Circulation system for floor slabs relocated
in the metropolitan region of Hamburg
The fdu group of companies comprising 19 factories in Germany is one of the largest manufacturers of precast concrete elements all over the world. Throughout Germany, fdu GmbH & Co. KG is supplying precast floor slabs, double wall elements and precast elements of all kinds to the residential and multi-story construction sector.
At the fdu headquarters in the city of Georgsmarienhütte near Osnabrück (Germany) the overall coordination of incoming orders takes place together with the corresponding central workload planning of all factories.
In the course of ongoing location planning, the team has been discussing various plant and location options for several months in close cooperation with Weckenmann Anlagentechnik GmbH & Co. KG based in the Southern German city of Dormettingen, with whom existing production facilities of the fdu group were already successfully modernized and expanded three years ago. In this process, again and again new ideas and strategies were developed, ranging from new construction to plant relocation with modernization. When the project started in autumn 2013 with the intention to award a contract for the construction of a new factory building near Hamburg, fdu had the golden opportunity to acquire an existing factory building including concrete mixing plant in Schwarzenbek southeast of Hamburg.
Relocation completed within a few months
This, at the same time, was the start for the relocation of fdu‘s existing circulation system for the manufacturer of precast floor slabs, built in 1995, from Magdeburg to Schwarzenbek. Replanning was realized within a very short time, and Weckenmann was awarded a contract as machinery and equipment supplier at the beginning of December 2013. The concept of the existing circulation system was completely revised and optimized in order to meet both the own ever increasing demands and those of the market. All parties involved were faced with huge challenges owing to the tight schedule and the structural alteration and foundation works to be carried out on site at the existing factory building. Thanks to the close collaboration of the entire team under the direction of fdu Project Manager, Benno Strack, it was possible to stick to the determined time frame with the first concrete pallet poured early April 2014.
The newly acquired factory building in Schwarzenbek was cleared out in December 2013, and right at the beginning of 2014, the excavators and masonry saws moved in for doing the foundation works in Schwarzenbek. In parallel, the circulation system was dismantled in Magdeburg and, again in January 2014, the first circulation components were installed at the new location. At the beginning of April 2014, concrete was poured into the formwork pallets for the first time, and thus the production was started.
Project parties draw positive conclusion
Therefore, fdu Project Manager, Benno Strack, concluded with satisfaction: „It was only possible to realize this project with strong and flexible companies because of the tight time line and the difficult framework conditions. We consciously decided in favor of Weckenmann as general supplier because we know the company already from other projects. This time again, it was a matter of team spirit without bureaucracy, and despite the very tight schedule, the production could start in due time.“
General Manager, Thomas Beike, added: „The modernization and relocation of the plant allows us to deliver our regular customers in an even more reliable way. Moreover, we substantially optimized the technical flexibility and the possibilities of the production line. Together with our well-established locations in the immediate vicinity we are able to look ahead optimistically.“
