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West Pharmaceutical Services hosts grand opening

West Pharmaceutical Services’ Scottsdale Center of Excellence hosted the grand opening of its recently renovated facility that houses its Tech Group business segment, which manufactures molds and performs molding for the company’s Crystal Zenith prefillable syringe system.

Clare Goldsberry

April 18, 2012

3 Min Read
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West Pharmaceutical Services’ Scottsdale Center of Excellence hosted the grand opening of its recently renovated facility that houses its Tech Group business segment, which manufactures molds and performs molding for the company’s Crystal Zenith prefillable syringe system. 

The renovation included converting 32,000 square feet to include an ISO 7 (10,000) cleanroom molding facility that will eventually house six vertical injection molding presses. Currently, two vertical presses are running producing West’s CZ prefillable syringe systems with an installed capacity of 7.5 million syringe systems annually. The Tech Group will scale up commercially over the next three to five years, with the goal being to meet the first 20-25 million product demand.

Participating in the ribbon cutting were, from left, Scottsdale Mayor J.W. “Jim” Lane, Kevin Knight, office of Congressman David Schweikert (R-5th District AZ), Mori Sudo, Daikyo Seiko Ltd. (center), Keith Watkins, Sr. VP of Arizona Commerce Authority, and Donald E. Morel, chairman and CEO West Pharmaceuticals Services Inc.

The ribbon cutting ceremony included brief welcome remarks by Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane, congressional greetings by Kevin Knight from the office of Congressman David Schweikert; remarks by Keith Watkins, Sr. VP of the Arizona Commerce Authority; and from West’s Chairman and CEO, Donald E. Morel, Jr.  

The newly renovated facility includes a metrology lab to support functional testing as well as a micro biological laboratory with a microbiologist on staff.

West’s CZ prefillable syringe system includes the piston and nozzle cap with the needle insert molded into the syringe. Daikyo Seiki provides the proprietary formulated CZ material that contains a Flurotech barrier on the drug contact surface to protect against organic and in-organic extractables and impart lubricity without the need to apply free silicone oil to the syringe barrel or piston. The insert-molded needle eliminates the need for adhesives that are typically used to glue the needle in place. Using CZ polymer also produces a better, more consistent syringe than glass. 

Dr. Morel noted in his remarks that a lot of the expansion that has taken place at the Tech Group’s Scottsdale Center for Excellence isn’t just due to West, but to West’s partnership with Daikyo for 35 years, and to the efforts of Steve Uhlmann, founder of the Tech Group, who was in attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony, and the entire engineering team at the Tech Group. “We’re proud of their accomplishments,” Morel commented. 

In a separate announcement, West announced a new line of high-quality components under its NovaPure brand at the annual meeting of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) being held this week in Phoenix. “Through a product development process that incorporates Quality by Design principles, NovaPure components, including serum and lyophilization stoppers and syringe plungers will help to ensure the safety, efficacy and purity of injectable drug products,” said the release from West, headquartered in Lionville, PA. 

“Quality by Design is an essential element in helping pharmaceutical manufacturers meet regulatory guidelines for safety and efficacy,” commented Morel. “West is embedding QbD in manufacturing from raw materials through delivery. NovaPure components incorporate a variety of high-quality processes and features designed to ensure component reliability and provide an unrivaled level of quality for our customers, which  ultimately can aid in the safety and efficacy of their drug product for the patient.”

About the Author

Clare Goldsberry

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

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