WHAT'S NEW

Watson-Marlow has opened new state-of-the-art silicone tubing plant. The new high-tech plant – known as T2 - includes a ISO 14644-1 Class 7 cleanroom with temperature and humidity controls to create the optimum conditions for silicone tubing extrusion; two floors of offices and 550m of pallet racking. It has been designed as a low carbon building with an ‘Excellent’ environmental rating.

In order to provide our customers with improved business continuity T2 is physically separated from the existing facility and has its own primary utility supplies and enterprise computing. In effect, the two plants create an 'one-stop' dual source supply.

Activities in T2 are covered by the same campus-wide ISO9001:2008 quality management system and the controls associated with receipt of materials, traceability, equipment calibration and maintenance, clothing regimes, etc. are also common.

The new extrusion plant creates substantial additional capacity which will reduce lead times and increase flexibility.

Built to a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘excellent’ standard, environmental features in the new building include rainwater harvesting, high levels of insulation and Somar Eluma energy saving lights. The plant has been built into a hill to minimise visual impact on the site, and more than 75% of the spoil and topsoil from the excavation was reused. Extensive landscaping was carried out around the new building to ensure it quickly became established on the site. More than 9,500 plants have been used in landscaping, including 25 oak trees.