{"id":11792,"date":"2026-10-27T08:24:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T07:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.three-tec.ch\/?p=11792"},"modified":"2026-10-27T08:26:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T07:26:26","slug":"when-just-a-few-grams-make-all-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.three-tec.ch\/en\/wenn-wenige-gramm-ueber-den-erfolg-entscheiden\/","title":{"rendered":"When a Few Grams Make All the Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

Especially in early-stage pharmaceutical development, valuable active ingredients and polymers are often available only in very small quantities. The Three-Tec ZE 5 extruder was developed specifically to address such challenges. For the past 10 years, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg has been using a ZE 5 extruder for its research<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The compact ZE 5 laboratory extruder is one of the smallest extruders of its kind in the world and allows for the processing of very small quantities of material while offering a high degree of process flexibility. Extruded products can be produced with as little as one gram of material, making the ZE 5 particularly well-suited for research and early development phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For about ten years, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg has been using a ZE 5 extruder in the development of pharmaceutical products. The focus is on bioresorbable polymers such as PLGA and starch, which are processed together with active ingredients and additives to create parenteral drug formulations. The process uses hot-melt extrusion to produce cylindrical extrudates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main reason for purchasing the ZE 5 extruder was the ability to efficiently process very small quantities and develop new formulations on a laboratory scale with very small diameters: \u00abMy biggest personal challenge was manufacturing implants with a diameter of about 300 \u00b5m. Using the ZE 5, we were able to produce reproducible implants as well as a wide variety of formulations.\u00bb<\/strong> says Dr. Eric Lehner of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3D cochlear reconstruction with an electrode (brown) and a PLGA implant (light blue)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is precisely this combination of minimal material consumption and high precision that makes the ZE 5 extremely attractive for many development projects. When expensive active ingredients or specialty polymers are used, every gram counts. The ability to achieve meaningful results even with very small batches not only saves material but also accelerates formulation development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extruder has also proven its worth in day-to-day laboratory work. Various staff members regularly use the extruder and frequently switch between different formulations. Disassembly and cleaning are straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the results speak for themselves: The work conducted with the ZE 5 has led to a wide variety of scientific publications, doctoral dissertations, and a patent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The formulations and implants developed by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in collaboration with ZE 5 are intended, for example, for applications in the inner ear, for the treatment of periodontitis and malaria, and for antispasmodic and neuroprotective therapies in the brain. Some of the publications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n