On the floor of a 40,000-square-foot factory in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, First Mode plans to manufacture powertrain conversion kits for mining trucks that are by design and bolted together. There are very few things.
“The factory itself represents modern, smart manufacturing,” said First Mode CEO Julian Soles at today's ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was also attended by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Stated. “This is 'software-defined' rather than a hardpoint-bound feature. Almost all component shelving and assembly sequences have been digitized for maximum speed and data management. ”
As production requirements change, the floorplan may change accordingly. First Mode also leverages digital tools to track its supply chain.
“Every workstation, every inventory location, every product that moves through our facility is equipped with a barcode and has a digital twin,” said Philip Nonnast, Senior Digital Supply Manager at FirstMode. This was explained during the factory tour.
Display screens suspended above the manufacturing floor track the flow of hardware through the production line and alert you when bottlenecks occur.
Wrenches are also digitized. Bill Huntington, First Mode's manufacturing manager, showed off a torque wrench programmed to apply the proper torque to a bolt. A computerized database records the parts that were tightened and the workstation where the work was performed.
The SoDo factory, which was previously used as a furniture store and then as a warehouse for coronavirus-era protective equipment, has been renovated to serve that purpose at a cost of $22 million, according to First Mode. The six-year-old company also has other facilities in Seattle. Test site in Centralia, Washington. We also have offices in Australia, the UK, Chile and South Africa.
By the end of the year, First Mode plans to begin producing conversion kits for heavy-duty mining trucks, including hardware for diesel hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. The facility will employ up to 60 people and expand production to an initial goal of 150 kits per year and eventually 300 kits per year.
These kits are shipped from the factory to locations around the world and installed on top-of-the-line mining trucks that weigh 200 tons and are as tall as three-story buildings.
“In a mine, a typical ultra-luxury transport truck consumes approximately 1 million liters of diesel per year and operates continuously for almost 10 to 15 years,” Soles said. “Currently, there are approximately 30,000 transport trucks operating across our target region, emitting nearly 35 million tonnes of CO2 per year.”
Soles said converting all these trucks to zero carbon emissions would be the clean technology equivalent of taking 8 million cars off the road. This is roughly equivalent to the number of cars registered in Washington state.
Gradual steps towards zero carbon emissions
Soles said the mining industry is interested in Fast Mode's “road to zero,” but it's not a huge leap forward. That's why FirstMode recently added a hybrid option to its conversion services as part of a strategic shift that also included headcount reductions.
“We will work with our customers to find out what the best solution is for them, and if the customer has a fit, whether it is batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, we will work with them. to find out,” he said. “You can then adapt and modify those platforms to completely zero them out.”
First Mode's factories are also on the path to net zero. Seattle City Light's Green Up Renewable Energy Credit Thanks to the company's participation in his program, “all of the electricity from this plant here will be completely offset,” Soles said.
Inslee said FirstMode is “perfectly named” for Washington state's role in the clean technology revolution.
“Naming this 'first mode' is the right way to think about it,” he told an audience of employees and VIPs. “First, we are doing the most aggressive work to reduce climate-changing gases in the state. We are not just manufacturing batteries; [also first in] We're bringing together companies like this that are focused not only on batteries but also on hydrogen. So the first place out of the gate is the place to be in any revolution. ”
Mr. Inslee has been involved in many projects in the region, including a $1 billion plan to build a hydrogen hub in the Pacific Northwest, next-generation battery ventures such as Group14, and the recent opening of the Vicinity Motors factory to manufacture electric trucks and buses. He listed one after another the company's clean technology initiatives. and commercial fusion power ventures such as , Helion Energy, Zap Energy, and Avalanche.
“There is no silver bullet for the clean energy revolution,” he told GeekWire. “There are no silver hydrogens or silver batteries. There are only gold buckshots, and they have to do multiple things. Fortunately, we have multiple technologies to move forward with, and those will proceed at a constant pace. Perhaps one will move and hit an obstacle, and the other will move forward. We see that in every revolution.”
Inslee wasn't concerned about the fact that FirstMode had to change its clean technology strategy. “This company is clearly showing with the fruits of this development that it's real. They're going to do real things,” he said.
On track to new markets
In his speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Inslee addressed future strategic moves at First Mode. He praised the company's focus on decarbonizing “locomotives, giant trucks and large industrial equipment.”
“I just heard the train go by,” he told the crowd. “Diesel was burning. It was emitting smoke. It was polluting, causing asthma and climate change. One day, the whistle would blow on the train and we'd be stranded. .Then you'll remember Fast Mode and realize you were there first.”
In response to a question about Inslee's references to trains and locomotives, Soles acknowledged that First Mode's hardware could soon be on the rails.
“We should be able to announce next month that we're going to start a locomotive project,” he told GeekWire. “We're going to start a very similar transition, starting with hybrids.” “And then after that you start with full battery or hydrogen. It really depends on the use case.”
