Podcast on Sustainability in Industry
Today’s factories are undergoing a transformation. But where are these transformation processes headed? Tobias Herwig, Business Unit Manager for Factory Design at io, sheds light on the matter: In his podcast “Factory of the Future,” he explores innovative concepts, smart technologies, and bold ideas that will shape the production environment of tomorrow. Since February 2021, he has been holding weekly conversations with plant managers, factory planners, production managers, and other fascinating personalities. He discusses with them their visions for the future, best practices, and the courage needed to navigate the industrial revolution.
In this series, the podcast is available in written form for the first time—here with Episode #122. Tobias Herwig speaks with Christian Erbe, CEO and managing partner of Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH. During the conversation, he discusses the new Erbe plant. He discusses its sustainability and cost-effectiveness—and why it was designed using io’s “General Planning // Plus” service.
Erbe develops and manufactures devices and instruments for electrosurgery. With more than 1,600 employees, it operates in 110 countries. As part of the Erbe 4.i project, Erbe has built a new plant at its site in Rangendingen, near Tübingen. The 25,000-square-meter facility houses production and logistics, as well as administration and development. The total investment amounts to 90 million euros. What was the reason for building this new plant?
Expansion—particularly in the field of instrument manufacturing. That was the fundamental idea behind the plant’s planning and design.
What does the plant look like? And what sets it apart?
Production itself is what defines it—in two different ways: mechanical production and what’s known as cleanroom production. Within the cleanroom, we manufacture instruments that require a specialized infrastructure. Our cleanroom is enormous. We can flexibly arrange the production lines within it. On top of that, we also have an automated high-bay warehouse to store larger units. And then, of course, there’s the large logistics area for shipping the instruments and other products—worldwide; we have customers in 110 countries.
Our architect, Jeremy Hotchkiss, played a key role in shaping the architecture of the new plant. How would you describe it?
Rangendingen is nestled in a beautiful forest landscape. Jeremy had the idea to make the building look like a fallen tree trunk so that it would blend beautifully into the natural surroundings. To achieve this, design and function had to be integrated. We achieved this very successfully by creating a central axis for employees that runs from front to back through the middle of the building. There’s also a large, multi-story open space where our employees can gather. Our company cafeteria is located there as well. It’s the social hub of the building.
How important was sustainability to you in this project?
We didn’t want to use any steel, as little glass as possible, and ideally no concrete. For structural reasons, however, we couldn’t do without it entirely. Most of the building is made of wood, including the load-bearing structures. The same goes for the exterior envelope and, of course, the cladding.
I’ve read that more than 2,000 metric tons of CO₂ are sequestered in the building due to its wood content. How does its energy consumption compare to its energy generation?
We made sure the building is very well insulated and that we meet the KfW 40 EE standard. We don’t know for sure yet, but we may have built the first industrial building in Germany to meet this standard. In addition, we installed a one-megawatt photovoltaic system on the roof. It covers about one-third of our energy needs.
How important was sustainability to you in this project?
We didn’t want to use any steel, as little glass as possible, and ideally no concrete at all. For structural reasons, however, we couldn’t do without it entirely. Most of the building is made of wood, though, including the load-bearing structures. The same goes for the exterior envelope and, of course, the cladding.
I’ve read that more than 2,000 metric tons of CO2 are sequestered in the building due to the wood content. How does its energy consumption compare to the energy required to produce it?
We made sure the building is very well insulated and that we meet the KfW 40 EE standard. We don’t know for sure yet, but we may have built the first industrial building in Germany to meet this standard. In addition, we installed a one-megawatt photovoltaic system on the roof. It covers about one-third of our energy needs.
How do you take people into account in this kind of architecture? And within the factory itself?
It was important to us to have a social gathering place. We’re currently building our new “regular hangout”—a public cafeteria that has already proven successful at our Tübingen location. In the center of the dining area, there will be a tree whose branches extend across the entire dining space.
Does this create real added value that also has an impact on production?
Yes, of course. When you bring your personal and professional lives a little closer together, you simply feel better—which has a positive impact on your performance and makes work more enjoyable.
Speaking of sustainability: What about cost-effectiveness?
We’ve set ourselves a big goal. The extras will cost more, but we also expect a return on investment. It’s difficult to specify exactly what that will be. The overall concept has to be structured in a way that makes financial sense. But as a family-owned business, we don’t think in terms of quarterly results. Instead, we think in the medium and long term. We’re currently in our fifth generation. That’s why we’re also looking further into the future.
Let’s talk about the concept of General Planning // plus—which, in this context, means that not only does the architecture come from a single source, but so do production, logistics, and IT. Why did you choose General Planning // plus?
In the first step, we determined which processes needed to be accommodated—and didn’t consider the building envelope at that stage. People sometimes overlook the fact that this requires a long planning lead time. That’s why it’s wise to find a partner with experience in a wide variety of production types. For example, we couldn’t fit all the functions within the floor area. So we had to plan for multiple stories. The whole process was a bit like putting together different building blocks—which wasn’t easy. It’s always very helpful when someone from other industrial sectors contributes suggestions for improvement. Overall, we believe we can significantly increase our efficiency.
What were your highlights during the planning process?
First of all, the meeting with the architects to see if we were on the same page—which we were. Personally, I enjoyed looking at Jeremy Hotchkiss’s designs the most. I also found it exciting to observe the creative process that brings a building to life from the various processes and requirements. Another major highlight was the 3D-animated rendering of the building and its visualization. And, of course, the symbolic topping-out ceremony. We ended the day with a big celebration.
Are there any challenges you’d like to share with us, and any results you’re particularly proud of now, looking back?
Yes, one challenge was the short construction timeline. That was very ambitious. Many trades had to work in parallel. As a result, there were a great many crews on the construction site at the same time, all of whom had to work together and coordinate their efforts. Sometimes that worked well, and sometimes it didn’t. But the overall look has turned out truly magnificent. You can see that the proportions are just right and come together to form a cohesive whole.
Earlier, you mentioned that, in a way, you’re already thinking about the next generation. What is your vision for the company in this regard?
From the very beginning, the plans for the plant in Rangendingen were designed so that we could double the production area.
