Semiconductor / Advanced Technology

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When a world-leading semiconductor manufacturer decided to build their largest-ever U.S. campus, they turned to SSOE as a trusted A&E partner to support making it a reality. The initial campus design and build-out includes two chip fabrication facilities (Fabs), a flagship office, entry building, parking, data centers, warehouses, chemical production and storage, and utility buildings. SSOE was invited to provide design support beginning with site planning, logistics, and enabling, continuing through full design and construction support.

SSOE has developed scope packages for select campus structures including:

  • 52,000 SF flagship entry building. Serving as the public gateway to the facility and the aesthetic and brand-affirming focus for the campus, this space will host client and vendor VIPs, customers, and visitors. Featuring specialized mass-timber construction, it includes an auditorium and an employee wellness amenity center.
  • 670,000 SF six-story high-rise office building. The nerve-center for the new campus, this building includes office spaces, labs, initial employee amenities, a café floor, campus operations and security centers, and a Fab cleanroom gowning space.
  • 2,900 vehicle multi-story parking deck with an integrated 109,000 SF office building. This garage includes EV charging spaces, storage for campus vehicles, and a pedestrian bridge to the main office building for convenience. Additional employee offices are located above the top deck of the structure.
  • Cleanroom-rated building link. Connecting the office structure with the factory floor, this structure allows employees to gown up and enter the cleanroom environment within the office building, and then move into the Fab while maximizing the square footage within the Fab for manufacturing activities.
  • 100,000 SF warehouse with automated storage system and specialized systems for receipt of semiconductor fabrication tools and equipment.
  • 15,000 SF independent data center to support the entire campus.

SSOE was also engaged to apply our modular and fabrication design expertise to executing specialty Lateral design with fabrication design services for both of the initial chip fabs.

A huge undertaking, really eight or nine large projects rolled into one program, our team has exceeded client expectations in terms of detail, thoroughness, and deliverables for every milestone. Our client partnership benefits from our steady contribution of creative design ideas to support not just the stated goals of this campus, but the client’s overall growth strategies.

The ongoing success of this project has resulted in SSOE being awarded design work for a sister facility.

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The client, a silicon wafer and digital memory manufacturer, hired SSOE to provide detailed design for a new bulk silane system at their facility in Idaho. The proposed area for the system was constrained by existing campus structures, and required careful planning for both the finished design and the construction phases to ensure constructability. The project faced two major challenges from the beginning:

  • Silane storage was on the opposite side of a road from the use area, requiring an over-road trestle system to safely deliver the hazardous material.
  • Final equipment selection would not be made until week six of the project, posing an immediate delay to traditional design approaches.

Over-Road Trestle Solution
Silane gas is a flammable and pyrophoric gas that requires special storage and handling. It is also the source of silicon for high tech manufacturing processes. In addition to designing the storage, containment, and mitigation measures for the Silane storage, SSOE’s team designed a robust trestle system that would safely move the gas from the point of storage to the point of use over a public roadway running through the client’s site.

Flexible Scheduling
In a typical project, civil and architectural disciplines lead by establishing the preliminary building shell, with mechanical, electrical, and process design following. Structural is involved at every stage, but performs the bulk of their work after the mechanical and process mechanical systems are in place, and the structural and seismic support needs of the equipment is better understood. For this project, SSOE delayed the civil, structural, and architectural work related to the shell to focus on mechanical and process designs, like for the silane distribution loops, which would not be majorly impacted by the final equipment selection. Once the crucial selections were made, SSOE was prepared to continue with the remainder of the design, and there was no wasted time in the client’s project schedule.

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A major supplier of semiconductor manufacturing tools wanted to expand their research and development facilities, but had extremely limited available space on their existing campus. With existing structures, adjacent bay lands, and a challenging soil composition, SSOE engineered a phased delivery of a vertical solution that accommodated all constraints.

Sandy Soil Mitigation
The combination of sandy soil and a seismically sensitive area made structural engineering for a vertically stacked building very challenging. The traditional approach to piles and platforms would have suffered from settling and vibration issues almost immediately. Instead, SSOE’s team developed an approach using micro piles and platforms. By using smaller and more numerous piles and platforms we were able to distribute the building loads more uniformly and protect against both seismic shifts and settling.

Design Precision and Specification Development
The existing production could not be shut down during construction, which required timely and precise tie-in locations via hot-taps on many of the wet systems, and closely coordinated tie-ins for air-side during short shutdown windows. The vertical nature of the utility areas required precise routing and coordination through existing yard. As a result of this need for precision, SSOE developed highly accurate project standards and specifications for the client.

Phased Execution
Existing structures in the project space required repeated demolition-construction cycles. This required SSOE to work closely with the General Contractor (GC) to develop a complex project phasing. SSOE developed modeling baselines and a BIM environment in order to manage and coordinate between trades, the GC, and the design team. The result allowed construction partners to seamlessly integrate each new building segment with the one before, while keeping the project on time and within budget.

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SSOE was selected by a leading semiconductor manufacturer to scope and design a new flagship high-rise office and research facility at one of their campuses. The project included the design of state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) laboratory spaces to develop new technologies.

At 19,850 SF, the labs are overall not clean spaces, though they will house select semiconductor manufacturing tools. The spaces needed to meet material delivery, vibration, and interference requirements similar to a Fab; attention to detail was paramount. A vibration subconsultant was engaged to ensure the designed structure would meet the exacting standards necessary for semiconductor design. Likewise, electromagnetic interference (EMI) was a critical consideration, dictating the strategic placement of the lab within the building to protect the equipment from WiFi or other EMI sources located in other areas. Telecom restrictions also played a significant role, with careful planning and material selection to provide needed connectivity without compromising sensitive equipment.

To meet ongoing needs, the client wanted a space that could be reconfigured with new tools as needed. SSOE delivered a design with access, structure, and move in / move out pads needed for easy movement of tools and equipment. This adaptability is further enhanced by the management of liquids and gases, including equipment feeds equipped with monitored drip trays and bottle-fed gas systems fed from the main Fab laterals.

The project’s Design-Build approach leveraged early collaboration between the design team and the contractor. Combined with comprehensive project communication processes, this partnership ensured efficiency and constructability across project changes.

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Looking to maximize utilized space on an already crowded campus, a major semiconductor manufacturer asked SSOE to design a new fab on a plot originally planned as a loading dock. SSOE designed the 150,000 SF facility to support 50,000 SF of cleanroom manufacturing space with minimum impact to adjacent fabs during construction and operation.

This project presented several challenges which were resolved with creative design solutions:

Flexibility for Next-Gen Fab Equipment
The client requested maximum flexibility to support current and next-generation chip manufacturing tools. This impacted the structural and vibration design of the building, as well as, the routing of process material and waste removal feeds within the structure to support flexible tool layouts from day one.

No Support Buildings
The team was asked to maximize production space and find alternatives to using dedicated support buildings, like a Central Utility Building (CUB) or bulk gas yard. The client and design team collaborated on a utility gap analysis to determine capacity shortfalls. Upgrades were made to existing systems that were required to support the new manufacturing space. As a result, the team designed and implemented basebuild-style upgrades to several systems on adjacent fab infrastructure to support the new fab.

Meeting Egress Code Requirements
With barely the minimum seismic gap between the new fab and existing structures, difficulties in meeting code requirements for egress routing became a constraint for the project. A deep knowledge of the applicable regulations, combined with strong AHJ coordination, allowed SSOE to develop and implement a safe and code-compliant solution.

Utility and Waste Routing
In addition to feeding the new fab from upgraded, existing utilities serving an adjacent fab, some utilities needed under-slab routing, which required a custom sleeve to accommodate differential settlement between the two facility foundations. Likewise, process waste was routed through the subfab area of an adjacent building to reach existing tie-ins capable of supporting the flows to existing collection points for on-site treatment and off-site removal of waste streams.

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Integrated design of complex liquid and gas delivery systems broken into manageable pieces for repeatable off-site manufacturing and expedited design and construction.

Getting liquid and gas materials to and from semiconductor manufacturing tools is essential, and it involves a large amount of piping. SSOE is a go-to designer of subfab laterals for a leading semiconductor
manufacturer, and for good reason. When we were asked to provide lateral piping designs for twin semiconductor fabs, one in the Southwest U.S. and the other overseas on a tight timeline, we knew we had to change how we did things. On a typical project, SSOE would provide design documents which are transferred to a fabricator to develop the spool drawings for manufacturing. For these facilities, we modeled the piping to a fabrication-level of detail, and provided the fabrication drawings.

By embedding these details into the design, we put constructability at the forefront of the project and eliminated a series of RFI back-and-forth, thus providing the client with great savings to budget and schedule. We also delivered innovative time and cost savings by designing the pipe support racks and piping to be built off-site, transported to the site, and installed in large modular sections. And, in order to facilitate inventory tracking and installation of these units between off-site manufacturing and on-site installation, we developed an asset tracking system that is integrated within our design models. Using barcodes on each spool, we were able to track whether a particular module was in fabrication, storage, or already installed with up-to-the-minute accuracy.

We further multiplied the savings created by applying our industry and client-specific knowledge to identify “building block” modules which can be assembled in various configurations. By using these building blocks, our lateral designs could be adapted for new site locations with minimal adjustments, allowing us to effectively perform detailed design work for two facilities in parallel. And for projects where off-site manufacturing was feasible, like this one, we improved construction efficiency and safety by limiting on-site materials and minimizing the manpower and logistics needed to install the lateral racks and piping.

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SSOE was contracted by a major semiconductor manufacturer to design a 1,425,000 SF greenfield fabrication facility (Fab). The Fab would be a new addition to the client’s existing campus. Having recently completed the campus-wide master planning, SSOE was well-positioned to resolve the challenges posed during the Conceptual Design phase, including:

  • Greenfield “ground-up” Fab design planning for a 341,000 SF building with five levels.
  • Routing site utilities through, around, or over an existing Fab without disrupting production or causing excessive vibration.
  • Client requirements to keep the Fab level of the new facility at the same elevation as the Fab levels of neighboring existing buildings, complicated by grade changes in the site, and limitations from an adjacent wetland.
  • Vehicle access to the new Fab had to be strategically routed around existing structures and wetlands.
  • Full Fab development including: sub-utility levels, utility level, Subfab and laterals, 264,450 SF cleanroom manufacturing space, gowning, storage, and connections with adjacent structures.
  • Expansion planning for future chemical utility and process utility buildings.
  • Detailed analysis for utility requirements to ensure both expanded and new systems would support the intended use for the new Fab.

SSOE provided project leadership, cleanroom, and Subfab expertise while guiding a subconsultant firm through the overall facility design. This Conceptual Design phase was completed within the proposed 12-week time frame, and rolled seamlessly into the Detailed Design phase.

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SSOE was selected by a semiconductor manufacturer to generate specifications and design for a new Acid Waste Neutralization (AWN) system that would allow the client to reclaim and reuse materials that would otherwise be classified as hazardous waste. The client in particular relied on SSOE to provide a sophisticated understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes, and acid waste neutralization systems to identify the technical requirements for the AWN, meet the client’s goals for recycle, and determine the ways it would fit into the existing material flows within the facility.

Defining the Problem
SSOE mapped the existing material flows and generated a sampling plan to collect water quality data from the system as it currently exists. Samples were taken from the RODI feed water, Gray Water / DI reclaim, RODI effluent, ROR tank effluent, FAC / EDI / CDO scrubber blowdown, cooling tower blowdown, HFW effluent, Fab effluent, AWN effluent to the wastewater treatment plant, and BGW effluent to the AWN. The test results indicated what specific mitigation strategies would be needed (e.g., addition of water softener, advanced filtration and RO) and at what points.

Articulating Solutions
Based on how SSOE articulated the results of the sample study, the client was confident in moving forward with vendor selection and constructability evaluation. SSOE managed this vendor selection on the client’s
behalf, at the client’s request. The sample study were used to provide vendors with equipment performance specifications and solicit bids. Results from the top three bids were then brought to a construction partner
for early-project cost estimating and implementation / constructability review. The client was empowered to make a quick and confident decision based on a clear understanding of each option, including performance, cost to install and operate, and other trade-offs.

Implementation Support
Next steps for this project include programming and detailed design for the selected AWN solution, equipment, and installation support.

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Through innovative design concepts, benchmarking common practices, and scheduling, SSOE has saved the client more than $7.3 million to date.

Nimble and resourceful, SSOE quickly increased personnel for a critical tool installation design project when a semiconductor client accelerated release of a new technology. This project, part of an ongoing program for the client, included the installation of 250 tools over the course of a year.

Initially, the project required all design work to be performed in Oregon. However, due to the quick ramp up needed on this project, the client determined that design work could be completed remotely. SSOE quickly responded, engaging tool installation design teams in New Mexico and Arizona to support the Oregon team. In addition—for the first time in SSOE’s tool installation design program history—SSOE’s Mumbai, India, and Leon, Mexico, teams were engaged to provide critical support to meet project demands. Getting these international team members on board allowed for greater agility and flexibility on this project. In addition, it allows for a trained workforce to be available on short notice for burst capacity as well as subsequent easing off the project as workload diminishes. This approach keeps SSOE’s project budgets and schedules healthy and, in turn, enables our clients to get their products to market on-time to meet demand at a competitive price point.

In addition to providing a high level of service on this project, SSOE implemented a number of efficiencies that have saved the client more than $7.3 million to date. A utilization-based resource staffing model and a workshare agreement form, as well as innovative design concepts, have all contributed to these significant project savings.

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SSOE has been performing design engineering for tool installation packages for MOK (Multiple of Kind) and FOK (First of Kind) tools for multiple functional areas of this world-leading semiconductor client’s development manufacturing facility. This project launched the client’s new business methodology of designing engineered packages from one location for projects around the world, with part of the team on the ground for design review and fieldwork and the remainder of the team in other U.S. locations. This enabled the client’s internal engineering design staff to exert more control over the design process for standardization throughout the entire corporation.

Because of our success, SSOE was able to be highly efficient, leveraging the skills of SSOE team members operating in multiple locations including Santa Clara, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Schedule was a significant challenge for this program, as rapidly evolving technologies and developmental fine-tuning resulted in the needs changing throughout. SSOE’s flexibility and skill at managing scope change has been key to the success of this project—enabling the achievement of client productivity goals. In recognition of SSOE’s ability to keep pace while maintaining a high level of quality, the client consistently allocates additional scope above and beyond the standard tool installation design.

The team’s exceptional attention to detail extends to our cost management systems. Through lean management and continuous process improvements, SSOE continuously returns savings to the client. This culture and focus has given the client confidence in SSOE’s abilities, as evidenced in additional project awards.

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SSOE saved the client $7 million in installation costs by leveraging PPMOF and BIM.

A global semiconductor client had plans to fit out an empty manufacturing building with process tools for a new technology. They selected SSOE to design the build-out of the sub fab laterals because of our extensive BIM capabilities. SSOE led the work for the subfab process laterals—an extension of utilities that would facilitate process tool installation on the level above. The 1300 process laterals included chemicals, gases, waste, waters, exhaust, telecom, and life safety systems. The team facilitated an early construction start date and saved the client money by leveraging several unique work approaches:

PPMOF: Prefabrication, Preassembly, Modularization, and Off-site Fabrication

SSOE approached the design with the client’s goal of PPMOF in mind. This strategy allowed installation coordination to take place early, providing schedule and labor savings. The team designed the strut racks to be fabricated off-site, then lifted into position in modules. All water, gas, and waste lines were fabricated with valves off-site in the longest lengths possible to rig onto the rack.

BIM2Fab

SSOE team members transitioned BIM design models into construction models to aid in the execution of PPMOF and eliminate project waste by removing the need to create a construction model from scratch. The construction models were then used to produce fabrication (spool) drawings for the trade partner to fabricate off-site. The team saved additional time by eliminating the typical contractor redline process used to develop record drawings. Since the model was used for fabrication there were no deviations from design. Such tight alignment resulted in the achievement of zero-redline designs due in part to SSOE opening up our office to enable the trade partners to co-locate with SSOE during the project.

Kanban

Kanban, a scheduling system for lean manufacturing and “just-in-time manufacturing,” was used to coordinate design efforts and streamline communication. This was the team’s first time using this software across companies—between SSOE and the trade contractors. It provided visibility of hand-offs between each company resulting in zero lost time and minimal email communication.

International Workshare

By collaborating with counterparts in India to achieve day and night design effort, the team was able to ramp up production to help meet the aggressive schedule set for this project. The use of Kanban for hand-offs between the two teams was crucial in meeting many of the project milestones. This method provided an estimated 50% increase in productivity.

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In a multi-billion dollar industry where companies feel pressure to continually innovate and increase efficiency, semiconductor manufacturers cannot afford to have anything stop production in their fabrication facilities. This global semiconductor client discovered that the cleanroom in their aging mask operations facility was at risk of going out of compliance due to the state of the mechanical systems. The client chose SSOE, through our Joint Venture Design / Build partnership with JE Dunn, to embark on a nearly 2-year, $150 million project to modernize the facility, bringing it up to specification and into compliance with current standards for code, reliability, and safety.

Upgrading of the facility’s mechanical and process systems was a large undertaking. The work included: 

Hazardous chemical storage space. SSOE addressed the need by expanding the chemical storage space and necessary support systems including exhaust fans and scrubbers, and safety treatment systems for chemical storage areas.

Acid waste neutralization system. SSOE upgraded this system by adding a caustic storage and distribution system and reaction tank modifications.

Additional mechanical and process system upgrades. These included chilled water, heating water, system cross-ties to provide redundancy, process vacuum, house vacuum, and process chilled water supplying the process tools in the fab.

BIM2Fab. SSOE performed detailing of the heating water and chilled water piping to produce fabrication drawings of the piping for the system crossties.

Clean-up. To create adequate space for all new systems, the team demolished and removed obsolete equipment.

A small team on the ground at the client’s facility received support from a remote design team residing in multiple SSOE offices. The project team made extensive use of BIM and Point Cloud software, eliminating the need to locate an entire team on the client’s site. This resulted in significant project savings and allowed the team to make the most of the resources available to them.

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Facing ever-increasing industrywide pressure to reduce cost and time to market, a world-leading semiconductor manufacturer needed to increase efficiencies on its 300-acre technology development campus. This project involved the design and construction of a 43,000 SF structure, known as a “cleanlink,” to connect the chip maker’s primary research facilities—allowing for the seamless integration of manufacturing.

Prior to this structure’s completion, cleanroom staff had been forced to use complex and time-consuming measures in order to fully utilize the separate fab buildings. With the cleanlink in place, wafers can now move to the other fabs on campus without leaving a clean environment and risking damage to the product.

Moving wafers within the link and fabs is accomplished by an Automated Material Handling System (AMHS). More than 2.5 miles of overhead track connect the AMHS wafer conveyance systems of multiple buildings, allowing for direct tool-to-tool WIP movement without human intervention.

The cleanlink consists of three structures:

A Transition Building. A two-story Transition Building with H5 occupancy was designed to enable the AMHS to overcome the elevation difference between two of the buildings. It contains multiple catwalks and interstitial levels, providing access for maintenance for both the transition devices and the AMHS. Wafers are moved both horizontally and vertically within this space.

An AMHS Link. The AMHS Link was designed to accommodate pedestrian traffic, but its primary function is to support and enclose the AMHS track system. An interstitial level provides access and maintenance points for servicing the AMHS.

A reconstructed utility bridge and pedestrian walkway. SSOE and JE Dunn removed and reconstructed 80% of an existing pedestrian walkway to more effectively handle the upgraded AMHS system and to create a more efficient walkway used by people every day.

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Following the client’s success in a high-volume manufacturing facility using a new design methodology—providing design engineering for tool installation packages from one location for projects around the world—SSOE was requested to mobilize for a new project in a second high-volume manufacturing facility. SSOE augmented a small team of local staff in Arizona with design staff in Oregon, New Mexico, and Ohio to perform MOK (Multiple of Kind) tool installation designs for the most complex functional area of this world-leading semiconductor client’s high-volume manufacturing facility.

Two A/E firms were already on-site performing design work locally but were unable to meet the steep demand curve of this new technology transfer project. Integrating into the site where existing BKMs and stakeholder expectations differed significantly from contracted deliverables proved a significant challenge. SSOE was recognized for leadership in promoting the new program to client stakeholders and guiding other A/E firms on the program parameters including code compliance issues, project reporting, and quality program implementation.

SSOE started 79 and completed 31 tool design packages in its first quarter on-site and closed a backlog of highly complex tool conversion designs within 8 weeks. While mobilizing from 0 to 28 staff across 4 sites and with significant schedule and stakeholder availability issues, SSOE maintained a 100% performance against schedule rate and a 98% positive quality scorecard rate.

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SSOE completed a complex programming and schematic design effort for an approximately 1,100,000 SF, seven-story multipurpose building that serves as a model for workplaces of the future.

The building contains a 2.6 MW data center, two floors of class 10,000 high-tech cleanroom manufacturing and chip testing space, with five floors of office, cafe, and fitness center spaces to accommodate approximately 3,800 employees. Linked connections to neighboring buildings were created to provide passage for employees, utilities, and automated material handling systems. A pedestrian sky bridge to the parking garage was designed to accommodate a direct, convenient connection without impacting the existing wetlands. The project, utilizing a high-performance envelope, daylighting strategies, and high-efficiency mechanical systems, met the criteria for LEED Silver certification.

The office levels were organized into neighborhoods consisting of workstation groups, collaboration rooms, and community zones. These were combined with support spaces based on a formula for connectivity and an interactive office environment. Small and large community zones are located throughout the floor at strategic points where employees can work, meet informally, or relax as a community.

The objective was to create a design aesthetic to complement the existing campus architecture. Throughout the design process, this goal was elevated to create a distinctive architectural look that reflects the values of our client and today’s workers.

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SSOE assembled a team specializing in cleanroom design and construction to engineer, design, and support construction of multiple basebuild systems including a cleanroom installation at a facility in Boise, Idaho. The client, a semiconductor and memory manufacturer, relied on our expertise to provide support for the projects under a fast-track schedule, while managing multiple onsite subcontractors as SSOE converted the building into a cleanroom facility.

After meeting with the client and performing an exhaustive investigation of the site, SSOE provided preliminary engineering and scope development services for the facility. The existing structure required a thorough structural analysis to ensure that it could support future equipment installations, which we provided under a tight deadline.

The structural scope included an exhaust stack support, utility racks, a bulk gas tank, and the cleanroom ceiling. Our process team created numerous systems including ultrapure and hot ultrapure water, solvent waste, chemical delivery systems, and bulk and specialty gasses. SSOE designed the cleanroom HVAC system for clean production space, and modified the existing HVAC system for the support areas.

In collaboration with the client, SSOE constructed the house VAC and OFA systems to meet the requirements of the upgraded facility as well as modifying the air handlers to change capacity as needed. The coordination of the bulk tank and chilled water systems required constant cross-discipline communication and careful schedule management. The utilities for tools and building services, and controls were also included in our scope. Understanding the client’s needs, we laid out the facility for future tool installations, and took care to include as much of the existing system as possible, while offering cost-effective recommendations for modifications and upgrades based on future need.

SSOE integrated the client’s existing project documentation procedures with our own, which allowed for swift responses to critical questions and submittals.

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SSOE worked with TOK America to duplicate the design and installation of a mixing and blending tank at their Hillsboro, Oregon, location. With our history of efficient design and precise field verification, SSOE staff analyzed and mirrored the corresponding system, installing a new batch tank and transfer system in the existing building. After managing the construction effort, the facility drawings were updated with the new tank and its associated systems.

Later TOK America decided to add an additional tank. SSOE compiled six options for the new tank – from reusing a tank on-site to installing a brand new system, keeping in mind budget, time, and operational expenses. Through 3D modeling SSOE was able to illustrate how the tank would fit into the existing facility, and make swift changes in response to TOK’s needs. A structural frame was also engineered and fabricated to support the mixer sitting above the existing tank. SSOE then provided programming for the new mixed tank. Throughout the process, SSOE collaborated with TOK to analyze their needs and provide cost-effective solutions.

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