For Fiber Optic Deployment: egeplast Expands Capacity
Groundbreaking Ceremony for New egeGigaFab
egeplast is building the egeGigaFab at its headquarters in Greven – a new production facility for microducts. The owner-managed family business is expanding capacity for microduct pipes required for comprehensive broadband deployment (FttH/FttB) across Europe.
“The investment volume is by far the largest in the company’s 114-year history,” explains Dr. Ansgar Strumann, Managing Partner of egeplast, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new egeGigaFab. The new production building has a size of 11,000 sqm and is complemented by nearly 40,000 sqm of storage space. By separating microduct production from the existing production facility, egeplast will completely restructure its manufacturing logistics, expand existing capacity, and thereby become one of the top 3 pipe suppliers for fiber optic deployment in Europe.
With its microducts, egeplast already supplies all major investors in fiber optic networks. Investors benefit from long-lasting protection of their fiber optics with egeplast microducts. High-quality fiber optic networks are the most important asset for investors. Ralf Utsch, Head of Cable Protection Systems Division, notes: “Our customers today primarily demand security of supply and high-quality system solutions at competitive conditions. The capacity increase will expand our delivery capabilities and contribute to greater overall flexibility. egeplast microducts meet the high quality requirements of the largest network operators in Europe. The pipe program is complemented by coordinated accessories suitable for every construction situation. The Microduct ProTec product group offers increased safety for demanding construction measures such as directional drilling through additional protection of the media pipes. The complete system is designed and tested for a service life of at least 50 years.”
The degree of automation will be significantly increased compared to current production, which was essential in planning given the skilled labor shortage. This enables longer equipment run times and effectively reduces setup times and downtime. The processes in the two-stage production were planned by the engineering team under the leadership of Dr. Tobias Hallmann according to lean principles. The manufacturing technology is state-of-the-art with numerous proprietary developments. As Head of Technical Procurement, Sonja Kloppenborg ensured compliance with the latest energy standards during planning. The expanded capacity for premium-quality microducts will be available to customers for network deployment starting summer 2023.
