Leica Microsystems is a synonym for top-quality optical precision. This globally active company has an important production facility at the tradition-rich headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany. The correspondingly high demands in respect of the operating processes in the ten-storey building necessitated the replacement of no-longer reliable, haphazardly developed media pipe networks with a composite system supplied by Viega – without any interruptions in production, of course.
This meant completely renewing pipelines for compressed air, gas, oil as well as drinking and heating water, which in itself represents a major challenge. In addition to this, a very special task involved replacing the pipe network that supplies the grinding medium for spherical surface treatment of lenses. Even in the old pipes made of galvanised steel, the medium had a strongly abrasive effect: The fine particles caused continual attrition of the rough pipe walls. As a result, these pipes were simply worn out after an average of six years.
Sanpress Inox stands the endurance test
The question was: Can Viega's system solution also cope with this critical medium and satisfy the high quality demands? The first step was to subject the various piping systems to weeks-long testing. The individual materials each had to prove themselves under conditions that simulate the real situation. The testers' findings: "The Sanpress Inox single-material stainless steel system was the only one that provided long-term, reliable durability." Also, it can be processed with the same press tools needed for the other piping systems, and with the same degree of ease and dependability. So the entire facility could be renewed using Viega's system solution.
In addition, by the end of 2006 95% of the natural gas pipelines and 30% of the oil lines needed for cooling the centring machines at the Leica plant were replaced by the Profipress G copper piping system with SC-Contur.