On 3 November 2026, Schoeller Werk in Hellenthal hosted the 4th Route of Innovation – a networking event organised by AGIT mbH and MedLife e.V. that connects companies from the industrial and medical technology sectors. Around 30 guests accepted the invitation to the Eifel region for an afternoon of insights, impulses and conversations.
Where Tradition Meets Innovation: Introducing Schoeller
The programme opened with Dr Jens Magenheimer, Chief Sales Officer of Schoeller Werk GmbH & Co. KG, who offered an overview of the company: nearly 200 years of history, 800 employees and more than 70 million metres of tube produced per year – with a product portfolio ranging from calibrated standard tubes to high-precision tubes for the most demanding applications. Dr Magenheimer paid particular attention to the medical technology product segment: a market that places the highest demands on safety, cleanliness and precision – and one that aligns perfectly with Schoeller’s core competences.
Fully Automated Quality Inspection in 0.5 Seconds
The second presentation was delivered by Christopher Schneider, Head of Plant Engineering at Schoeller. Using a concrete example, he illustrated what innovation means at Schoeller: capillary tubes for asthma inhalers – with an outer diameter of 1.5 mm, a wall thickness of 0.5 mm and a length of 55 mm – perform a central function in transporting the medication from the cartridge to the atomiser nozzle. Even the smallest deviations in manufacturing can compromise the functionality and safety of the product. Until now, there was no market-ready solution capable of inspecting all relevant specifications – geometry, surface quality and chip-free finish – in a single process.
Schoeller has closed this gap with a purpose-built, fully automated measuring system: it inspects every individual tube with a cycle time of just 0.5 seconds, ensuring 100% quality control while maintaining high efficiency in the production process. (For more information on the measuring system and its development, please refer to our article from March 2026.)
Plant Tour Through Production and Inspection Technology
Following the presentations, guests were guided in three groups through various production areas: from welding and drawing to annealing and fully automated quality inspection. The measuring system was at the top of every group’s itinerary – and proved equally impressive in practice.
Pitching Session and Networking
The event concluded with short presentations from the other participating companies: Dietmar Wald from SBS Ecoclean Group presented solutions for industrial parts cleaning and degreasing, while Kurt Heinen from Heinen Automation GmbH & Co. KG showcased his company’s core competences in automation technology and special-purpose machine engineering. The networking session that followed provided ample opportunity for in-depth conversations – exactly what the Route of Innovation format is designed for.
We would like to thank AGIT mbH and MedLife e.V. for the invitation to serve as hosts, as well as all participants for their open interest and constructive exchange.
The 5th Route of Innovation will take place on 24 February 2027 in the Heinsberger Land. Further information is available at www.medlife-ev.de.