Becton Dickinson: A new "energy hub" to power the plant
As one of the world's top five health tech leaders, the American giant Becton Dickinson has been constantly innovating since its creation in 1897. In Pont-de-Claix, in the Isère region of France, its production site for syringes and piston seals reflects its ambitions. More than ever in the news, this activity has been the subject of an extraordinary renovation, with the construction of a turnkey "Utilities" building, signed Equans France.
The strategic pole of the american group
Imagine : 18,000 m² of workshops, 4,000 m² of clean rooms on nearly 10 hectares of land! Located in Pont-de-Claix, in the Isère region of France, the Becton Dickinson site is THE strategic hub of the American group.
Every year, more than 330 million glass syringes and 1,800 million piston seals are manufactured here and delivered to nearly 300 countries. These are two strategic products that require a high level of R&D and engineering, both in technology and manufacturing processes. A single "grain of sand" can jam the entire chain, leading to a total or partial shutdown of production. Inconceivable for the American giant !
Especially since Becton Dickinson intends to pursue its international growth strategy. The only solution is to review the entire utilities production and distribution chain, which is based on a multitude of small units that are very disparate from one another.
A major challenge
The stakes are high : the aim is not only to modernize the production unit but also to offer a more sober and sustainable solution.
The result : better performance and less maintenance. But how to secure the production and distribution of utilities?
Facilitate maintenance? All this, in a "low carbon" perspective?
To answer this question, Equans France has turned to the design and construction of a turnkey building, bringing together the "Utilities":
- Thermal fluids (chilled water, hot water)
- Electrical power (transformer and main board)
A strategic lung
A real strategic "lung", this 300 m² building - adjacent to the manufacturing site - centralizes all the production of heat, cold and electricity in one place, then redistributes the energy produced.
The result of collaborative work with "cooling experts" and "electrical teams", this complex project brings into play the different know-how of Equans France, for the benefit of its customers.
Prior to the project, the teams carried out collaborative value engineering work to better understand the challenges and expectations of Becton Dickinson. If Henry Ford, the father of mass production, is to be believed, this "user-centric" approach optimizes production and performance, thanks to equipment tailored to the customer's needs and problems.
Redistribute the energy produced
For Becton Dickinson, for example, the multiplicity of units aggravated maintenance problems, without guaranteeing optimal performance. Hence the decision to group the various units together in a single location. This "energy hub" is the nerve center of the Isère site, with three 1.2 MW air-cooled chillers, two of which are magnetic bearings. "In addition to their acoustic performance and low-carbon approach, the quantum chillers are distinguished by their high energy performance. Another 1.3 MW water-fired GF quantum completes the set. "Sébastien Malugani, Equans France Sales Manager, emphasizes.
Below this high-tech installation, a 5.8 MW gas boiler room is connected to a 50-meter-long pipe rack. "These pipes are used to distribute thermal energy to the 50 air handling units on the site. It's as if we're touching on a critical aspect, because no temperature errors are allowed in this controlled environment."
A turnkey system for a tailor-made solution
To add difficulty to the project, the teams had a tight schedule: 18 months to deliver the CUP (Central Utility Production) building, including the design work. The challenge was successfully met!
To facilitate exchanges and communication, Becton Dickinson had a single contact person in charge of coordinating the various parties involved: civil engineering, structural work, cladding, production units, etc. This is the advantage of a turnkey utility project.
"The UPC is above all a contractual commitment based on a price and a schedule. Throughout the project, the client has a clear vision of the project, with no unpleasant surprises. It's a real gain in time, money and performance. "
The Isère site continues its development and innovation strategy
With its new hub, the Isère site is pursuing its development and innovation strategy in the French medtech market. The group currently employs 70,000 people worldwide, in more than 190 countries, with sales in France of nearly €1,138 million in 2019.
Equans France does its utmost to guarantee plant performance, optimize building comfort and facilitate maintenance. This support allows Becton Dickinson to focus on its core business.