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The cleanroom industry, encompassing sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing, stands to gain significantly from adopting a product platform approach. This strategy emphasizes developing a competitive set of modular products and services that are easy to integrate, meet future regulatory, market and societal needs, and exceed customer expectations. Companies with a product platform strategy have a very intentional focus on the reuse of building blocks (components and subsystems) across the product line. ABN Cleanroom Technology is the first company to introduce a product platform strategy in cleanroom design.
This approach of reusing building blocks in the product, on top of reusing information about each building block across engineering, manufacturing and service is incredibly efficient. Each component and subsystem is designed to fit multiple configurations, allowing us to streamline the development process. For cleanroom environments, where precision and custom configuration are paramount, this means that complex configurations can be achieved without starting from scratch each time. Instead, designers can mix and match pre-engineered building blocks to meet specific requirements, reducing both time and costs.
At the core of this strategy is a common architecture with shared technologies. By establishing a product platform system where components and subsystems can be reused across different products, we can evolve our project offerings with minimal cost increments. This system of shared technologies, introduced as ADAPTUS, forms the foundation of product development, allowing for efficient and consistent output across various applications.
This product platform strategy introduces a new challenge: managing the myriad possible product configurations. With countless combinations of subsystems and components possible, the task of ensuring compatibility and performance for each unique setup becomes more complex. This is where advanced tools and systems come into play, helping to manage and simplify this complexity.
To handle the complexity inherent in a platform strategy, efficient Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools are crucial. These tools store essential information and facilitate collaboration among teams. Key functionalities such as visualization and simulation are vital, enabling teams to see how different subsystems will interact in a virtual environment before physical implementation. This reduces errors and enhances the overall efficiency of the development process.
Interestingly, even with an increase in the number of products, a product platform approach can reduce the number of unique parts. This paradox is achieved by reusing subsystems and components across different products, thereby simplifying the supply chain and manufacturing processes.
For example, a company might offer a cleanroom solution where different elements such as air filtration units, flooring types and wall panels can be configured. One of our software tools could be used to select these components and subsystems and determine how they fit together, while another tool ensures the selected configuration is feasible and ready for manufacturing and service. Each subsystem and component in the 3D assembly model would carry associated manufacturing and service information, streamlining the entire process from design to deployment.
A product platform strategy in cleanroom design emphasizes modularity, pre-engineering and reuse, which drives efficiency and reduces costs. Although it introduces complexity in terms of configuration management, advanced PLM tools and a common architecture help mitigate these challenges. By reusing building blocks and leveraging shared technologies, we can offer customized solutions without the need for entirely new designs, ultimately enhancing both productivity and customer satisfaction.
Legolisation means standardisation. Standardisation causes a shift in production. Work is carried out in conditioned spaces such as factory halls. our cleanrooms are manufactured partly or entirely off-site, which means huge savings on transport costs and reduction of inconvenience on-site