High-speed joining technology delivers precise force measurements
14 October 2025 
The Swiss measurement technology specialist Kistler has combined the high dynamics of linear direct drives with the precision of piezoelectric force and acceleration sensors, to create a system that provides precise joining at high speeds. It says that its patent-pending NCFQ 2166A joining system fills a gap in the market where high quality and production speeds are needed – such as manufacturing of medical and electronic products, and semiconductors.
The magnet-based technology incorporates a LinMot linear motor that accelerates at up to 50m/s² and reaches speeds of up to 5m/s. A magnetic spring provides weight compensation in vertical installations.
The system is aimed at dynamic applications requiring forces of up to 500N – such as the production of autoinjectors and insulin pens. It can also be used for relay or haptic tests in the electronics industry, and for automotive applications.
“The demands for highly accurate force measurement, combined with high dynamics, are constantly increasing,” says Peter Balzer, Kistler’s product manager for NC joining systems. “Until now, users had to decide whether to focus on precision, and exact process monitoring, or on speed. In areas where consistently high quality is crucial, choosing a slower system has traditionally been the only viable option. With our new NCFQ high-speed joining system, there is no need to compromise.”
The first systems are already in use in the pharmaceutical industry. In one facility that produces insulin pens, for example, the insulin cartridge is inserted automatically into the plastic housing of the auto-injector and then assembled using the NCFQ joining system.
This application requires absolute precision as well as high speeds. If the force is too low, the individual parts will not be joined reliably; if the force is too high, the cartridge can be damaged and insulin can leak out. Thanks to the combined measuring and joining technology, potential production errors have been eliminated, even when operating with 500ms cycle times.
The forces acting on the product are not the only variables that need to be considered. “Due to the high dynamics of the linear module, the acceleration forces are always measured, too” Balzer explains. “However, they are irrelevant for product quality and make it difficult to evaluate the process based solely on force data.”
For particularly accurate process monitoring, Kistler is offering an advanced version of the joining system that incorporates an extra piezoelectric acceleration sensor. This allow the system to filter out the acceleration forces of the joining module automatically, so that only the joining forces are visible. “This greatly simplifies process control and evaluation,” Balzer reports.
In addition to integration into production lines, the system can also be used for process development. One pharmaceutical company is using it as a stand-alone workstation for manual assembly. The system can also be equipped with alternative sensors and joining modules to cater for different strokes and joining forces.
Kistler: LinkedIn
