Festo_Sustainability-Report_2020

9. Impact on our customers and society Virus Fighter’s Handbook Together with a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufactur- ing Engineering and Automation (IPA), Festo has worked with med- ical professionals from several clinics to develop a concept for a digital manual to combat the coronavirus crisis. The Virus Fighter’s Handbook app is based on Festo’s existing Smartenance app and is designed to provide registered users with information on the use and maintenance of the competition’s newly developed ventilators, as well as specific knowledge in deal- ing with COVID-19 patients. The Virus Fighter’s Handbook is availa- ble to users worldwide free of charge, as an app for download and as a web application. 9.2 Stable production in system-relevant areas In addition to the medical sector, it is also important for Festo to keep the production of system-relevant areas stable on a global scale. A supply chain task force established at the beginning of the pandemic has the objective of maintaining production and logistics throughout the global network, and distributing capacities as nec- essary. Festo products can be used for example in filling technology in the beverage industry, for packaging at food manufacturers, and also in cleaning units for hospitals and care facilities and in packaging technology for medication in the pharmaceutical industry. Components for laboratory automation and patient care In addition to system-relevant sectors such as the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries, Festo can offer an excellent portfo- lio of components for laboratory automation and patient care devices with its LifeTech business area. Automation solutions for test laboratories Global diagnostics companies and laboratories faced the challenge of meeting the high demand for COVID-19 tests during the pan- demic. Festo offers automation solutions for test workflows of diagnostics companies and laboratories – for instance the handling of sample tubes or the pipetting and dosing of liquids. When developing the components, the focus is on high throughput, precision and accu- racy. Devices for antibody testing also became increasingly important. Festo supplied valves and pressure regulators, for example, for these compact mobile on-site laboratory devices in doctors’ prac- tices and hospitals – so-called point-of-care (POC) devices. This enabled large-scale testing that can help key workers get back to work on the ground and care for and protect more vulnerable people. 9.3 Employee commitment Everyday life is different during this extraordinary time and so is the commitment of our staff. With a wealth of ideas, initiative and a lot of commitment, the support projects could be implemented in a very short time. In addition, our employees are involved in volunteering. This civic engagement addresses a wide range of problems during the pan- demic and supports our social cohesion – an indispensable contri- bution to the management of the pandemic. Ventilation systems in schools In many schools, functioning ventilation systems are in short sup- ply. During a pandemic, this can quickly turn into a health- threatening situation for the pupils. On their own initiative, with a lot of commitment and even more working hours, a ventilation system was installed in a school in the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Baden-Württemberg. This enabled aerosol pollution to be reduced by up to 90 per cent. Twelve helpers with around 120 hours of work were involved in building the prototype – half of them Festo employees. Teachers and parents were supported by different departments in the com- pany with a wide variety of tasks such as the production of special tools. Further ventilation systems are already being planned. The next 15 classrooms will require about 800 hours of work, 289 exhaust hoods will be built – each for two pupils at a table – and 526 metres of lightweight pipes and 563 square metres of film will be installed. 9. Impact on our customers and society 80 81 Festo SE & Co. KG Sustainability Report 2020 Festo SE & Co. KG Sustainability Report 2020