Work has recently been completed on the UK’s largest dedicated cleanroom. The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility was custom-designed for Bespak Europe by specialist construction company Chalcroft.
Bespak, a global supplier of drug delivery devices for injectable and inhaled products, required a new facility for the production of an addition to its range of products; Chalcroft was awarded the contract having successfully completed a previous refurbishment project at Bespak’s existing production site in King’s Lynn.
Early involvement in the project allowed Chalcroft to optimise the building design, enhancing the use of space and improving workflow around the facility. Dedicated plenums/service voids were also added to the specification to hide services, creating an aesthetically pleasing design and cleaner environment, while the external appearance of the building was re-engineered to provide a complementary aesthetic to the existing structures on site. This solution, developed in close partnership with Chalcroft’s mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor and architect, has delivered both an initial capital expenditure saving as well as long-term cost efficiencies for Bespak.
'A key challenge in the construction of this 5,180m2 facility was its close proximity to a local residential area, as well as its location on Bespak’s existing working site,' explained Lizzie Stratton, Contracts Manager. 'We therefore worked in close collaboration with Bespak to ensure that operations were unaffected by our work, and to enable their team to begin installing equipment in the new facility prior to completion.
'This approach meant that Bespak could commence production of its new range earlier, and also that the construction process was managed sensitively to avoid disruption to the local community.'
Ceiling mounted cranes spanning 22m have been installed
Associated areas within the building are offices, a metrology testing area and welfare facilities. Ceiling mounted cranes spanning 22m have been installed to convey tooling to the machinery within the cleanroom. Following validation of the cleanroom, Joe Hughes, of GMP Validation Consultants, said: 'With a career spanning 25 years, I have tested cleanrooms all over the world. The new facility at Bespak is by far the largest cleanroom recognised by the Clean Room Testing & Certification Board in the UK.'
Dave Stringer, Facilities Manager at Bespak, added: 'Over the course of the 44-week project, the Chalcroft team impressed with their ability to minimise disruption to our existing production facilities and ensure that hygiene and safety were not compromised at any stage. Their in-depth understanding of high-care construction has been the key factor in the successful, on-time completion of our new facility, and we’re very impressed with the end result in terms of both aesthetics and workflow.'
