Vacuum insertion methods for inserting lubricant free syringe stoppers and a system for assembling same

A method comprising:

• providing a syringe including a non-lubricated inner surface and a barrel flange;
• inserting a non-lubricated stopper that includes a sealing rib into a placement region located at a proximal end of a vacuum chamber, the non-lubricated stopper being at least partially covered by a polymer layer;
• creating a seal between a sealing gasket of the vacuum chamber and the barrel flange of the syringe;
• applying vacuum through a vacuum port fluidly connected to the non-lubricated barrel and located at a distal end of the vacuum chamber to translate the stopper through the vacuum chamber from the placement region of the vacuum chamber into a proximal end of the non-lubricated barrel;
• translating the stopper through the non-lubricated barrel with an insertion rod until a desired headspace between a front edge of the sealing rib and a liquid solution located in the non-lubricated cartridge tube is achieved;
• retracting the insertion rod away from the vacuum chamber;
• and
• retracting the vacuum chamber away from the non-lubricated barrel.