Infusion Solutions

Standardisation of automation increases plant availability

B. Braun Melsungen AG has Europe's most modern manufacturing plant for infusion solutions. Thanks to a comprehensive analysis of automation technology requirements by experts from Festo and B. Braun, the entire value chain can benefit fully from standardised pneumatic automation components. "The reduction of maintenance costs and the decrease of downtimes were the most persuasive arguments for a standardisation," explained Klaus Sonntag, Head of Maintenance with B. Braun.

The life nutrition plant in the new B. Braun factory produces infusion solutions in new three-chamber bags and is highly automated but now also highly standardised. It was, however, only possible to achieve this after Festo automation specialists revealed an enormous potential for improvement in both the primary and secondary production areas. Previously, the various plant and machine builders supplying production and packaging equipment had installed automation products sourced from up to six different pneumatics suppliers. This required a large number of spare parts, which increased complexity and thus the costs of maintenance.

Simplicity decreases complexity
The aim was clear: as many machines and installations as possible throughout the value chain, from the batch systems to the filling machines, sterilisers, inspection machines and packaging machines were to be equipped with the same or similar pneumatic automation solutions and products. The advantages were obvious, namely less need to keep stocks of spare parts, less complexity in maintenance work and, the biggest advantage of all, the possibility of dealing with just one pneumatics partner. This last factor speeded up ordering processes and, because of the large quantities involved, generated economies of scale and thus lower purchasing costs.

"We can schedule our maintenance staff and the spare parts more easily. The training for this staff is more efficient and the complexity of all this decreases", noted Sonntag. The costs of stocks of components and maintenance fell. Moreover, the pharmaceutical manufacturer was able to increase its efficiency by being able to organise staff and plan the purchase of spare parts more easily.

Less spare parts – less stock
At the start of the project, a team of Festo staff and specialists from the pharmaceutical manufacturer analysed the types of pneumatic components previously used at B. Braun. The project team defined a standard and produced a list of recommended equipment which considerably simplified maintenance work at B. Braun. In this engineering phase, the Festo experts provided much advice covering everything from a 3D model to design coordination.

During the logistics and implementation phase, the automation specialist coordinated the implementation of standards with the various machine and plant builders. This made it possible to achieve a single-sourcing supply chain which cut costs and increased the efficiency of the purchasing process. In this phase of the value chain, Festo planned, built and supplied 45 ready-to-install valve terminal cabinets directly to the pharmaceutical plant manufacturer.

Simply fit and forget
Complete solutions were supplied fully assembled and tested, thus reducing the workload of the customer's technical personnel, keeping system design costs low, simplifying the purchasing process and cutting process costs. "Fit and forget is the objective for our customers," explained Jürgen Weber, Head of Key Account Management Process Automation at Festo Germany. This generates clear advantages for users in the installation and commissioning phase.

B. Braun can rely on uniform product technology, from the process installations to the packaging machines. At the heart of the automation system at the sensor/actuator level is the valve terminal CPX/MPA, installed in a control cabinet. Thanks to its flexible control concept, the bus-driven valve terminal can be used as an I/O module for the connection of all feedback signal devices, drives and process valves. Today it is controlling 4,000 diaphragm and other process valves in pharmaceutical production operations.

International dependability
In the course of the project, B. Braun produced an approved products list which summarised all the installed pneumatic components and subsystems – from the valve terminal CPX/MPA to compressed air preparation devices from Festo's MS series, a flow sensor MS6-SFE and the ready-to-install local valve terminal cabinets. To complete the pneumatic control chain, the list also includes ISO cylinders, one-way flow control valves, fittings, tubing and cylinder sensors.

Thanks to its global sales and service network, Festo was able to guarantee that all the deliveries from the various countries conformed to the project standard.

B. Braun Melsungen AG …
… supplies the world health market with products for anaesthesia, intensive care, cardiology, extracorporal blood processing and surgery, together with services for clinics, local doctor practices and home care. In 2012 B. Braun and its approx. 47,000 staff in 58 countries generated a turnover of €5.05 bn. The company has 45 production locations.

www.bbraun.de
www.festo.com/biotech