Festo_Sustainability-Report_2020

Mobile automated mask production Right from the start of the pandemic, Festo was a supplier and technical consultant for the Carola project for the machine manu- facturer Mikron. The aim was to reduce the extreme shortage of protective face masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 20-foot sea freight container, a production unit was installed where the raw material (polypropylene), delivered in rolls, was pro- cessed into complete protective face masks. The production capac- ity was around 50 masks per minute, corresponding to about two million masks per month. The major advantage is that this unit is mobile, can operate imme- diately on-site, is independent of imports and can be used over a long period in any crisis area. Festo supplied electrical and pneu- matic components and drives for this purpose, primarily from the core product range, which were available at any time. Originally planned as an open-source project – meaning that the design plans are freely accessible worldwide – the autonomously running machine is now manufactured by our customer Mikron. The high production costs of 300,000 euros per machine could not be financed through donations. Components for an emergency hospital Another project was the emergency hospital at Messe Stuttgart, where about 320 cabins were set up in a hall to be able to supply patients with medical oxygen. Festo supported the Malteser humanitarian relief agency in setting up and distributing the medical oxygen. Festo specially developed a system for supplying patients directly in the cabins with a corre- sponding connection to the supply ring line. A volunteer team took over the assembly on-site. The hospital was dismantled at the end of April 2020, because the feared overcrowding in the hospitals failed to materialise. 9. Impact on our customers and society Extraordinary measures are required in an extraordinary time. As a system-relevant component supplier for the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries, the focus is therefore on maintaining our international value and supply chain. At the same time, we assume corporate responsibility and – when- ever possible – make a contribution to society that goes beyond this with our products and our expertise. Combined with the extraordinary dedication of our staff, innovative solutions were cre- ated to alleviate the impact of the pandemic in many different areas of life. 9.1 Support projects Festo launched several focused support projects with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the development of an emer- gency ventilator, support for protective mask production, the con- struction of an emergency hospital and the ‘Virus Fighter’s Hand- book’ app. Development of an emergency ventilator Festo does not manufacture ventilation equipment itself, but it supplies a range of components suitable for installation in ventila- tion equipment to certified manufacturers. With the onset of the pandemic, numerous customer enquiries from Germany and abroad led to a specially established develop- ment team at Festo developing an emergency ventilator. Within a few weeks, the interdisciplinary team working from home – in close exchange with hospital doctors – prototyped a function- ing ventilator that works by means of digital pneumatics and in which the respiratory frequency and pressure as well as the venti- lation volume can be adjusted. The emergency ventilator was technically fully developed, but without approval for use as medical device. The German Medical Devices Act allows for a simplified approval process of the devices in the event of a disaster, so that use would be possible with a spe- cial approval. Festo made the concept available to its customers via its national companies, as well as to the authorities interna- tionally. 9. Impact on our customers and society 78 79 Festo SE & Co. KG Sustainability Report 2020 Festo SE & Co. KG Sustainability Report 2020