VIEGA MEGAPRESS – THE IDEAL FIT FOR FESTOOL HQ
Award-winning international power tools manufacturer, Festool has invested £10 million into its new headquarters based in Bury St. Edmonds. As part of the construction, Viega’s Megapress press connection technology has been utilised for the building’s new state-of-the-art heating system, allowing for an efficient and effective installation.
Festool has relocated its 55 office-based employees to the new site in Suffolk Business Park, in Bury St. Edmonds. The large, modern facility includes meeting rooms, cafés and office space with a separate warehouse and demonstration facility. It was important for the company that its new headquarters represented a modern and sustainable design and could be a facility where the company can continue to expand and develop.
The headquarters has a complex range of HVAC systems, including a hybrid air conditioning system, underfloor heating and domestic services. Viega’s carbon steel press fitting system, Megapress was an ideal solution to create the pipework connections, offering a fast and effective alternative to traditional methods such as welding.
David Aldous, Mechanical Project Manager at Ceetech, the contractor for the project, commented: “We selected Megapress as it ticked all the boxes. It provided a secure press connection without the need for welding and allowed our team to undertake the work efficiently and effectively. This project had to be completed to a tight deadline, so it was essential to make strategic time gains throughout the installation period.
“We were also able to make valuable time-savings because with the Megapress system, there is no need to prepare the pipe surface or clean it after as with welding, threading or grooving. From a health and safety perspective – it also removes the element of hot works.”
A highly effective pressing method, Megapress connections can be made in just seven seconds – helping to achieve a 60% reduction in installation time. After cutting the pipe to the required length, contractors need only deburr the cut surface, slide the press fitting into place and press the connection.
The simplicity of the press fitting process also ensures that a uniform seal is created on each connection throughout the project; particularly important on large-scale developments where there is set to be thousands of joints across a single site. Once the fitting has been pressed, it forms a strong and secure connection.
David concluded: “The Megapress system is excellent, I’ll certainly select Viega again for future projects. It was a clean installation and the end-client was pleased with the high quality of work."
