Medicos has recently invested nearly EUR 1 million to equip its Izernore site in France with a new fully automated, high-speed lacquering line. Dedicated to the beauty and premium packaging markets, this next-generation line enables the group to internalize lacquering operations, thereby improving industrial efficiency, production lead times, and overall competitiveness.
Capable of producing up to 4,000 parts per hour, the new equipment also enhances finish quality. Designed to reduce material consumption, the line meets the requirements of high-solids, low-VOC technical lacquers. It integrates automated dust removal and brushing processes prior to lacquering, reducing aesthetic defects and significantly lowering scrap rates.
This investment strategy is further reflected in the recent expansion of the Chassal-Molinges site in the Jura region of Fance, dedicated to the production of cosmetic droppers. Fully self-financed by the company, this expansion represents an additional EUR 1 million investment.
The site now operates 31 plastic injection molding machines, an automated assembly workshop, and two cleanrooms — one dedicated to injection molding and the other to assembly. Building on the company’s long-standing pharmaceutical heritage, both cleanrooms are equipped with automated systems featuring camera-based inspection and the latest AI-driven sensor technologies for production quality monitoring.
Advanced automation and equipment customization
These investments reflect the company’s broader strategy, driven by its President and Founder, Cédric Marmonnier. For him, automation is not merely a tool for optimization, but a fundamental condition for industrial sustainability. It enables cost efficiency while ensuring exceptionally high levels of quality. This approach is particularly critical in the cosmetics industry, where even the slightest cosmetic defect can be deemed critical.
Inspection processes are also highly automated, leveraging industrial vision systems enhanced by artificial intelligence to enable increasingly comprehensive defect detection.
A key differentiator for the group lies in its ability to design and manufacture a significant portion of its own production equipment. At the Chassal site, a dedicated workshop develops custom machines tailored to specific production constraints or customer requirements.
The teams also produce a wide range of tooling in-house, supported by a fleet of around ten 3D printers used for rapid prototyping, product modeling, and the fabrication of certain machine components. This strong mastery of industrial equipment enables the group to rapidly adapt its production lines while continuously improving performance.
Industrial integration
The group stands out through a diversified product portfolio that includes jars, droppers, roll-ons, perfume caps, and closures for tubes and flexible bottles. It also benefits from strong vertical integration and expertise across multiple segments of the industry.
While plastic injection molding remains its core business — supported by a fleet of 92 presses — Medicos also operates a drawn glass production facility in Italy. This site is equipped with eight vertical rotary machines featuring automated feeding systems and integrated camera-based inspection. It further offers extensive in-line assembly, decoration, and finishing capabilities, including lacquering, integrated decoration, screen printing, pad printing, hot stamping, and laser marking.
Innovation and environmental transition
Alongside its production investments, Medicos continues to advance its work on recyclable materials and the lightweighting of plastic packaging. Historically specialized in engineering polymers and flexible materials, the group is now expanding its portfolio to include recycled, bio-based, and alternative petroleum-based plastics.
Developments are currently underway using rPET for certain thick-walled applications. Medicos is also working on PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), a biopolymer produced through the bacterial fermentation of renewable resources. Biodegradable by nature, it does not generate persistent microplastics at end of life. The group is likewise exploring materials derived from plant fibers such as hemp, as well as bio-sourced resins and mechanically or chemically recycled materials, along with solutions designed to meet the constraints of packaging sorting and detection systems.
By simultaneously investing in automation, the design of special machines, and control technologies, Medicos confirms its strategy: making operational excellence a sustainable competitive advantage!
