Modularity and the Role of Process Intensification

The recent decades have witnessed significant efforts in both modular production and process intensification. As a common denominator, both process intensification and modular production are predicated on smaller, more efficient plants, where capacity is deployed as needed, and expanded by numbering-up rather than by conventional scale-up approaches. Modularity promotes agility and allows industrial players to enter markets and deliver products faster, with modular plants competing favorably with conventional facilities for certain types of products and market circumstances. In this talk, we discuss modular production in two contexts, centralized and geographically distributed manufacturing, and the impact of the choice of conventional or intensified technology on the economics of modular processes. We provide several examples and identify research needs in the design, control and operation of modular and intensified processes.