Germany-based Sanner, producer of plastic components for pharma and healthcare packaging, is investing €4 million in the modernisation of logistics, infrastructure and energy efficiency at its plant in Bensheim.
Scheduled for completion in June 2013, the new construction will include a central transport corridor to improve the flow of goods as well as a technical services centre with a power/heat cogeneration system.
The company says the modernised facility will provide “clearly defined production zones along with structural improvements in the GMP production environment”, in accordance with a comprehensive design developed exclusively for the plant.
Focusing on environmental sustainability, one of the main objectives of the development is to optimise material flow and ensure energy-efficient production across the entire value chain.
“We have continuously expanded and modernized our site since the 1960s,” says Sanner CEO Holger Frank.
“In the past, the renovations took place in stages. This more comprehensive construction project will close the gaps in our overall logistics and infrastructure.”
The plant’s new power/heat cogeneration system will take excess heat from two gas-powered generators to be converted into cooling air and process refrigeration, as required, generating 50% of the energy required with gas.
“These measures will help us reduce the risk of price increases for electrical power,” says Frank, who adds: “The comprehensive renovation of our main plant will prepare us for the future and ensure that we can maintain our position as an innovative market and technology leader.”
Sanner is the world’s leading manufacturer of desiccant caps, producing two billion plastic parts a year for standard products and custom solutions.
With more than 450 employees in Germany, China, Hungary, the US and Indonesia, the company generated annual sales of over €45 million in 2011.
The Sanner plant at Bensheim, Germany
