Page 49 - Packaging News Magazine May-June 2020

CASE STUDY
Foodmach secures
Australia’s mask
supplies
Foodmach was recruited to help build seven surgical mask machines for Med-Con, Australia’s only current manufacturer of critical personal protective equipment (PPE), which is essential for frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus.
The original Med-Con PPE-production machines were designed and built nearly 40 years ago, the original drawings don’t exist, the original parts are obsolete, and manufacturing in a pandemic has a few logistical challenges.
Project Med-Con is an initiative of the Department of Industry, Science and Technology (DIST). Foodmach was initially commissioned to build three new machines and, after a successful start, a further four.
Earle Roberts, Foodmach CEO said, “The biggest challenge has been having eight weeks to deliver on a project that would usually take us five to six months. Some of our team has been working in 12.5-hour shifts 24/7 in order to keep to schedule.”
Peter Marks, director at Foodmach said, “Reverse engineering is usually a lengthy process that involves a lot of testing and adjustments.
“We had 60 days from start to finish to find ways to build a machine that uses parts which no longer
exist, and which we’ve never built before,” he said. “Although 3D models were provided by the
Australian Defence Force – which pulled apart a mothballed machine over a weekend in a remarkable team effort – they still needed to be detailed on a part by part basis, materials identified and checks made that they’ll assembly correctly. It hasn’t all been plain sailing.”
Marks said there were knowledge gaps around material specifications and tolerances that needed to be resolved. “The old design has been updated to current safety, controls, and interfacing standards.”
As it was being fitted up, the first machine began to look like the end product. It has been a triumph of teamwork between Foodmach and its suppliers.
SO WHY DIDN’T AUSTRALIA JUST IMPORT MACHINES? Roberts notes there are issues associated with importing PPE-production machinery from abroad, mainly relating to the quality of the end-product.
Foodmach overcame myriad challenges in getting the machines up and running
“Installing equipment from overseas has a few challenges, most notably safety, service, and support. In the case of mask machines, there may also be questions around the type and quality of mask produced,” Roberts said.
Ray Stockwell, operations manager at Med-Con said, “We’ve been approached by companies that have imported masks from overseas and rejected them. Some masks are apparently not up to standard – with issues such as smell, adverse skin reactions, poor construction and not meeting Australian technical standards.
“We’d love to help them with mask supply, but until we receive the extra equipment Foodmach is currently engineering for us, we’re at absolute capacity. Our existing machines are already going 24/7,” Stockwell said.
THE PRESSURE WAS ON
This puts immense pressure on Foodmach to solve the critical shortage. Med-Con said it knows they’re working hard, and has been marvelling at their progress. “The whole team looks forward to the daily updates on the project blog,” Stockwell said.
“In a matter of weeks, we’ll be able to put three new machines to work and help get quality Australian-manufactured masks in the hands of Australians.”
Stockwell, when asked after a recent factory visit if he’d had any doubts about whether Project Med-Con could be delivered, he replied: “Foodmach had just so many challenges to overcome. This machine has seven different inputs that all require different tensions.
“I had a few sleepless nights over it, but I felt reassured when I saw Machine 1 built.”
At a time when Australia needs to on-shore its supply chain as quickly as possible and resurrect ailing or extinct manufacturing industries, Project Med-Con is a shining example of what can be achieved. Success, however, requires agility and collaboration at every level.
THE RIGHT DNA FOR THE JOB
AMTIL is the federal government consultant overseeing the project. Bruno Bello, business advisor for AMTIL said, “Foodmach and Med-Con have the right DNA, attitude, and culture that’s required to have a cohesive workforce and also access to external key partners to support such a programme. Some of which, by the way, missed out on this project, so I think it’s exceptional.”
With the new machines, Med-Con production will increase mask production from two million to 50 million masks per year.
“Whether we manage to keep the curve flat or not, our National Medical Stockpile will be better equipped to assist Australia’s health care workers,” Foodmach said.
Foodmach is keeping a public log of project updates at https://foodmach.com/project-med-con/
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