Pivot Production With Flexible Manufacturing

Crisis creates change – often permanent. Consumers behave differently. Industry innovates. Machine builds come with new expectations.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the only surgical mask manufacturer in Australia, Med-Con, was asked to significantly step up production – from two million to 80 million masks a year. Foodmach stepped up to help increase manufacturing capacity by building seven additional machines. But this was no ordinary order. The challenge: recreate machines that were designed and manufactured 40 years ago.

These builds normally take several months and include drawings and bills of materials. Foodmach had just 60 days and only a model to work with, a model based on 40-year-old parts.

Recreating this machine on today’s standards has been a nail-biting journey with the daily ups and downs detailed in its Project Med-Con Blog. But we’re excited to share it was a resounding success.

Part of that was a result of the time frame – when you only have weeks to deliver, there’s just no opportunity to overthink. The deadline drove fast iterations and innovation. In looking at the old mechanical design, it was immensely complex. When we jumped generations, we eliminated 80% of the mechanical parts. By reducing the number of mechanical parts, you reduce the chance for failure.

This was a rapid response. Technology was on our side. This is also a great example of focusing with a new lens. From infinite speed control to integrated servo controllers and motors – flexibility and speed are made possible by simplifying the complex.

The aging machinery was working well for what needed to get done – before the pandemic. Maybe your set-up is just fine for what you’re doing right now. But are you ready if you need to pivot?

Flexible manufacturing gives you the freedom to meet changing market demands.