Gerteis enters fourth decade of roller compactor excellence

Jona, Switzerland: – Gerteis Maschinen + Processengineering AG (Gerteis) has been celebrating its 30th year as roller compaction and dry granulation leaders.

The Swiss company is still based in the former municipality of Jona, near Lake Zürich, where Paul Gerteis founded his original premises in December 1986.

Looking back at the early years when the company was still a one-man-business, Paul Gerteis remembers the challenges of starting off in a field that already had long-established enterprises competing for a share in the market. His background in sales of pharmaceutical equipment provided Gerteis with in-depth knowledge of the needs of his future customers.

In what he calls ‘a lucky coincidence’, he found a way to make roller compaction a viable and advantageous option for processing most substances. The development of the patented Gerteis compaction technology was an important first step in establishing what would become a global name for dry granulates compaction excellence.

Winning customers

However, Gerteis still had to win customers over to the new technology, which he was able to do by demonstrating numerous unique benefits delivered by his Gerteis® roller compaction systems. It was in these early days that Paul Gerteis set the standards for excellent customer service that the company still prides itself on today. “It was my personal commitment to serving the customer to the best of my ability that opened the doors to many of the companies we still supply today,” said Mr. Gerteis in a recent interview.

Favorable word of mouth helped Gerteis establish a business that has seen continuous growth since the late 1980s.

Gerteis enjoys long-term relationships with its roller compactor users almost by definition, with some machines recording service lives of 20 years or more. This durability is coupled with sustainability since the dry granulation process is very fast and energy-efficient method of achieving homogeneous powders. The patented roller technology at the heart of every Gerteis compactor ensures a more uniform density product and gentler handling in the compaction process.

Versatility and scalability

The optimized rim assembly of the rolls guarantees the consistency of the product. Adjustments for many varying parameters are available making Gerteis compactors perfect for handling a myriad of products found in pharmaceutical and other businesses such as food processing or fine chemicals. Since all of the Pactor® and Polygran® series are designed for continuous production, high output rates are possible. This is combined with a very high degree of scalability, with the Macro-Pactor®, for example, capable of throughputs ranging from 100g trial samples all the way up to 400kg per hour, allowing for seamless transition from R&D to production.

Making the machines even more ideal for the pharmaceutical market are the highly effective Clean in Place (CIP) and Wash in Place (WIP) systems available as part of most compactor series, reducing downtime needed for cleaning to a minimum. CIP in combination with Gerteis’ bespoke containment systems ensure a high level of operator protection against toxic substances and highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs).

Future plans

Thus a range of factors has driven the success of Gerteis over three decades: not least the intrinsic values of reliability, quality and sustainability in its engineering on which its high reputation is founded. Gerteis® is committed to maintaining this level of machine excellence, combined with continued dedication to the excellent service and customer satisfaction on which it first made its name.

For the future of the company, Paul Gerteis has one wish: “Customers have to be cared for with the same dedication we have provided so far and the passion for our product has to remain a driving force in our team.”

The company’s future plans emphasize technological innovation and organic growth while maintaining focus on optimizing existing systems and accommodating individual customer needs. Having been a constant presence at pharmaceutical events and conventions, Gerteis aims to expand its Asian markets, to infuse existing markets with new products and to increase our global presence in the marketplace.

Tailored service

To ensure the best possible service, Gerteis is in constant exchange with engineers, scientists and suppliers to remain up-to-date with current trends, requirements and innovations. This translates into reliable expertise in finding optimal solutions for their customers’ production issues and increasing outputs by optimizing processes. Their customized designs are tailored to the needs of each customer, while in-house training courses assure that operators are capable of handling and servicing the machines. Thanks to regional partners, Gerteis is able to resolve maintenance issues and problems quickly and efficiently.

Acquiring a Gerteis roller compactor not only equips the client with a reliable machine, but also guarantees service that is second to none.

About Gerteis

Gerteis Maschinen + Processengineering AG is a Swiss-based company that has rapidly established itself as a world leader in the field of premium roller compactors. The company’s products and services cover all aspects of dry granulation processes, with unparalleled experience in this field built up since the company was founded in 1986.

Gerteis manufactures a wide range of high quality containment roller compactors that are versatile enough to process a vast range of powders, even notoriously problematic ones at both laboratory and production scales. The company’s patented technologies are widely used by the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries.

Rapidly increasing demand recently forced the company to move from its original site in Jona on the shores of Lake Zurich to larger and purpose designed premises nearby, in a move completed at the end of 2013.

As well as manufacturing machinery, Gerteis offers complete solution packages that help customers increase productivity including support on identifying ideal formulations and in-house training courses on dry granulation processing. Gerteis constantly seeks to expand its knowledge on dry granulation, participating in numerous research collaborations with German universities.