DROFEN launches pen injector pre-assembly machine after second PharmTech column

DROFEN Machinery says it has published a second technical column in Pharmaceutical Technology and introduced a pre-assembly machine for pen injectors that runs at 160 pens per minute. The move expands the Shanghai company’s end-to-end line for insulin and GLP-1 device production as demand rises for high-volume injection pen manufacturing.

Why it matters: - Pen injector manufacturers and CDMOs are facing pressure to scale output for insulin and GLP-1 therapies without sacrificing assembly precision. - DROFEN is positioning itself as a single-source supplier for both pre-assembly and final assembly equipment, which can reduce integration risk and shorten validation timelines.

What happened: - DROFEN Machinery announced the publication of its second technical column in Pharmaceutical Technology. - The new column is titled "Engineering High-Speed Pen Injector Final Assembly Machine: Solving the Cartridge Press-Fit Challenge." - The company also launched a high-speed pen injector pre-assembly machine capable of processing 160 pens per minute. - DROFEN is headquartered in Shanghai, China.

The details: - The Pharmaceutical Technology article focuses on cartridge breakage during servo press-fit insertion, one of the main failure modes in pen injector final assembly. - DROFEN says its final assembly machine reaches more than 99.5% first-pass yield using KISTLER force-displacement monitoring, electronic camming profiles, and closed-loop servo control across 24 assembly stations. - The new pre-assembly machine integrates up to 13 micro-components in a single pass, including dose dials, drive sleeves, clutch springs, number sleeves, and pen housings. - The pre-assembly platform uses a cam-driven continuous motion architecture and includes 100% in-line mechanical function verification for dose accuracy, reset torque, and button force. - The machine is compatible with disposable and reusable pen platforms. - DROFEN designed the equipment for insulin pens, GLP-1 pens including semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide, and next-generation multi-dose injection devices. - The final assembly machine uses a servo-controlled cartridge press-fit system with real-time KISTLER force-displacement monitoring. - The final assembly platform also includes a 2-cell modular architecture, 24 servo stations, 42 RFID-tracked pallets, and a Keyence plus Cognex multi-camera vision inspection system. - DROFEN says the final assembly machine supports 21 CFR Part 11 and EU GMP Annex 11 data integrity requirements. - The company says turnkey delivery includes FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ and PQ validation support. - DROFEN’s first Pharmaceutical Technology column, "Overcoming Fill-Finish Capacity Bottlenecks in Automated Pen Injector Assembly Lines," addressed scaling pen injector assembly from pilot production to 160 PPM.

Between the lines: - Publishing in a major trade journal gives DROFEN a technical credibility play, not just a product launch. - The company is tying content marketing to product engineering to show it can handle both throughput and validation requirements. - The focus on GLP-1 devices reflects where demand is growing fastest in drug delivery hardware.

What's next: - DROFEN is now offering a full pen injector assembly line spanning pre-assembly and final assembly from one engineering center. - The company says that setup is meant to improve mechanical compatibility and reduce validation work for new projects. - More technical specifications are available on DROFEN’s pen injector assembly line page.

The bottom line: - DROFEN is using a trade-journal publishing push and a new 160-PPM pre-assembly machine to strengthen its pitch to manufacturers scaling pen injector production.