Robotics, assembly and manufacturing experts are currently converting industrial production lines in a fast-track process. They are also working on supporting people with smart machine power in the fight against the coronavirus.
New ideas are being implemented in record time: for example, the Shortages of respiratory masks for own use reduced, Test procedure made safer or accelerated to robot speed. Wherever possible, the robotics and automation specialists work to support people with smart machine power.
„We were overwhelmed by the helpfulness and creativity of the companies. Initiatives and new ideas for using automation technology to overcome the coronavirus crisis are coming from all sides. The speed at which companies are doing this is breathtaking: we are being blown away right now. a strong breeze of entrepreneurial spirit around the ears,“ says Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association.
Car assembly builds breathing protection
This includes, for example, the Machine builder PIA Automation from Amberg near Nuremberg. The company normally manufactures Fully automated production systems for the automotive and consumer goods industries, but also counts medical technology companies among its customers. Within a few weeks of the outbreak of the crisis, PIA initially put two production lines that had been shut down back into operation at its site in China and converted to the fully automated production of up to 140,000 protective masks per day. With the expertise gained from this pilot project, the Upper Palatinate-based machine manufacturer is now working on numerous follow-up orders and is even manufacturing new assembly lines in Germany for the production of face masks. The first delivery is scheduled for a few weeks. This will enable more than one million respirators per day manufacture.
The project is not an isolated case: the Mechanical engineer Ruhlamat from Marksuhl in Thuringia has also got down to business and, with enormous speed, has developed a Production line for disposable surgical masks developed. The filter material for respiratory protection can be processed flexibly depending on the required safety levels.
The machine builders from Ruhlamat and PIA Automation are thus utilising their many years of Experience from high-speed assembly automation, to ramp up the production of respiratory masks to the required volume.
Drive-through for corona mass testing
Unlike medical staff, robots are immune to pandemics. A new idea from the industrial service provider capitalises on this BoKa Automation from Lower Franconia. The fully automated system is reminiscent of the customer experience in a drive-through fast-food restaurant and can be used by any driver for one Corona test can be used. Using a tablet, the driver identifies themselves through the side window of their vehicle and A robotic arm hands over the test tube. Video instructions guide the sample collection. The test tube is then automatically cancelled again. Each test participant is then informed by telephone about the result of a possible coronavirus infection.
Robot sorts 3,000 blood samples a day
The erratic Increase in Covid-19 test procedures requires numerous blood tests to be carried out. This process is traditionally carried out manually by laboratory technicians in clinics and is very time-consuming and monotonous - making it an ideal process to be automated.
Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark already has a laboratory that benefited from automation even before the coronavirus crisis. Up to 3000 blood samples are taken every day in the largest hospital in the North Jutland region of two KUKA robots carefully sorted. The employees are relieved of an enormous amount of work and can concentrate on demanding activities away from the routine.
Robot James helps with visiting bans in retirement homes
RobShare, a company of the Hahn Group Rheinböllen, helps residents of care homes to keep in touch with family members during visiting bans. James is the name of the nice Communication machine. The robot visits the people in the quarantined rooms and simply switches family members via video conference together. RobShare offers the rental of the robots free of charge on. „We don't earn a cent from this campaign, we just have to make sure that most of our costs are covered,“ says Konstantin Dick from the Hahn Group. „That's why we've already started looking for sponsors so that the campaign can be offered completely free of charge for the care homes.“
Source: VDMA
