E Ink

E INK – CAMBRIDGE, MA

Company

E Ink Corporation is the world’s largest supplier of displays to the eBook industry.  Products made with E Ink electronic paper displays have a paper-like high contrast and appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, feather-light form. – From E Ink’s website


Description

The client originally contacted SPEC to expand one of their downstream process manufacturing steps. This was necessitated by a very large order for E Ink’s displays for use in Motorola’s low cost Third World cellphone product line.


Project

SPEC built a new room within E Ink’s existing building, installed new ventilation, a PLC based control system with three cabinets, and all the process and utility support piping to complete the installation. As part of this expansion, a new type of centrifuge was installed resulting in improved product recovery rates.

At the conclusion of this first manufacturing process de-bottlenecking project, E Ink asked SPEC to upgrade and increase the capacity of their upstream reaction process as well. To allow this expansion to take place, the existing power feed to the building needed to be increased, and E Ink decided to install a standby generator for their critical manufacturing steps as part of this electrical system upgrade. The three additional projects and the original downstream process were implemented within one calendar year at a total cost of approximately $2.2M. The end result was an 83% increase in overall product yield.


Project Highlights

Reaction Process Area

  • New “H” occupancy flammable storage and dispensing room
  • (4) reagent storage vessels, 6 new reactor chillers, 10 ton air cooled glycol chiller
  • PLC based process controls
  • Explosion proof wiring, lighting and motors
  • 2 new reactors and their associated feed systems installed
  • New “HPM” area class with 4CFM/SF HVAC system

Electrical Upgrade

  • New above roof mounted 100% rated 3000A switchgear
  • Installed structural steel platform and foundations to support switchgear
  • Trenching, conduit & underground feeders from 750KVA utility installed transformer
  • New 1000 amp board for new loads and back feed existing 80% rated board

Standby Generator

  • Installed concrete pad, underground feeders, and fenced enclosure for new generator
  • Generator capacity of 750KW at 208V, Southworth Milton with 1285 gallon, integral base double wall, diesel storage tank
  • Pritchard Brown enclosure with critical silencer
  • Indoor ATS and 65KVA UPS system for control systems and specified critical loads
SPEC Process Engineering & Construction