Lead consulting and implementation of the new production site for Erbe Elektromedizin
Erbe partnered with io to launch its “erbe 4.i – we continue to develop” construction project, with the aim of expanding its production site in Rangendingen with a center of excellence for medical technology instruments.
Sustainable center of excellence for medical technology instruments
The project includes a new corporate site with 24,000 m² of usable space including atrium, office and social areas, product development, production, and logistics. It is expected to provide 400 new jobs.
io is carrying out HOAI* service phases 1-8 as lead consultant, beginning with concept planning and concluding with the implementation of Erbe’s new production facility. io’s role includes the process and logistics planning as well as kitchen and clean room planning. The concept and plant structure planning took place from April through July 2019. “erbe 4.i – we continue to develop” subsequently kicked off in October 2019 as a Lead Consulting // plus project.
Two major aspects of this project are the company’s pace of growth and the related criticality of the investment in expanding the production site for the development, manufacture and logistics of surgical instruments.
Carbon-reduced building design
The building will be one of the first industrial buildings in Germany to meet the stringent requirements of the KfW Efficiency House Standard 40, consuming 60% less primary energy than comparable properties.
The core design of the building is to effectively blend in with the nature of the region.
Key Facts
Client
Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH is a medical technology company based in Tübingen. It develops, manufactures and markets surgical instruments and devices worldwide and offers professional services in a range of medical fields.
The challenge
- Merger of two sites
- Carbon-reduced building design
- Strict compliance with clean room regulations
- Expandable logistics and distribution center
Solution
- Layout optimized for material flow and resources with short distances
- Construction designed to be CO2-reduced, including a 1 megawatt roof-mounted photovoltaic system and recyclable materials used for the building
- AutoStore small parts warehouse at the heart of the new, expandable logistics and distribution center
Layout optimized for material flow and resource
The optimized layout design of the production site – with state-of-the-art DIN EN ISO 14644‑1, ISO 8 clean-room production – is an essential aspect of the planning.
Erbe not only focused on an efficient high-quality commercial kitchen when planning the company’s catering facilities, but also on an architecturally appealing design.
This product sector has accounted for a huge proportion of our sales growth in recent years, and we expect this trend to intensify. It is therefore crucial to our company’s future to get this site expansion right. Environmental sustainability is a core consideration for the new building, and fully consistent with our corporate strategy goals.
New logistics and distribution center
An AutoStore small parts warehouse will be at the heart of the new logistics center. The majority of client orders and internal production replenishment are due to be handled there.
It is planned to gradually expand the AutoStore storage system for the new site.
The production site is scheduled to be completed by summer 2023.
*HOAI = German Official Scale of Fees for Services by Architects and Engineers
At the ceremonial construction model unveiling in the summer of 2021, the public was given an insight into the sustainable and future-oriented design of the building.
The shell of the 25,000 sqm production plant was completed in the summer of 2022.
An AutoStore small parts warehouse will be at the heart of the new logistics center.
The optimized layout design of the production site is an essential aspect of the planning. A modern clean room production facility of class ISO 8 according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1 is being built in the center.
