Lilly France initiated an HVAC upgrade project within an operational pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. As with all GMP-regulated environments, the project required extreme precision, minimal disruption to ongoing production, and full confidence that new HVAC routing would integrate seamlessly with existing technical systems.
The plant’s technical rooms and corridors contained dense, interconnected infrastructure accumulated over time. Limited visibility into existing conditions and the risk of clashes between new HVAC networks and current assets posed a significant threat to timelines, compliance, and construction efficiency.
EQUANS (AXIMA) was appointed to manage the engineering and construction of the HVAC upgrade. To support accurate planning and coordination, EQUANS DIGITAL leveraged Cintoo to capture and manage reality-based data across the areas impacted by the project.
Existing technical rooms, corridors, and routing spaces were scanned to create a precise digital representation of current conditions. These scans were uploaded into Cintoo and combined with the HVAC design model, enabling teams to validate routing and supporting systems virtually before any construction work began.
Crucially, the Cintoo project was made accessible to all stakeholders, creating a shared, up-to-date visual reference for engineering, construction, and project coordination teams.
Upload of reality capture scans and 3D design models to establish a single source of truth
Model-to-reality comparison to check HVAC routing and supports prior to installation
Measurement tools to verify clearances and spatial constraints within congested areas
Annotations and collaboration features to communicate issues and align decisions across teams
Export crop of point clouds and meshes to support downstream engineering and construction workflows
By validating the HVAC design against real-world conditions early in the project, Lilly France and EQUANS reduced uncertainty and risk during construction in a live GMP environment. The ability to review, measure, and collaborate within Cintoo improved coordination between stakeholders and enabled informed decision-making based on accurate, up-to-date site conditions.
This reality-based approach supported smoother execution of the HVAC upgrade, helping ensure compliance, constructability, and confidence throughout the project lifecycle, without unnecessary disruption to pharmaceutical operations.