Design solutions for EV Battery facilities which can be adapted to specific requirements.

Dry Rooms The Ardmac Way

Dry rooms are hermetically sealed rooms that can maintain very low humidity levels while also guaranteeing low particulate concentrations making them an idea environment for lithium-ion battery production. Specific requirements for such facilities can vary but would typically be ISO Class 6 – 8 cleanroom, with Relative Humidity level of <1% and a Dew Point of -35° to -40° Celsius. Regardless of whether it is a small-scale R&D facility or a large scale giga-plant the same design principles will be applied.

Design Solutions

The design solutions specifically required to achieve dry room conditions are made up of 2 critical elements including the architectural envelope and the HVAC system. The architectural envelope is responsible for meeting the requirements in relation to the provision of a hermetically sealing room and the HVAC system is responsible for ensuring that the required temperature, humidity levels and particulate concentrations are maintained. While the design principles for dry rooms remain consistent the project specific design solutions can vary depending on a number of key design variables which include the following: • Room occupancy levels • Required temperature and relatively humidity levels & control bandwidths • Physical room dimensions • Sensible internal heat loads • Room exhaust rates.

Leveraging our vast knowledge and experience in the cleanroom sector Ardmac have developed architectural and HVAC solutions which have been adapted to meet the requirements of dry room facilities.

The Ardmac program that takes initial design information through to detail.

With over 40 years’ experience in the design of large scale cleanroom construction, our highly skilled in house Architectural and M&E team have vast experience in delivering complex projects in a collaborative manner through the use of BIM and using the latest technologies and Autodesk software for cloud based project co-ordination. Taking a project from concept design right through to detailed design and construction is our standard offering carrying out design risk assessments, considering buildability, and proposing value engineered solutions throughout the process giving the client confidence and the experience of comfort.

Early engagement at concept design stage is becoming more and more common due to the benefits that are apparent to successful project delivery. Early collaboration with our experienced team reduces redesign or changes at the detailed design phase and maximises the use of resources on the project capturing any constructability issues as early as possible. Our design assist team pride themselves in their communication skills and the importance of producing detailed status reports clearly identifying progress (planned vs actual) throughout all stages of the process. We use lean technologies such as last planner to plan, identify and remove obstacles well in advance of their impact with the common goal for a smooth project delivery. Our integrated digital processes and DFMA (design for manufacturing & assembly) ensures information is collated centrally and immediately available to our supply chain partners where components are manufactured with the highest precision and quality and released to the construction site in a phased JIT sequence.

Modular, pre-engineered Cleanroom systems with flexibility designed in to provide the most Agile cleanrooms for today’s fast evolving battery manufacturing challenges.

Our range of architectural solutions when combined provide the most advanced and aesthetically pleasing compliant dry cleanrooms. Walls, ceilings, doors and floors integrate seamlessly with detailing to provide an airtight vapour sealed performance envelope. We leverage industry leaders as partners to provide integrated air delivery systems, return air solutions and lighting that seamlessly fit into our cleanroom offering.

Today’s requirement for standardisation, rapid deployment and reduced schedules are all drivers for the modern battery manufacturing dry cleanroom facility. The continued deployment of battery manufacturing technology coupled with the need for ever decreasing RH environments of <1% or -35oC to -40oC due point continue to challenge the use and selection of materials and construction methods. Ardmac’s Cleanshield range of products provide industry leading levels of flexibility for your facility needs.

CleanShield Envelope protects your products and process. Creating a safe and low RH environment that will exceed industry requirements.

Characteristics & outputs include;

• Walkable ceiling systems
• Lighting
• Modular wiring
• Cleanroom wall panels
• Bi-panel partitions
• Glass walls
• Flush doors
• Sliding doors
• Flush windows

BIM

Ardmac is BIM Level 2 prepared and certified by BRE against ISO 19650 standards and BRE global BIM scheme requirements. This certificate is designed to be used with contract forms, supplier’s pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) and to demonstrate Information Management (e.g. BIM Maturity) understanding and capability to clients and contractors. It allows Ardmac to continuously exceed the appropriate standards and helps to provide the highest level of service to our clients.

Construction On site

We are constantly upgrading our site infrastructure and making our site teams BIM literate with inhouse and external trainings. We believe that the site team should have easy and open access to the BIM Models and data to be a part of whole construction process from start to end.

We deploy a variety of platforms depending on the use case, for example model viewers on iPad or on site BIM stations. We also conduct site team workshop for software such as Navisworks and BIM 360.