The SCHOTT AG is expanding its manufacturing site for syringes in Switzerland

The SCHOTT AG, one of the internationally leading technology companies in the fields of specialty glass and glass ceramics, is expanding its syringe competence center in St. Gallen, Switzerland, investing a double-digit million amount. The overall responsibility for the planning was entrusted to IE Plast in Zurich.

SCHOTT has over 15 years of experience in manufacturing polymer syringes on state-of-the-art production lines. All process steps, from injection molding to packaging of the product, are fully automated under cleanroom conditions. With the expansion, SCHOTT is responding to the growing demand for syringes made from high-quality COC (Cyclo-Olefin Copolymer). Among other things, a broader range of applications is driving growth in this area. The site expansion includes additional production lines as well as production-related support and logistics areas.

Stringent planning guarantees future security

A key aspect of the project is the future-proofing of production and its flexibility. Prior to planning, SCHOTT and IE developed all future scenarios based on the IE master plan, and an ideal solution was integrated into the existing building fabric using IE methodology. The challenge was to find a solution for processes in the complex pharmaceutical environment within limited space. Additionally, static constraints of the existing building structure had to be overcome to meet the future requirements of the production facilities.

What convinced SCHOTT was IE Plast’s extensive experience and industry expertise, as well as the holistic IE planning approach "from inside to outside." Therefore, the project did not focus on the building itself at the outset, but rather on operational planning aspects such as production and process flow, material and personnel movement, as well as hygiene and cleanroom requirements.