/Nieder-Ramstadt 

Christoph Merhold, project manager for the automation line, monitors the current parameters 

of the entire assembly system. 


page 27/37

MEDICA und COMPAMED: Medical 

technology business is profiting from 

strong appeal to international visitors 

High proportion of decision-makers, unique variety of innovations 

and a high-calibre accompanying programme 

After four days of business, MEDICA and COMPAMED in Düsseldorf 

delivered impressive confirmation that they are excellent 

platforms for the worldwide medical technology business and the 

top-level exchange of expert knowledge. “Contributing factors were 

the strong appeal to international visitors, the high proportion of decision-makers, 

the high-calibre accompanying programme and the 

unique variety of innovations along the entire added value chain”, 

summarised Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, 

looking back at business in the halls of the internationally 

leading medical trade fair and the flagship event for suppliers in the 

medical technology industry. From 13 to 16 November, the 5,372 exhibiting 

companies at MEDICA 2023 and their 735 counterparts at 

COMPAMED 2023 offered a total of 83,000 healthcare professionals 

(up from 81,000 in 2022) impressive proof that they know how to realise 

modern health care in doctors’ offices as well as clinics – from 

the supply of high-tech components to high-performance consumer 

products. 

“About three quarters of our visitors travelled to Germany from 

abroad. They came from 166 countries. Both events are therefore not 

only leading trade fairs in Germany and Europe, the figures also demonstrate 

their great importance for global business”, said Christian 

Grosser, Director Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. 

More than 80 percent are significantly involved in important 

business decisions in their companies and institutions. 

The “push” by MEDICA and COMPAMED for cooperation and 

international business is of significant importance for the industry. 

This is emphasised by current reports and statements from industry 

associations. Even if the medical technology market in Germany remains 

the unchallenged number one with a volume of approximately 

€ 36 billion, the export quota of the German medical technology industry 

is assessed at just under 70 percent. “MEDICA is a good marketplace 

for the strongly export-oriented German medical technological 

industry to present itself to its (potential) customers from all 

over the world. It attracts many international visitors and exhibitors”, 

said Marcus Kuhlmann, Head of Medical Technology at the German 

Industry Association for Optics, Photonics, Analytical and Medical 

Technologies (SPECTARIS). 

Innovations for better health – digital and powered by AI 

Whether at the expert trade fair, conference or professional forums, 

the main focus this year especially on the digital transformation of 

the healthcare system in the context of the growing “outpatientisation” 

of treatment and networking among clinics. Another trend is solutions 

based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and supporting systems, 

for example robotic systems or solutions for implementing processes 

that are more sustainable. The innovations presented by exhibitors 

included an AI-controlled wearable to improve sleep quality 

(by stimulating the brain through precise neurofeedback signals), an 

In their unique combination, MEDICA and COMPAMED present 

innovations along the entire value chain of medical technology 

(© Constanze Tillmann/Messe Düsseldorf) 

energy-saving yet effective cryotherapy procedure as well as robotic 

systems for diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation – from robot-aided 

sonographic examinations and cardiovascular surgery without 

physical contact of the instruments as they navigate through blood 

vessels to the upper body mobilisation of bed-ridden patients. 

Top speakers “spiced up” specialist topics 

and provided orientation 

The highlights of each MEDICA, in addition to the numerous innovations, 

traditionally also include the multi-faceted accompanying 

programme with celebrity visits and presentations. Federal Minister 

of Health Karl Lauterbach participated (by video call) in the opening 

ceremony of the accompanying 46th German Hospital Day and in 

the discussions concerning the major hospital reform in Germany 

and the significant changes this will bring to the structure of available 

healthcare. 

The “hot topic” of artificial intelligence was discussed in numerous 

sessions and from a variety of different perspectives in the conferences 

and panel talks that accompanied the professional trade fair. 

Globally renowned AI experts, among them Bart de Witte, Prof. Paul 

Lukowicz and Prof. Dr Aldo Faisal provided the necessary scientific 

background. The issues were both very specific, for example how 

‘ChatGPT’ could provide medical use (for example by “translating” 

complicated phrases in letters by doctors into a commonly understood 

language), and of a more general nature. Bart de Witte, as a specialist 

for digital transformation in healthcare, addressed, among other 

things, the “greater whole” in his keynote speech at the MEDICA 

HEALTH IT FORUM. He currently sees the use of AI in healthcare 

as having arrived at a very critical junction and advocates for a “democratisation” 

of medical AI. The storage of medical knowledge in 

digital form should not be the exclusive domain of a few technological 

giants. Instead, it should be made available for public access. If not, the 

potential for using medical AI would also be very limited. 


page 28/37

Digital innovations – start-ups are causing a significant stir 

The programme on stage at MEDICA had many further highlights to 

offer. Among these were the finals of the 12th MEDICA START-UP 

COMPETITION (on 14 November). In the annual competition for 

outstanding digital innovations, this year’s winner in the final pitch 

was the start-up Me Med from Israel with an immunoassay platform 

for performing highly sensitive, fast, multiplex protein assessments. 

In the meantime, a developer team from Germany took first place at 

The new plant expansion of Zollner Electronic Taicang Co., Ltd. 

(Picture: Spaceframe Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd.) 

Opening of the Taicang 

plant expansion 

Strong international visitor attendance at MEDICA + COMPAMED 

in Düsseldorf (© Constanze Tillmann/ Messe Düsseldorf). 

the finals of the 15th ‘Healthcare Innovation World Cup’: Diamontech 

introduced a patented, easy-to-use tool for non-invasive, painless 

measurement of blood sugar levels. 

COMPAMED: Key technologies for the medicine of the future 

For anyone interested in seeing the performance capabilities of 

suppliers in the medical technology industry, Halls 8a and 8b were 

a must-see. Here, during COMPAMED 2023, about 730 exhibiting 

companies from 39 countries presented an array of innovations that 

demonstrated their specialised competence regarding key technologies 

and their use in medical technology, in medical products and 

in medical technology manufacturing. The breadth of topics in the 

five worlds of experience ranged from micro components (e.g. sensors) 

and microfluidics (e.g. technologies for managing liquids in the 

smallest spaces, for use in test applications within laboratory medicine) 

to materials (e.g., ceramics, glass, plastics, composite materials) 

to sophisticated packaging solutions for cleanrooms. 

Two expert panels integrated into COMPAMED offered a deeper 

look at current trends in technology, both regarding research as 

well as development of the procedures and novel products on exhibition. 

Further, there was a lot of practical information on relevant 

foreign markets for medical technology and on regulation requirements 

to be met in order to achieve marketing authorisation. 

“I am happy to see that there was again a strong focus on international 

cooperation this year at COMPAMED. Especially in times 

of global crises, I think this is very important indeed. The exhibitors 

at our joint booth, too, are happy about the high international proportion 

of visitors and very happy with the quality of these contacts”, 

said Dr Thomas Dietrich, Executive Director of the IVAM International 

Microtechnology Business Network, in his positive summary 

of the trade fair. 

Growing together on the global market – with a celebration on the 

12th of October, Zollner Electronic Taicang Co., Ltd. opened the expansion 

of its plant in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, China, to meet the 

growing demands and requirements of the international market. 

Construction of the Taicang expansion started in 2021. With 

around 17,000 square meters of building space, the new plant building 

includes a cleanroom, two stories of production space for the 

population of PCBs and device assembly, a large warehouse area, a 

large cafeteria and social areas as well as office space. The additional 

production space takes up an impressive 15,000 square meters 

and was conceived specifically to increase our production efficiency 

and capacity and create more jobs. This step underscores 

Zollner’s long-term vision and commitment to the Taicang region 

and is a significant milestone in the history of the company. 

In the presence of invited guests from regional government, 

partners and various experts from our sectors, the plant expansion 

was officially inaugurated on October 12. The event began with 

a heartfelt greeting from General Manager Yun Qian and Board 

Spokesman Ludwig Zollner, who emphasized the significance of 

this milestone to the development of the company, as well as the 

cross-border collaboration, and thanked all of the people who have 

supported and accompanied this expansion. 

During the ceremony, Member of the Managing Board Markus 

Aschenbrenner underscored the significance of the Taicang location 

for the company as well as the performance and commitment 

at this plant. This expansion represents an investment in the future 

of the Zollner Group of companies. He emphasized: “We are 

confident that Taicang offers excellent opportunities and conditions, 

particularly for the production of complex products, which 

will unlock further possibilities and potential for our company.” 

Expansion of the plant in Taicang is a clear indication of Zollner’s 

enduring commitment to growth, innovation and customer 

satisfaction. This not only solidifies the presence of the EMS provider 

on the global market but at the same time underscores the 

international orientation and development of the Group of companies. 

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH 

D 40001 Düsseldorf 

Zollner Elektronik AG 

D 93499 Zandt 


page 29/37

Injection moulding machine produces an injection moulding 

machine: the new hybrid Allrounder 520 H, which celebrated its 

premiere at Fakuma 2023, produced three components of the 

anniversary model live at a scale of 1:18. (Photo: ARBURG) 

A successful Fakuma 2023: at the Arburg stand, which covers 

more than 1,600 square metres, the nine exhibits, including the 

premiere of the hybrid Allrounder 520 H (front left), were 

greeted with enormous interest. (Photo: ARBURG) 

arburgSOLUTIONworld: 

A finger on the pulse! 

– Meta-themes: focus on energy, efficiency, skills shortages and digitalisation 

– Strong interest: new, efficient hybrid technology opens up exciting opportunities 

– “arburgSOLUTIONworld”: comprehensive advice, digital products and problem-solving expertise 

At Fakuma 2023 in Friedrichshafen, ARBURG showcased its exceptional ability to deliver comprehensive solutions in plastics 

processing. The trade public made active use of the opportunity to experience live how greater sustainability, digitalisation 

and automation can be implemented in the world of plastics with the aid of a total of 20 exhibits on the company‘s own 

stand and at partners‘ stands. They received comprehensive advice at the interactive “arburgSOLUTIONworld” exhibition 

area and from the more than 200 Arburg employees from around 25 countries who were present each day on the 1600 square 

metre trade fair stand. 

“Fakuma was once again an important platform for us to engage in 

in-depth discussions with customers and interested parties, and to 

convincingly demonstrate that we are far more than ‚just‘ a premium 

machine manufacturer”, says Juliane Hehl, Managing Partner, Global 

Marketing & Business Development. „In fact, our customers get 

from us what they need for their economic success and competitive 

advantage - namely customised complete solutions for efficient 

production and energy-efficient plastic parts manufacturing. At this 

point, I can promise you: our customers can rely on our resilient family 

business, with its 100-year history of success, especially in difficult 

economic times, both now and in the future!” 

Comprehensive problem-solving expertise 

Dr. Christoph Schumacher, Director of Global Marketing, adds: 

“With nine exhibits on the Arburg stand and eleven more at partners‘ 

stands, we showcased the most comprehensive range of technologies 

and processes in the fields of injection moulding, additive 

manufacturing, automation and digitalisation at the entire Fakuma 

trade fair, and demonstrated our extensive problem-solving expertise. 

With ‚arburgSOLUTIONworld‘ dealing with the meta-topics of 

energy, efficiency, shortage of skilled workers and future orientation, 

we truly have our finger on the pulse. Many trade visitors received 

advice here on the benefits and added values of our digital products 

and services, and were impressed with how easily they can create 

added value and tap into the potential for cost and energy savings 

with our support. This idea was a big hit!” 

World premiere: a new hybrid machine 

A product highlight was the world premiere of the Allrounder 520 H 

with 1,500 kN clamping force, equipped with the new Multilift Select 

8 linear robotic system. It is the second size in the Hidrive series 

with new hybrid machine technology. The new hybrid Allrounders 

combine the best of both drive worlds: they are particularly energyefficient, 

resource-efficient, production-efficient, user-friendly and 


page 30/37

eliable, and are characterised by significantly reduced acquisition 

and operating costs as well as a smaller carbon footprint. 

Digitalisation ensures 100 percent traceability 

A turnkey system based around a vertical Allrounder 375 V, which 

produced „ready to use“ tyre levers from separated post-industrial 

recyclate (PIR), demonstrated how digitalisation and automation 

enable 100 per cent traceability. The Arburg Turnkey Control Module 

(ATCM) SCADA system and “Invisible Tracing” from partner Detagto 

made it possible to clearly identify each product. 

Another option for 100 per cent traceability was demonstrated 

by multifunctional boxes made of thermoplastic (PBT) and liquid 

silicone rubber (LSR), which were produced by a two-component 

Allrounder More 2000. The thermoplastic component contained 

a marker from partner Polysecure, which produces a part-specific 

fluorescence. 

Innovative injection moulding applications and processes 

Using the example of labelled centrifuge tubes, an innovative IML 

application premiered for the first time at Fakuma 2023. The IML 

product, manufactured on an electric Allrounder 520 A in clean 

room design, offers an advantage in functionality, efficiency and recyclability, 

opening up entirely new possibilities in medical technology. 

As an energy-efficient, resource-efficient application and an 

alternative to thermoforming, an Allrounder 720 A “Ultimate” allelectric 

packaging machine produced IML round cups with a wall 

thickness of just 0.37 millimetres using the injection compression 

moulding process. 

A turnkey system based around a 470 E Golden Electric Allrounder 

produced dolphins fully automatically from post-consumer 

recyclate (PCR) from old fishing nets in a technically sophisticated 

process. To achieve this, two component halves were first injection 

moulded, then ultrasonically welded, plasma treated and printed. 

Operation was by a Yaskawa six-axis robot. 

Probably the most sought-after give-away at the trade fair - an 

Arburg design tool case - was created on a turnkey system based on 

a hybrid Allrounder 920 H. 

Historic machine exhibit 

In a special exhibition area, visitors to the trade fair were given exciting 

insights into the history and development of the innovative 

family business over the past 100 years. A very special exhibit will 

show just how viable the company‘s historic machine technology 

has remained to this day: a manually operated C1 single-lever machine, 

reconstructed by today‘s Arburg trainees themselves, produced 

shopping trolley tokens from PP recyclate “live” at Fakuma 2023, to 

the delight of many trade visitors. This was “back to the roots” injection 

moulding! 

Industrial additive manufacturing 

The highlight from Arburg subsidiary ARBURGadditive was the new 

high-temperature Freeformer 750-3X, which additively manufactured 

aerospace components from Ultem 9085. A TiQ printer from 

innovatiQ processed fibre-reinforced PA and PP filaments into resilient 

robotic grippers. 

ARBURG GmbH + Co KG 

D 72290 Loßburg 

Groundbreaking 

ceremony for plant 

expansion in Mexico 

Gerresheimer will increase its manufacturing capacity 

for syringes for the North American market by several 

hundred million “ready-to-fill” (RTF) syringes annually 

and create around 270 new jobs. Among other things, 

the high-quality pre-fillable glass syringes are suitable 

for injectable biopharmaceuticals such as GLP-1-based 

drugs for the treatment of obesity. Gerresheimer is investing 

around 100 million Euros in the new building and 

the new production lines. The building is expected to be 

completed by mid-2024 and production is anticipated to 

start in the second quarter of 2025. 

“Our plant in Querétaro will enable us to supply the entire North 

American trading area with high-quality syringes that are also 

suitable for biopharmaceuticals”, says Dietmar Siemssen, CEO 

of Gerresheimer AG. “Now we are once again significantly expanding 

production capacity for contracts we have already concluded.” 

Latest production technology 

Plans for the new production building include 10 glass-forming 

machines and several needle assembly and RTF production 

lines. The latest automation and quality assurance technology 

will be used. Syringe preparation, including washing and 

packaging, will take place in ISO 8 to ISO 6 class clean rooms. 

270 new jobs from 2025 

The expansion of production capacity allows Gerresheimer 

to create around 270 new jobs at the Querétaro plant, where 

around 1,000 people are currently employed. In addition to syringes, 

Gerresheimer also produces injection vials, cartridges, 

and ampoules at the site. 

Expansion of global production capacities 

Gerresheimer is also currently expanding its production 

capacities for various product segments in Germany, Belgium, 

North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. As 

a partner to the pharma, biotech, and cosmetics industries, Gerresheimer 

produces locally for regional markets. 

Gerresheimer Regensburg GmbH 

D 92442 Wackersdorf 


page 31/37

Romaco at CPHI & PMEC India 

New E 710 Smart double-sided 

rotary press from Romaco Kilian 

Romaco’s latest tablet press for the high speed sector will be on show at CPHI & PMEC India – the Kilian E 710 Smart double-sided 

rotary press for high volume production is specifically tailored to the requirements of the Asian markets. The 

VENTILUS® Lab fluid bed processor from Romaco Innojet attached to an Innojet IHD 5 hot melt device will be a further 

highlight at the upcoming exhibition. 

From powder to finished pallet, Romaco covers the entire process 

chain for manufacturing and packaging pharmaceutical products. 

The one stop solutions supplier specializes in sustainable machines 

and equipment aimed at reducing both carbon dioxide emissions 

and manufacturing costs in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Romaco will take advantage of this year’s CPHI & PMEC India to 

show its latest development in the high-productivity tableting sector 

and demonstrate the enormous energy saving potential of its innovative 

fluid bed technology. 

E 710 Smart double-sided rotary press from Romaco Kilian 

The E 710 Smart expands Romaco Kilian’s product portfolio with a 

new double-sided rotary press that was particularly developed for 

high production volumes with low margins. This economical tablet 

press for mono- and bi-layer production is based on Kilian’s proven 

four-column design. The single-piece, deep-drawn process area ensures 

hermetical separation between the compaction and technical 

areas. A closed V-ring seal underneath the die table additionally prevents 

tablet dust from entering the “grey” area. With between 51 and 

85 press stations and a pitch circle diameter of 712 mm, the Kilian E 

710 Smart achieves a maximum output of up to 1,020,000 tablets per 

hour. Brake magnets permit absolutely homogeneous filling of the 

dies without any wear on the punch shafts. Moreover, special Kilian 

bellows protect the tablets from contamination in the form of black 

spots. The fill shoe is quick and simple to clean because the gear is 

external. Owing to the small number of interchangeable parts and 

the good accessibility to individual components, retooling and cleaning 

times are significantly reduced. The tablet scraper and chute 

are mounted together on a swivel arm for easy removal. Product loss 

is minimized thanks to the floating product scraper with magnets. 

The sparing use of natural resources is totally consistent with Romaco 

Kilian’s sustainability strategy. 

VENTILUS® Lab fluid bed processor from Romaco Innojet 

Designed for laboratory-scale applications, the VENTILUS® Lab 

fluid bed processor from Romaco Innojet is used for granulating, 

drying, and coating particles of any size from 10 μm to 2 mm. This 

multipurpose lab unit is intended for batch sizes from 0.7 to 7.0 liters. 

With its innovative process air distribution system inside the cylindrical 

product container, the VENTILUS® Lab shortens batch pro- 

E 710 Smart double-sided rotary press 

from Romaco Kilian 

VENTILUS® Lab fluid bed 

processor from Romaco Innojet 

IHD 5 hot melt device 

from Romaco Innojet 


page 32/37

cessing times by up to 25 percent because the required power can be 

used far more efficiently. The process air is introduced through the 

circular ORBITER® booster, ensuring homogeneous flow conditions 

and extremely gentle intermixing of the batch. In combination 

with the ROTOJET®, the central bottom spray nozzle, the ORBI- 

TER® booster plate forms a unique functional unit enabling much 

simpler scale-up processes. The patented fluid bed components invented 

by Dr. h. c. Herbert Hüttlin lie behind the remarkably accurate 

application of the spray liquid with a precisely defined droplet size. 

With controlled release formulations, for instance, the modified release 

profiles are achieved using 10 to 15 percent less material. This 

targeted reduction in spray liquid usage also means less power consumption, 

so that the VENTILUS® Lab results in substantially fewer 

carbon dioxide emissions from fluid bed processes. Furthermore, 

the rotating SEPAJET® filter system minimizes general product loss 

by returning particles retained by the filter to the process rather than 

discharging them. 

IHD 5 hot melt device from Romaco Innojet 

The innovative IHD 5 hot melt device from Romaco Innojet was developed 

for coating and granulating fine solid particles with organic 

fats or waxes. The fact that no evaporation takes place during the 

hot melt process, because the hot melt coatings contain no solvents 

and solidify as soon as they are sprayed, is a decisive advantage. Up 

to 85 percent shorter processing times are possible as a result and 

power consumption is significantly lower, especially since there is 

no need to heat the process air in order to dry the product. Hot melt 

coatings are employed in the pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceuticals 

industries, where they function as a moisture barrier or a taste 

mask, for example for orally disintegrating granules. The hygienic 

design of Romaco Innojet’s IHD 5 – which is CIP-capable with no 

dead spaces – enables GMP-compliant cleaning and prevents cross 

contamination. The unit can be opened without difficulty, and so all 

product-contacted surfaces inside the hot melt device are clearly visible 

throughout. In the interests of uniform heat distribution, the 

patented technology was designed as a heatable monobloc integrating 

all functional components including the valve block, dosing 

unit, and product container. The mobile IHD 5 is simply connected 

to the ROTOJET® spray nozzle of a Romaco Innojet VENTILUS® 

fluid bed processor via a trace heated tube. Excellent product quality 

is ensured by the pulsation-free dosing of the melt coatings. 

Romaco Group 

D 76227 Karlsruhe 

Mass Extraction detects the smallest 

defect sizes with SpeedAir 3050 

– Pharmaceutical Product Safety 

– Container Closure Integrity Testing (CCIT) 

– Global non-destructive test (NDT) 

Pfeiffer Vacuum, a leading provider of vacuum technology, introduces 

the new leak tester SpeedAir 3050, an all-in-one solution for 

nonporous pharmaceutical containers. SpeedAir offers a CCIT solution 

for a wide range of products: Whether the products are flexible 

or rigid, liquid or solid, the SpeedAir can swiftly and accurately test 

them all. Typically requiring only 30 - 45 seconds, this mass extraction 

instrument quickly and efficiently delivers results. 

With testing times as short as 30 - 45 seconds, it delivers reliable 

results, ensuring the integrity of pharmaceutical containers. Unlike 

alternative methods that focus on specific areas or access points, the 

SpeedAir provides a comprehensive global Non-Destructive Testing 

(NDT) approach for containers. It adheres to ASTM Standard F3287- 

17, demonstrating the capability in independent third-party labs to 1 

micron using an air-based technology. 

When it comes to liquid products, the SpeedAir stands out as 

the most sensitive air-based technology available today. Results are 

repeatable and reliable – eliminating risks associated with false negatives 

and positives. 

The SpeedAir is fully compliant with industry standards. It utilizes 

the USP recognized Mass Extraction technology and 

operates with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant software, ensuring the 

testing processes meet the highest regulatory standards. 

SpeedAir 3050 from Pfeiffer Vacuum 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 

D 35614 Asslar 


page 33/37

The new CDS201, HTS201 and TES201 room sensors enable accurate and reliable CO2, 

humidity and temperature measurements in residential and commercial buildings. 

New Room Sensor Generation 

A trio consisting of the CDS201, HTS201 and TES201 sees Austrian sensor specialist E+E Elektronik launch a new generation 

of accurate and reliable room sensors. Tailored to the respective facility automation application, the CDS201 3-in- 

1 device for CO2, humidity and temperature, the HTS201 humidity and temperature sensor and the TES201 temperature 

sensor are great choices. Each variant has analogue outputs or a digital interface and a large, state-of-the-art display. The 

functional snap-on enclosure minimises installation costs and avoids the intake of false air. 

Excellent Measurement Performance, 

Innovative Design 

The three sensors impress with their outstanding 

accuracy in terms of the physical 

quantities. This results from E+E Elektronik‘s 

many years of experience in the production 

of high-quality sensing elements. 

On top of this, the elegant, functional 

snap-on enclosure design is exciting and 

available in two sizes (EU and US versions) 

depending on regional standards. The lower 

part of the housing only contains the plug-in 

terminals and can be installed and connected 

without the cover, which contains the 

electronics. This means that the active part 

of the device is not exposed to any contamination 

and can be fitted on the lower part 

shortly before commissioning. The innovative 

enclosure also prevents the ingress of 

false air and significantly reduces self-heating. 

The sensors are optionally available 

with a state-of-the-art, easy-to-read graphic 

display. 

Interfaces and Configuration 

The measured values are either delivered via 

analogue outputs or to the digital interface 

using the Modbus RTU or BACnet MS/TP 

protocol. The digital version with its RS845 

interface can be set up and configured on a 

PC using the free PCS10 product configuration 

software and an optional configuration 

adapter. 

Areas of Application 

The new room sensors are highly suited for 

use in demand-driven ventilation, heating 

and air conditioning technology, and facility 

automation. 

CDS201 – The Versatile Choice 

The CDS201 combines CO2, temperature 

(T) and relative humidity (RH) measurement 

in a single device and is particularly 

well suited for demand-driven ventilation 

and facility automation in residential and 

commercial applications. 

The CDS201‘s CO2 measurement relies 

on the contamination-resistant NDIR dual 

wavelength principle. This technology automatically 

compensates for aging effects, 

while at the same time guaranteeing excellent 

long-term stability. Factory multi-point 

CO2 and temperature adjustment ensures 

high measurement accuracy over the entire 

temperature operating range. 

E+E sensor coating protects the active 

RH/T sensing element against contamination 

and corrosive deposits. This results in 

improved measurement performance and 

longer sensing element life in environments 

with high levels of dust or soiling exposure. 

In addition, it improves long-term stability 

by preventing stray impedances caused by 

deposits on the active sensor surface. 

HTS201 – The Allrounder 

The new E+E room sensor generation: CDS201, HTS201, TES201 (from left to right) 

(Photo: E+E Elektronik Ges.m.b.H.) 

The HTS201 is designed for accurate and 

reliable measurement of relative humidity 

(RH) and temperature (T) in residential and 

commercial facility automation applications. 

The E+E RH/T sensing element with 

its patented sensing technology guarantees 

excellent performance over the entire operating 

range even in environments with high 

levels of dust or soiling exposure. Again, E+E 

sensor coating ensures long-term stability 

for the measurements. 

TES201 – The Efficient Choice 

The TES201 is designed for accurate room 

temperature measurement (T) for indoor 

climate control. In addition to proven, highquality 

E+E sensing technology, these room 

sensors impress with their great price/performance 

ratio. 

E+E Elektronik Ges.m.b.H. 

Langwiesen 7 

A 4209 Engerwitzdorf 

Telefon: +43 7235 6050 Telefax: +43 7235 6058 

eMail: info@epluse.com 

Internet: http://www.epluse.com 


page 34/37

OmniGrade: A new customized 

RGA system for sophisticated 

cleanliness verification 

In addition to vacuum pumps, leak detectors, 

measurement and analysis devices, 

components as well as vacuum chambers 

and systems, Pfeiffer Vacuum now also offers 

customized turn-key solutions in form 

Pfeiffer Vacuum offers a new 

customized RGA system for 

sophisticated cleanliness verification. 

of residual gas analysis systems. Fast-emerging 

markets with advancing technical requirements 

place an increasing value on 

superior cleanliness, as molecular contamination 

negatively affects the functionality 

of manufactured products. Therefore, more 

and more customers are defining higher 

requirements for cleanliness. For instance, 

in the EUV lithography market they are driven 

by the Generic Standards GSA 07 1221 

& GSA 07 2221. Essential to securing the 

quality of parts is to properly determine the 

outgassing rates under a high vacuum environment 

by utilizing Pfeiffer Vacuum’s new 

OmniGrade system. 

OmniGrade is a sophisticated residual 

gas analysis (RGA) system. Its design is selected 

to meet the specific testing demands. 

A team of Pfeiffer Vacuum experts is dedicated 

to delivering the best solution to meet 

customer requirements, taking into account 

total cost of ownership and lead times. OmniGrade 

configurations include two or three 

chambers consisting of the spectrometer 

chamber in which the mass spectrometer 

is positioned, and a measurement cham- 

ber where the samples are placed during 

measurement. Options include a load lock 

chamber to minimize system background 

and an automated sample transport system. 

The OmniGrade system was designed for 

low footprint demands and easy integration 

with latest interfaces. Cleanroom compatibility 

is possible and the mass spectrometer 

according to the requirements (PrismaPro 

or HiQuad) can be selected. Thermal heating, 

either of the pure system or together 

with the sample (bake-out), will contribute 

to further optimizing the measuring capability 

and improving sample cleanliness. 

“OmniGrade incorporates energy-efficient 

components and advanced technologies 

that help to optimize cleanliness verification 

processes, resulting in less waste 

and more efficient use of resources in the 

customer’s production environment”, said 

Patrick Walther, Strategic Product Manager 

Instruments at Pfeiffer Vacuum, at the Precision 

Fair. 

Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH 

D 35614 Asslar 

Specialty Label for Neutralizing Trial Samples 

Reliable Vial Blinding for International Clinical Trial 

In clinical trials, it is important to reliably blind the investigational 

products so that trial participants cannot distinguish verum and 

placebo from each other. That is a prerequisite for obtaining valid 

results regarding the efficacy of the tested medicine. In the case of 

transparent containers such as vials, that poses special challenges 

to a blinding solution because the color of the vial content must be 

neutralized and at the same time remain visible. 

Schreiner MediPharm has developed a colored film label for vials 

that are filled with a liquid active ingredient (API). The specialty 

blinding solution consists of a self-adhesive label with semi-transparent 

yellow coloration. Consequently, different liquids filled into 

vials can no longer be distinguished from each other. At the same 

time, however, the label is transparent enough for identifying the fill 

level of the liquid inside the vial. The solution from Schreiner Medi- 

Pharm thus ensures efficient and flexible blinding of the investigational 

products and helps optimize processes during a clinical trial. 

Schreiner MediPharm designed the blinding label with WuXi 

STA, a global Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing 

Organization (CRDMO). Among other things, the company offers 

clinical supply services for clinical trials and has been manufacturing 

clinical investigational products since 2008. The blinding solution 

from Schreiner MediPharm and WuXi STA was developed precisely 

for the vials —and complies with the requirements of international 

regulations for clinical trials. 

Schreiner MediPharm 

D 85764 Oberschleissheim 


page 35/37

Using inductive charging technologies, AMRs can now also be used in ISO Class 4 cleanrooms. 

Wireless Charging Obtains 

ISO Certificate for Cleanroom 

It is now possible to automate transport 

processes with automated guided vehicles 

(AGV) and autonomous mobile robots 

(AMRs) in cleanrooms – thanks to Wiferion’s 

etaLINK 3000 inductive charging 

system. The wireless charging solution has 

been certified for ISO Class 4 by the Fraunhofer 

Institute for Production Technology 

and Automation (IPA). The safe use of 

transport robots in highly sensitive production 

environments is thus possible now for 

the first time. 

Supplying power to AGV and AMR 

in a cleanroom 

In semi-conductor production, in the pharmaceutical 

industry or in medical technology 

– the automation of sensitive transport 

tasks by AGV and AMR in cleanrooms is gaining 

ground. In higher ISO cleanroom classes 

in particular, however, the systems have 

until now reached their limits because of 

the mechanical battery charging functions. 

Charging processes with sliding contacts 

always create copper abrasion. The partic- 

les disperse in the production environment 

and, in extreme cases, can damage whole 

batches of valuable semi-conductor substrates 

(wafers) or contaminate medications. 

Encapsulated and does not require 

mechanical contacts 

Almost all the major robot manufacturers 

therefore opt for contact-free power transfer 

using Wiferion’s etaLINK 3000 system. 

“Our wireless charging solution is encapsulated 

and does not require mechanical 

contacts. Particle abrasion and contamination 

of the production environment are thus 

almost impossible”, states Julian Seume, 

former CSO of Wiferion and now director 

of the PULS Wireless Business Unit. Certification 

by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production 

Technology and Automation (IPA) 

now also provides users officially with the 

assurance that the charging process does 

not pose a risk to their production. The inductive 

charging system was tested under 

specific test conditions according to ISO 

14644-1 and certified for use in ISO Class 4 

cleanrooms. 

“With this certificate, we are laying the 

foundations for ensuring that mobile transport 

robotics can also be used in sensitive 

areas. We feel that there is great potential 

here and are already engaged in meaningful 

discussions for expanding this segment further”, 

comments Julian Seume. 

PULS GmbH 

D 81925 München 


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New materials, new shapes, new magnet systems and raw magnets: 

Ganter is expanding its repertoire to support even more clever applications. 

Universal and Clever: Retaining Magnets 

Magnets allow clever and nearly universal solutions for fastenings, 

closures or temporary connections. Ganter is expanding its range of 

magnet systems and raw magnets to include new shapes. 

The new highlight is the retaining magnet GN 50.8. A tight stainless 

steel housing surrounds the powerful SmCo magnet, making it 

perfect for use in corrosive environments. It also features a long service 

life and is temperature resistant to 350°C – meaning it can be 

used on hot surfaces, such as oven doors. The magnet system can be 

ordered in diameters between 16 and 32 mm, and all sizes have an 

M6 threaded stud. 

Another new product is the magnet system GN 51.8. Its neodymium 

magnet is fully encapsulated by a TPE elastomer. This makes 

GN 51.8 especially well suited for use on sensitive (such as painted) 

surfaces – e.g. for attaching protective covers. These are in turn 

connected to the magnet via the central hole, which is suitable for 

countersunk screws. The TPE coating also increases the static friction 

and thereby the force required for sliding the magnet, while the 

temperature resistance extends to 80°C. 

Retaining magnet GN 52.6 also has a protective rubber contact 

surface. The cylindrical stainless steel housing effectively protects 

the neodymium magnet inside against aggressive media. The magnets 

GN 53.1 and GN 53.2 are designed for standard applications in 

offices, workshops and production environments and have powerful 

neodymium magnets that are embedded in round or rectangular 

plastic housings (available in four colors). 

The neodymium magnet GN 53.3 was designed for easy handling 

and has a plastic handle, which can be either cone-shaped or flat. 

The flat variant additionally features an eye for securing the part. For 

GN 53.4, the handle is made of nickel-plated steel, optionally with a 

TPE coating to protect sensitive surfaces. 

In addition to these functionally optimized magnet systems, 

Ganter also offers raw magnets – of hard ferrite, neodymium, SmCo 

and AlNiCo, in various shapes and sizes, with or without fastening 

holes. These magnets of the series GN 55.1 to GN 55.4 as well as GN 

57.1 to GN 57.3 can be easily overmolded, glued or sewn in and are 

suitable, for example, for securing cables in wind turbines. 

Otto Ganter GmbH & Co. KG 

Triberger Straße 3 

D 78120 Furtwangen 

Telefon: +49 7723 65070 

Telefax: +49 7723 4659 

eMail: info@ganternorm.com 

Internet: http://www.ganternorm.com 

Impressum: 

cleanroom online / W.A. Schuster GmbH · Mozartstrasse 45 · D 70180 Stuttgart · Tel. +49 711 9 64 03 50 · Fax +49 711 9 64 03 66 

info@reinraum.de · www.cleanroom-online.de · GF Dipl.-Designer Reinhold Schuster · Stgt, HRB 14111 · VAT DE 147811997 

Original texts and images 

The contributions mentioned by name are the responsibility of the particular author. Reprinting, also of extracts, are permitted only with the approval of 

the editor and with reference to the source. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations. The publisher 

is granted the exclusive, spatial, temporal and contentual limited right to freely use the article in unchanged or edited form for all purposes as often as 

desired or to transfer it to third parties for use. This right of use relates to print and electric media (Internet, databases, data carriers of all kinds). 


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