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Press Release25 June 2020Siemens AGSingapore
Siemens fast-tracks production of medical grade face shields for COVID-19 frontliners in Singapore
This fully local collaboration saw the Siemens AMTC, the
first-of-its-kind competence center that provides guidance and support to ASEAN
manufacturers on their journey towards advance manufacturing, supported by Agency
for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), HP’s Smart Manufacturing
Applications and Research Center (SMARC), and Mitsui Chemicals (Japan) come
together to design, optimize and manufacture the face shields in an accelerated
product introduction cycle of under two months. Tan Tock Seng Hospital provides
feedback during this process to ensure that the face shield provides comfort
wear and allows ease of cleaning.
Through Siemens in-house additive
manufacturing expertise and local network, the face shield design was optimized
and printed using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D
technology with proprietary polyamide material, that
is certified biocompatible by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Mitsui Chemical’s polyolefin
coating that is approved for
medical use.
After stringent selection and testing of various medical
grade coatings, the Mitsui Chemical’s coating was selected as the most suitable
one for the MJF-printed face shield frame. This specialized coating was used to
make the frame of the face shield stronger, smoother and more flexible, and
able to withstand repeated use of the chemicals commonly used for
sterilization. The process for applying the coating was developed by
scientists from the Bioactive Polymer team at the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Institute of Materials Research and
Engineering (IMRE).
“We’re
glad that Siemens and its partners have helped us to optimize our 3D printed
face shield to have enhanced durability and strength as we continue to fight
the battle against COVID-19. We’re all in this together and it’s great to be
part of a local collaboration instrumental in supporting the fight against the
global pandemic,” said Ms Lynette Ong, Director, Transformation, Tan Tock Seng
Hospital.
Siemens
NX CAD software was used to optimize nesting for production resulting in an
increase in production capacity from 200 units to 3000 units per month. Through
the AMTC network, this is set to increase to 18,000 units per month as more 3D
printers are added to the production line.
“This
face shield project has proven the capabilities and benefits of additive
manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies. It is exactly why Siemens set up the AMTC – we want to help companies to adopt
advance manufacturing so as to be agile and competitive in today’s
fast-changing economy,” said Benjamin Moey,
Head of Additive Manufacturing, APAC. “Our strong and diverse ecosystem of
partners allow industries to reap the benefits of Industry 4.0 without the
necessity of engineering from scratch each time, thus saving time and money.
This is especially crucial and valuable during challenging times, such as the
current COVID-19 situation.”
Siemens will contribute in-kind the pilot batch of face shields
to TTSH for internal use and evaluation so that TTSH can suggest any refinement, before the
face shields will go into production.
In response to the ongoing global health crisis caused by the
outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Siemens has opened its global additive
manufacturing network to enable the efficient execution of design and printing
requests by doctors, hospitals and suppliers of medical equipment.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation,
quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of
electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a
leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as
automation, drive and software solutions for industry. With its publicly listed subsidiary Siemens Healthineers AG, the company is also a
leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in
laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion
and net income of €6.1 billion. At the end of September 2018, the company had around 379,000 employees worldwide. Further information is
available on the Internet at
www.siemens.com.