Micro Extruder ZE5 - Hot Melt Edition

ZE 5 HMI Micro Extruder – Hot-Melt Extrusion (HME) Edition

The ZE 5 HMI is our flagship 5 mm twin-screw micro extruder optimized for hot-melt extrusion (HME) in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and specialty-polymer R&D. With an ultra-low empty volume of 1.2 cm³ (L/D 15:1) and a batch start as small as 1 g, it conserves expensive active ingredients while delivering the full mixing, kneading, and devolatilization power of a production-scale HME line.

Purpose-built for HME

• Wide process window – Electrically heated barrel zones and optional liquid nitrogen or water cooling cover room temperature to 300 °C, accommodating amorphous solid dispersions, enteric polymers, and temperature-sensitive APIs.

• Precise residence-time control – Modular screw elements (convey, knead, reverse, and vent) let you fine-tune shear and mixing intensity for everything from PEO taste-masking matrices to high-load PEG blends.

• Real-time PAT ports – Built-in 12 mm ports accept inline FT-NIR or Raman probes so you can monitor drug amorphous content or API homogeneity during extrusion.

Integrated HMI & Data Integrity

The intuitive 7″ touch-panel HMI stores GMP-ready recipes and logs torque, temperature, and screw speed at 1-s intervals for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. An Ethernet interface streams data directly to your MES or DoE platform, enabling rapid design-space exploration and continuous-manufacturing studies.

Micro Feeding to Continuous Lines

Combine the ZE 5 with our ZD 5 FB micro gravimetric feeder (5 g h-¹ minimum) for loss-in-weight dosing of APIs or co-formers, or integrate it with the hot-die pelletizer to create a complete micro pelletizing line. The system retrofits seamlessly into isolators or glove boxes for potent drug handling, yet scales effortlessly: formulations developed on the ZE 5 transfer directly to our ZE 12 or ZE 18 extruders with predictable scale-up factors.

Competitive Edge

• Smallest 5 mm HME platform worldwide – Half the empty volume of many micro compounders (e.g., Xplore MC 15) while matching their torque and temperature range.

• True twin-screw flexibility – Switch from high-shear amorphous dispersion to low-shear melt granulation in minutes by re-configuring screw segments.

• Material & cost savings – Achieve up to 90 % API yield thanks to minimal hold-up and fast purge times.