For the re-usable silicone masks and the moulds for their production, the product requirements have been identified based on the market study and the drawbacks of the existing solutions. The requirements of the mask included protection, ease-of-use and wearing comfort. Masks design is expected to be appealing and simple to produce; the materials should allow for multiple use. Medical grade solid silicone rubber that can be processed by traditional rubber compression moulding was selected. This silicone helps to avoid skin irritations, it is non-toxic, non-reactive and can be cleaned in a dishwasher multiple time. The mould design has been iteratively improved through the support of advanced simulation models, increasing a number of masks per mould to reduce rubber waste. The final prototype of the silicone mask is completed.
For the Electrostatic disinfection systems, requirements for product optimisation were identified and tested to improve and adapt the manufacturing processes and develop design tools for manufacturers to take advantage and repurpose in times of need. A sensorized test bench was implemented for the experimental measurement of a preliminary spray gun prototype. Other enhancements include redesign of the spray nozzle, the pump and the battery pack of the portable device. A new backpack prototype was built to include a compressor, a spray gun, a battery and a high voltage electronic card.
For medical ventilators, the design and production process have been finalised. Technical modifications of the device were carried out to obtain CE certification - an important prerequisite for the direct distribution to all European and many non-European countries at short notice. For ramping up the production of medical ventilators, the main focus has been on the definition of the supply chain and its boundaries for the future improvement of production. The supply chain bottlenecks were identified in order to enable the re-design of the supply network to boosting resilience and deal with fluctuations in demand.
The work for the ‘modular machine for masks production’ started with the design and development activities for a fully automated, high-throughput face mask machine that can be adapted to manufacture different types of masks (FFP1, FFP2, FFP3) in Europe. A series of tests and calibrations of the machine and masks quality were implemented. The first production was performed on the FFP2 mask type, which helped to identify and validate key steps within the manufacturing process in order to calibrate them and optimize the productivity and test the overall production system for certification.
The progress with automation of airflow generator CPAP manufacturing in a robotic cell included collecting information on the current manual manufacturing process of CPAPs to determine tasks that are most suitable for automation - aiming to replace human operators of the most repetitive tasks with the robots and assist humans in gaining focus for elaborate work. The robotic cell has been upgraded, including the integration of new software packages for two robots and new human-machine interface screens design for monitoring and controlling.
Beyond the product design, and technical developments for products & services, the project scope includes training packages for end users and technology adopters, certification and business modelling aspects that are essential for offering SMEs customisable solutions for replication.
At the heart of CO-VERSATILE is a marketplace and a community - the Digital Technopole - with over 30 expert services and solutions tailored for manufacturing companies The software platform for the Digital Technopole has been set up, adapted and configured. The assessment of the competitive landscape and legal framework were conducted to enable long-term operations of the marketplace. The business model and the pricing strategies have been defined; moreover, awareness generation activities for targeted stakeholders are ongoing to reach manufacturing companies willing to join and adjust their manufacturing lines to future production needs.
