NanoXplore Inc. has announced the completion of commissioning of its state-of-the-art 4,000 metric tons/year commercial graphene capacity facility in Montreal, Province of Quebec.
NanoXplore’s new graphene facility is a fully automated production plant that enables a connected, flexible and continuous manufacturing system. Production automation ensures the highest level of product quality, from receipt of raw materials, to final packaging of NanoXplore’s GrapheneBlack powders. The new facility uses lean production techniques to manage all operational processes and all process inputs are managed by Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). The lack of manual processes within the production line facilitates batch-to-batch product consistency complimented with the highest level of quality assurance.
Rocco Marinaccio, Chief Operating Officer of NanoXplore, commented, “I’m extremely proud of our Operations’ team. Over the last six months, we have faced and overcome multiple challenges to ensure that our graphene production initiative remained on-time and on budget. I’m delighted to announce that we have completed the 4,000 metric tons/year graphene capacity facility below budget. Had it not been for the restrictive border controls put in place due to Covid-19, our original target timeline would have been fully respected. Our focus will now shift to ramping up commercial production over the upcoming months.
This is a significant achievement not only for NanoXplore, but for the entire graphene industry. To our knowledge and according to IDTechEx, we have built the largest graphene production facility in the world (IDTechEx Research, Dr. Richard Collins, “Is the Tipping Point for Graphene Commercialisation Approaching?”). The scalability and process of our technology has enabled graphene to break down the cost barriers that previously existed in preventing graphene from becoming a commercially viable additive in the market. We are excited with the opportunities that are in front of us, and the interest that our GrapheneBlack products generate, as we continue to lead the global graphene industry.”
In alignment with its values, NanoXplore’s first priority is the health and safety of its team members. During the commissioning of the new graphene facility, all equipment safety standards were implemented and ergonomic studies were performed, to ensure that all team members can perform daily tasks comfortably and safely. Additional internal protocols that facilitate a visual operational process have been implemented, to allow for the easy identification of production abnormalities that can be addressed in a timely, safe, and effective manner.
NanoXplore’s internal protocols ensure that all incoming raw materials are placed on hold and rigorously tested for compliance with specifications before being introduced into the manufacturing system. Additionally, graphene produced is further tested by the Corporation’s internal quality department for adherence to strict quality standards. Once these standards have been achieved and confirmed, a certificate of conformity is issued, and inventory is released to the warehouse for commercial sales. All movements of raw materials, graphene production, and inventory sales are managed and traced by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that the Corporation fully implemented during the commissioning phase of its new facility.
Commercial graphene production of the new 4,000 metric tons/year capacity facility will commence as of today. NanoXplore will gradually ramp-up commercial production of its GrapheneBlack powders over the next six months, in alignment with the Corporation’s sales visibility. NanoXplore continues to engage with large OEMs and potential partners within various industries, such as consumer and electronic packaging, pipe, construction, energy storage, and transportation, to provide an enhanced alternative solution to that of traditional carbon additives. NanoXplore’s ability to provide industrial volume of graphene at an affordable cost is the key that unlocks the development of the graphene market, resulting in a market shift from a technology-push to a market-pull. This shift is already underway and NanoXplore is positioning itself as an industry-leader in the successful commercialization of graphene globally.
