CIM 4.0, together with innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, has developed an automated and digitized pilot line that allows testing of 4.0 innovations and increasingly eco-sustainable materials, and defining standard specifications to replicate the line for the production of Surgical Masks intended for businesses and the community at other companies.
This pilot line will enable the implementation and testing of innovative technologies and increasingly eco-sustainable materials, and the replication of automatic production lines for Personal Protective Equipment at other companies. It is based on modular systems that minimize specific investment costs and an “open” componentry to allow hardware and software improvements and testing of innovative 4.0 solutions by companies and startups within the Italian ecosystem. The production process allows for the creation of 80 pieces per minute and can operate continuously 24/7.
The partners
All this was achieved thanks to the active collaboration of the CIM 4.0 consortium members and the involvement of innovative SMEs: TECNOCAD, a leader in design and responsible for production, NICMA Group, a leader in the sale and distribution of personal protective equipment, which will handle the distribution of masks, and ICRE, a leader for over 50 years in the installation and automation of production lines, which is already working to replicate this initiative.
Everything was carried out quickly without overlooking any detail: from the selection of raw material suppliers, strictly Italian companies identified through the scouting of CIM 4.0 and Politecnico di Torino, and subsequently carried forward by TECNOCAD, to the production and certification of the product, from the distribution of masks to the management of end-of-life and recycling of materials.
What are the features that make this new line truly 4.0?
- Application of World Class Manufacturing principles, which ensure maximum productivity, total safety and ergonomics for workers, and minimization of waste and energy consumption
- Real-time monitoring and remote control of the production process, to ensure the highest possible production efficiency and promptly identify anomalies, also thanks to predictive maintenance logic aimed at minimizing machine downtime
- Creation of the Digital Twinning of the line, to simulate operational and calibration activities and allow optimization of production KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Our goal is to serve the country and, of course, the region in which we operate with 4.0 skills and methodologies aimed at technology transfer. This is the strategy we followed to also realize this pilot line: a traditional industrial production process made digital and smart, thanks to our contribution and that of important industrial partners, aimed at producing in Italy a necessary good to counter the spread of the virus. A concrete and timely demonstration of how competence, technology, teamwork, and a systemic approach can enable synergistic operations that are simultaneously functional to the real needs of the community and the economic development of production chains.
Enrico Pisino, CEO CIM4.0
