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US 8,584,349 B2Granted
Flexible manufacturing system
AssigneeXoma Technology Ltd.
InventorsPatrick J. Scannon, Frank A. Bernard, Alfred C. Dadson, Jr., Robert S. Tenerowicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible, multi-product, multi-technology, expandable facility for manufacturing products, such as biologicals, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals, and manufacturing processes using elements of such a facility.
Claims28
A manufacturing system comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one corridor extending within the housing;
- a core supplying two or more utilities, wherein at least two of the two or more utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) clean water, (c) electricity, (d) oxygen, and (e) carbon dioxide;
- a first movable manufacturing bay disposed within the housing and positioned adjacent to the corridor and removably coupled to the core for receiving the utilities;
- a first workspace defined by the first movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a first facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;
- a second movable manufacturing bay disposed within the housing and positioned adjacent to the corridor and removably coupled to the core for receiving the utilities;
- a second workspace defined by the second movable manufacturing bay and accommodating a second facility for performing at least a part of a manufacturing process;
- a first clean connect area disposed between the first workspace and the corridor when the first movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the core, the first clean connect area for controlling access to and from the first workspace;
- and
- a second clean connect area disposed between the second workspace and the corridor when the second movable manufacturing bay is removably coupled to the core, the second clean connect area for controlling access to and from the second workspace;
- wherein the first and second clean connect areas are connected by the corridor such that personnel can pass between the first and second clean connect areas via the corridor;
- and
- wherein each of the first and second clean connect areas comprises a bay entry portion and a bay exit portion separated and/or sealed from each other by a partition, wherein operating personnel can gown and degown within the bay entry and exit portions, respectively.
10 more elements
A method of manufacturing, comprising:
- providing a housing;
- providing a corridor extending within the housing;
- providing a core adapted to supply two or more utilities, wherein at least two of the two or more utilities are selected from the group consisting of (a) clean air, (b) clean water, (c) electricity, (d) oxygen, and (e) carbon dioxide;
- providing a first movable manufacturing bay including a first workspace accommodating a first facility;
- providing a second movable manufacturing bay including a second workspace accommodating a second facility;
- moving the first and second movable manufacturing bays to locations adjacent to a corridor within the housing;
- removably coupling the first and second movable manufacturing bays to the core;
- controlling personnel access to the first and second workspaces via first and second clean connect areas disposed between the corridor and the first and second workspaces, respectively, the first and second clean connect areas connected by the corridor;
- delivering the two or more utilities from the core to the first and second movable manufacturing bays;
- performing at least a part of a manufacturing process with the first facility of the first movable manufacturing bay;
- and
- performing at least a part of a manufacturing process with the second facility of the second movable manufacturing bay;
- and
- wherein controlling access to each of the first and second workspaces comprises:
- opening an entry point between the corridor and the respective clean connect area,
- closing the entry point after personnel has passed from the corridor into the respective clean connect area,
- opening an exit point between the respective clean connect area and the respective workspace after closing the entry point, and
- closing the exit point after personnel has passed from the respective clean connect area into the respective workspace.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.