Belt 6 & 7 Membrane Manufacturing Facility – Concept Piping Review

Pharmaceutical Case Studies

  1. Project Title
  • Belt 6 & 7 Membrane Manufacturing Facility – Concept Piping Review
  1. Project Summary
  • The project involved the development of a new membrane manufacturing facility within an existing life-sciences manufacturing site in Cardiff.
  • The facility was planned to accommodate two membrane casting production lines, known as Belts 6 and 7, together with associated process equipment, storage vessels, recovery systems and utilities.
  • Much of the production equipment had originally been purchased for a separate facility before that project was cancelled and subsequently placed into storage.
  • DMD was appointed to undertake an early concept-stage piping review to assess the feasibility of the proposed layouts, identify potential piping routes and highlight key risks requiring consideration during the next design stages.
  1. Sector
  • Life Sciences Manufacturing
  • Membrane and Filtration Technology
  1. Project Location
  • Cardiff, Wales
  1. Client Challenge
  • The client needed to integrate two previously purchased membrane manufacturing lines into an existing building originally fitted out for a different manufacturing process.
  • The existing facility incorporated ISO 7 cleanroom areas and required significant reconfiguration to accommodate the new process equipment and supporting infrastructure.
  • The proposed development included a tank farm, reactor systems, water-treatment equipment, solvent-recovery systems, process utilities and wastewater treatment.
  • Early confirmation of viable piping corridors and support arrangements was required to establish whether the concept layout could be developed without significant routing, structural or spatial conflicts.
  • The review also needed to identify potential cost and design risks at an early stage, following significant unplanned costs on the previously cancelled project.
  1. DMD Scope of Work
  • Review of the proposed concept layouts
  • Identification of potential piping corridors and routing zones
  • Cross-checking of proposed routes against the available site point-cloud survey
  • Identification of potential primary steel modifications
  • Identification of potential secondary steel and pipe-support requirements
  • Identification of high-level piping risks and future design considerations
  • Preparation of a concept-stage piping review summary
  1. Engineering Disciplines
  • Piping Design
  • Structural and Pipe-Support Interfaces
  1. Project Delivery Approach
  • Potential piping corridors and route options were identified throughout the proposed facility.
  • The available point-cloud survey was used, where possible, to verify existing conditions and assess spatial constraints.
  • Areas likely to require primary or secondary structural steelwork were identified to support future piping installations.
  • Key routing, access, constructability and support risks were recorded for consideration during subsequent design stages.
  • The review concentrated on establishing the overall feasibility of the concept before progressing into more detailed engineering.
  • Findings and recommendations were consolidated into a concise concept-stage summary document.
  1. Key Engineering Features
  • Integration of two membrane casting production lines
  • Reuse and relocation of previously purchased process equipment
  • Installation within an existing ISO 7 cleanroom facility
  • Eight-vessel bulk-storage tank farm
  • Two reactor trains comprising three reactors per train
  • Reverse-osmosis water systems serving both production lines
  • SDA and NMP recovery systems
  • Process and building utility distribution
  • Provision for a future post-processing facility
  • Wastewater balancing and pH-adjustment systems
  • Identification of piping corridors within an existing brownfield building
  • Early identification of structural and pipe-support requirements
  1. Key Deliverables
  • Proposed piping corridors and routing zones
  • Identification of potential primary steelwork requirements
  • Identification of secondary steelwork and pipe-support requirements
  • Piping risk register and design considerations
  • Recommendations for progression into the next design stage
  • Concept piping review summary document
  1. Technology and Software Used
  • Autodesk Plant 3D
  • Autodesk Navisworks
  • 3D laser scanning and point-cloud technology