Technology Upscaling Pilot Plant

Technology Upscaling Pilot Plant

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Similarly to the industrial practice, the main role of AMSolutions in the InnoWEE project was to create a pilot plant production line exploiting the research developed in laboratory and its results, setting up the fundamental conditions for future commercialisation of the products, and finally producing the required quantities of HDG panels for the demo sites installation.

In AMSolutions facilities, there exists the “Technology Upscaling Pilot Plant, TUPP”. Following the strictest & advanced industrial standards, under fully automated monitoring processes, the “TUPP” has been designed in such technical flexibility that is capable to upscale a wide range of technologies.

TUPP after modifications – main mixers
TUPP after modifications –premixing station of solid raw materials
Through AMSolutions participation in the InnoWEE project the company faced the challenge to utilize the Technology Upscaling Pilot Plant for the production of HDG panels for buildings’ retrofitting. In order to do this, the pilot plant production line was modified to meet all the specific requirements of this new challenge.

Floor plans of the modular production line
Floor plans of the modular production line

A step-by-step up-scaling methodology was developed, based on industrial techniques and tools, and by adopting the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) method, part of the 6σ methodology. The 6σ methodology could be determined as a set of quality management methods and statistical methods, creating a dedicated infrastructure of people within the organization who are experts in their individual fields.

Starting from the processes identification from lab tests results and prototypes developed, the results were analyzed, optimized and finally converted into a generic document, the “Basic Flow Sheet”, which aims to be the guideline for any future upscaling, regardless the InnoWEE Project. The key task was the conversion of the outcome of the “Basic Flow Sheet” to a “Detailed Design” with modelling simulations for all the production’s critical tasks and their engineering implementation to a flexible “modular” production line in the Technology Upscaling Pilot Plant (TUPP) in Greece.

The modified pilot line involves many steps like preparation of raw materials, pre-mixing and mixing, casting, post curing, curing, painting and logistics.

The detailed HDG production process that includes every production step as well as its duration can be obtained from the following flow sheet.

Flow sheet of the HDG panels production process in TUPP
Modular production line concept and processes
TUPP’s performance was above the expectations, as more than 400 HDG panels (ETIC, Ventilated and Radiant) were produced within a very strict schedule. HDG panels production proved to be straightforward and relatively easy, as far as the specific production conditions and limitations related to the material properties (mainly the working time and curing time of the HDG) are respected and followed.

ETIC panels upscale production