Customizable facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manufacturing facilities are inflexible and inefficient in utilizing space, limiting their ability to easily configure or expand for new product lines, leading to suboptimal use of resources and increased downtime.
Innovation Solution
A customizable facility design featuring a shell with central and modular units, allowing for flexible arrangement and expansion to accommodate multiple product lines within a single structure, with modular units such as fermentation, pre-viral, and packaging units, and utilities provided by a central unit, enabling efficient resource sharing and rapid adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fixed layout structures are used for manufacturing facilities, then construction is simpler and initial setup is faster, but the facility cannot be easily reconfigured or expanded for new product lines, leading to increased downtime and inefficient resource utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into discrete modular units that can be independently configured, moved, and repositioned. Each module contains complete functional capabilities (fermentation, purification, fill-finish operations), allowing entire production lines to be reconfigured by relocating pre-assembled modules rather than rebuilding facilities from scratch, thereby minimizing downtime and enabling rapid adaptation to new product lines
Solution Approach 2:
The facility design transitions from static traditional structures to dynamic reconfigurable systems. Modules are designed to be movable and adaptable, allowing the facility layout to change dynamically based on production requirements. This dynamic capability enables quick reconfiguration for different product lines without prolonged shutdowns, directly addressing the need for operational flexibility
2Productivity
If traditional manufacturing facility layouts are used, then the structure is simpler to construct initially, but space utilization is inefficient and expansion to new product lines requires significant additional infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional units (fermentation, purification, fill-finish, utilities) are merged into integrated modular assemblies. This consolidation allows maximum space utilization by combining related functions within each module while maintaining operational independence. The merged modules can be densely packed within the facility shell, achieving high productivity without proportionally increasing overall facility complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The modular units are designed with universal interfaces and standardized configurations that allow them to serve multiple product lines and manufacturing scenarios. A single module type can be deployed for different products by changing process parameters rather than physical configuration, maximizing space utilization efficiency while keeping the facility structure relatively simple through standardization
3Productivity
If modular units are densely arranged to maximize production capacity, then more products can be manufactured simultaneously, but access for maintenance and operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is segmented into independently accessible modular units with standardized interfaces. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access specific modules without disrupting entire production lines. Each module can be serviced, repaired, or upgraded independently while others continue operating, maintaining high productivity while improving operational accessibility through targeted access points
Solution Approach 2:
Standardized intermediate interfaces and connection points are designed between modules and with the facility shell. These intermediary elements provide universal access points for utilities (power, water, air) and maintenance activities, allowing dense module arrangement while maintaining ease of operation through standardized connection and disconnection mechanisms that simplify maintenance access
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3E
AI summary
A customizable facility for manufacturing at least one product has at least one modular unit in communication with at least one central unit configured to provide utilities to the at least one modular unit. In some embodiments, the central unit(s) and modular unit(s) are positioned at least partially within a shell. Each modular unit can be a fermentation unit, a pre-viral unit, a post- viral unit, a utility space, a warehouse, a media buffer facility, an office, a personnel unit, or another unit. The modular units can be arranged to maximize a number of modular units within the shell while minimizing a footprint of the shell. A method of assembling a facility for manufacturing at least one product includes providing at least one central unit and providing at least one modular unit in communication with the central unit(s) such that utilities are provided by the central unit(s) to the modular unit(s).