Modular manufacturing processes: Status, challenges, and opportunities

Abstract

Chemical companies are constantly seeking new, high-margin growth opportunities, the majority of which lie in high-grade, specialty chemicals, rather than in the bulk sector. In order to realize these opportunities, manufacturers are increasingly considering decentralized, flexible production facilities: large-scale production units are uneconomical for innovative products with a short lifespan and volatile markets. Small modular plants have low financial risks, are flexible and can respond rapidly to changes in demand. Logistics costs can be also reduced by moving production closer to customers and/or sources of raw materials. Moreover, stricter safety regulations can in many cases be more easily met using smaller distributed facilities. Modularization of chemical production can thus have potentially significant economic and safety benefits. In this article, we review several drivers for modular production, and evaluate modular production architectures based on the value density of feedstock resources and markets for the products of a process. We also discuss the links between modularization and process intensification. We illustrate the discussion with an array of industrial examples, which we also use to motivate a summary of challenges and future directions for this area.

Perspectives of Microwaves‐Enhanced Heterogeneous Catalytic Gas‐Phase Processes in Flow Systems

“…In recent years, modular chemical plants receive wide attention from both academia and the industry due to its nature of fast, flexible production and the possibility for decentralized implementation. Compared to a conventional chemical plant, it offers significant economic and safety benefits together with time‐saving in the design, engineering and construction …”

Digitalisation of Development and Supply Networks: Sequential and Platform-Driven Innovations

“…Design and process criteria inform progression to the next step, and if not met, the stage is re-visited. Decisions are made on feasibility -based on experimental data (actual and modelled) to ensure optimisation of reaction conditions, and to ensure that specific processes are directed towards the most suitable platforms, such as, modular batch or modular continuous configurations (e.g., Baldea et al, 2017).…”

Distributed production: Scale‐up vs experience

“…Paradoxically, constructing highly efficient technologically advanced processes requires substantial R&D expenditures resulting in a fundamental incongruity: cost leadership requires new technology, but to maintain low costs R&D should be minimized. Global competition has become more intense as has the public's scrutiny with respect to corporate stewardship: resource efficiency requires industry to reduce waste and move towards greener feedstocks to become more sustainable; the global market drives opportunities, but product cycle times are shorter; volatile markets require industry to react to markets more quickly with mobile, dynamic production infrastructure; failures will become more frequent as companies attempt to respond more rapidly to the global business environment …”

“…However, a trend to produce goods locally from products and services from regional suppliers—on‐shoring—as predicted by the Boston Consulting Group, has been gaining momentum . This tendency may satisfy sustainability goals by reducing energy cost in transport but it may also satisfy the need for short lead times, small product lines, and tight product delivery schedules, as in the case of the fashion and apparel industry …”