Schott’s Pharmaceutical Packaging Plant Expansion, Müllheim

SCHOTT’s Mullheim manufacturing plant produces customised packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals. Credit: IE Group.

The Mullheim pharmaceutical packaging plant was opened in May 2022. Credit: SCHOTT/SCHOTT/Oana Szekely..

The construction of the new packaging plant was opened in May 2022. Credit: SCHOTT / IE Plast.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held on 14 February 2020. Credit: SCHOTT / Margrit Müller.

The building includes a logistics centre, an R&D centre and an integrated administrative area. Credit: SCHOTT AG.

The pre-fillable polymer syringes produced by SCHOTT are designed to ensure the safe storage and administration of highly viscous drugs. Credit: SCHOTT AG.

SCHOTT, a  manufacturer of speciality glass and glass ceramics, opened a new plant at its existing site in Mullheim, Germany to meet the increasing demand for high-end polymer pharmaceutical packaging.

A ground-breaking ceremony for SCHOTT’s pharmaceutical packaging plant was held in February 2020, marking the beginning of construction.

Construction was completed by the end of 2021 and the Mullheim plant was opened in May 2022.

The project tripled the company’s production of pharmaceutical polymer containers and helped the company meet the need for pre-fillable sterile polymer syringes and individualised containers used in intravenous therapies, emergency drugs and highly viscous medications.

It was developed as part of the company’s strategy to expand its polymer business and generated more than 100 jobs.

SCHOTT’s pharmaceutical packaging plant location

The pharmaceutical packaging plant is located at the company’s existing site in Mullheim, a town in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.

Mullheim is located in the tri-national Upper Rhine Valley, a region that extends across Switzerland, France and Germany.

SCHOTT pharmaceutical packaging plant design and details

SCHOTT’s pharmaceutical packaging plant covers an area of 11,000m² and incorporates the latest cleanroom technology.

The facility is built to meet the highest standards and features advanced production lines and automation technology across all operations, including injection moulding, quality control, and sterile packaging.

A logistics centre, a pilot centre for rapid prototyping and development of innovations in packaging, and an integrated area to support administrative needs are also part of the facility.

SCHOTT product portfolio

SCHOTT’s product range in the pharmaceutical packaging segment includes vials, syringes, ampoules, cartridges, and special articles made of tubing glass and polymer. The company also offers coated packaging and other special packaging solutions for highly sensitive drugs.

In the vials category, the product portfolio comprises StandardLine and TopLine. The Mullheim site produces vials in the TopLine, SCHOTT Type I plus^®, Siliconised, SCHOTT TopLyo^®, StandardLine and the EVERIC^® ranges.

Product offerings in the syringes category include syriQ^® sterile and syriQ bulk glass syringes, and SCHOTT TopPac^® ready-to-fill polymer syringes. The company provides SCHOTT Cartridges HS, SCHOTT Cartridges BR and SCHOTT Cartridges Double Chamber.

The pre-fillable polymer syringes are specifically designed to securely store and facilitate the administration of drugs with high viscosity. These syringes are suitable for a wide range of applications, including emergency and intensive care medication, as well as cancer treatments.

The pharmaceutical containers manufactured by the company are made of TOPAS^® cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). The containers are lightweight, break-resistant and transparent.

Details of SCHOTT’s existing operations in Mullheim

Mullheim is the company’s only German production site catering to the SCHOTT Pharma business unit.

The site serves as a global centre of competence for vials and currently employs more than 400 people.

It manufactures various specialised glass vials designed for storing vaccines or medications to treat diabetes and cancer.

Marketing commentary on SCHOTT

SCHOTT is an international manufacturer of specialty glass and glass ceramics. Headquartered in Mainz, Germany, the company operates in business areas such as advanced optics, home tech, electronic packaging, flat glass, pharmaceutical systems, tubing, lighting and imaging.

The SCHOTT Pharma division is a major supplier of pharmaceutical packaging made from polymer and glass. It manufactures around 13 billion syringes, ampoules, vials and cartridges a year and operates 16 production sites across Europe, North America, South America and Asia. In 2023, the Pharma division had revenues of €899m ($992m).

SCHOTT opened another pharmaceutical packaging plant in Jinyun, China to expand its pharmaceutical business globally.