Not everyone can produce vaccines. Masks, however, are a different story. Mini-factories in shipping containers can be installed quickly and can produce 50 to 100 everyday masks per minute. At Festo, used a 3D model to create the basis for scalable systems within the shipping container.

In all process steps, from the three-layer unwinding station and the conical screw for folding the non-woven fabric, to the ultrasonic welding station for sealing the edges and attaching the ear loops, electrical and pneumatic components ensure the safe transport of the parts or perform clamping tasks. A practical feature: Festo's CMMT servo drive controllers for regulating the EMMT electric drives can be easily integrated with PLCs from other manufacturers such as Beckhoff, Siemens, and Rockwell.

The pneumatic components from Festo's core product range, such as the ADN compact cylinder, the DFM guide cylinder, and the DSNU round cylinder, are attractively priced, available from stock worldwide, and can be delivered within 24 hours. The pneumatic actuators are controlled by MPA valves. The MS6-SV-E safety valve ensures that, in the event of a sudden emergency stop, safety-critical system components are vented and de-energized as quickly as possible.

Photos: Festo

“Normally, systems of this size take six months to build,” explains Nils Rödel, Managing Director of Mikron Berlin. Depending on the settings, the system can produce packs of 10 or individual masks – neatly sealed and, if desired, in printed bags and boxes. “We can also connect an automated packaging station, developed by our project partner pi4_robotics GmbH, to the scalable system,” Rödel adds.

The key feature of the Mikron system is that it fits into a 20-foot shipping container, which can also serve as a cleanroom. For example, in front of a hospital, next to a shopping center, or behind a school. The integrated air conditioning system with air purification filter enables production even in locations with high viral loads. Depending on the raw material, the system can operate autonomously for more than two hours. "This minimizes the need for human intervention and thus reduces the risk of infection," explains Rödel. This means the mini-factory can also produce protective masks in remote locations or crisis zones.

In fact, a single production line could manufacture two million face masks every month. The masks are made from meltblown nonwoven fabric, which consists of many layers of fine fibers and thus filters out even the smallest particles, such as bacteria and viruses, from the incoming air. "We calculated from official statistics that medical personnel in Germany alone need at least 50 million face masks per month," reports Rödel. "We could meet this demand with just 25 containers."

The system's design is simple, and commissioning should be just as easy. "Under current travel restrictions, commissioning engineers can only reach the installation sites with considerable effort," says Rödel. Mikron has devised a digital solution for this: "We use the HoloLens, which allows for virtual commissioning via an interactive 3D projection."

Here's the video about mask production.

www.festo.com