Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CO-VERSATILE (Adaptive and resilient production and supply chain methods and solutions for urgent need of vital medical supplies and equipment)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-11-01 bis 2022-04-30
The project started in the midst of COVID-19, when frontline practitioners and citizens depended on uninterrupted supply of protective masks, care facilities needed immediate disinfection to deliver care safely, and spikes in demand for medical ventilators had to be addressed. Protecting citizens and preventing the virus spread by elevating the adaptability and resilience of the manufacturing sector became a priority. In Europe, disruption of global supply chains affected the availability of medical supplies, it also led to shortages of components from oversees for production. In parallel, manufacturers faced additional challenges to meet continuously growing demand and to scale up production and train their existing and new staff whilst following social distancing rules.
To address these challenges, the project partners focus on rapid ramp-up of manufacturing by implementing industry 5.0 robotics & automation approach that puts human wellbeing at the centre, repurposing production lines and revisiting short-term advantages of producing in low-cost economies vs long-term benefits of making products closer to customer developing local supply chains.
CO-VERSATILE expected outcomes for healthcare provisioning in Europe include a significant increase in production capacity of disinfection spraying systems (by 30%); FFP1 , FFP2 , FFP3 face masks and respirators (by 100%); and ventilator systems (by 900%).
To address these challenges, the project partners focus on rapid ramp-up of manufacturing by implementing industry 5.0 robotics & automation approach that puts human wellbeing at the centre, repurposing production lines and revisiting short-term advantages of producing in low-cost economies vs long-term benefits of making products closer to customer developing local supply chains.
CO-VERSATILE expected outcomes for healthcare provisioning in Europe include a significant increase in production capacity of disinfection spraying systems (by 30%); FFP1 , FFP2 , FFP3 face masks and respirators (by 100%); and ventilator systems (by 900%).
For the re-usable silicone masks and the moulds to produce them, 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. The software platform for the Digital Technopole has been set up, adapted and configured. The assessment of the competitive landscape and GDPR aspects were conducted to enable long-term operations of the marketplace. A value proposition has been outlined and awareness generation activities are ongoing to reach manufacturing companies willing to join and adjust their manufacturing lines to future production needs.
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. The software platform for the Digital Technopole has been set up, adapted and configured. The assessment of the competitive landscape and GDPR aspects were conducted to enable long-term operations of the marketplace. A value proposition has been outlined and awareness generation activities are ongoing to reach manufacturing companies willing to join and adjust their manufacturing lines to future production needs.
Multi-functionality of the silicone mask allows to enter mass market by means of public authorities such as fire brigades and civil defence, or public entities activating new supply chains to produce this type of devices. This is expected to increase annual revenue for the project partners but, above all, to ensure quick and affordable access to a “forge” of protective masks.
Electrostatic sprays (vs traditional) save time, significantly reduce the use of chemicals and increase disinfection coverage. The expected societal impact includes the creation of new jobs to meet the growing demand.
Production of medical ventilators focus on minimising the response time to sudden spikes in demand by looking at factors that limit manufacturers to upscale the production. The analysis of the production process and the developed supply chain model will allow to take actions towards obtaining the continuous access to components/parts for building ventilators. The expected societal impact includes the ability to adequately and timely support healthcare providers. With a three-fold increase of the ventilator production, more than 30 jobs will be needed to fulfil the production needs.
Partners of the machine for face masks focus on zero-waste production and safety of operations, implementing video surveillance and monitoring of the product quality.
Reconfigurable automation and robotics manufacturing cell is expected to show how a commissioned automated manufacturing cell can be rapidly repurposed to support changes in product demand and respond to global disruptions. This allows manufacturers to adapt to changes in market conditions and global supply change volatility.
Another outcome of the project is a community of European experts with complimentary capabilities to facilitate the repurposing, adaptation and ramp-up of manufacturing lines for a rapid response at times of crises.
Electrostatic sprays (vs traditional) save time, significantly reduce the use of chemicals and increase disinfection coverage. The expected societal impact includes the creation of new jobs to meet the growing demand.
Production of medical ventilators focus on minimising the response time to sudden spikes in demand by looking at factors that limit manufacturers to upscale the production. The analysis of the production process and the developed supply chain model will allow to take actions towards obtaining the continuous access to components/parts for building ventilators. The expected societal impact includes the ability to adequately and timely support healthcare providers. With a three-fold increase of the ventilator production, more than 30 jobs will be needed to fulfil the production needs.
Partners of the machine for face masks focus on zero-waste production and safety of operations, implementing video surveillance and monitoring of the product quality.
Reconfigurable automation and robotics manufacturing cell is expected to show how a commissioned automated manufacturing cell can be rapidly repurposed to support changes in product demand and respond to global disruptions. This allows manufacturers to adapt to changes in market conditions and global supply change volatility.
Another outcome of the project is a community of European experts with complimentary capabilities to facilitate the repurposing, adaptation and ramp-up of manufacturing lines for a rapid response at times of crises.