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Great Support by Mitsubishi Electric to face mask producersMitsubishi Electric offers system integrators and equipment producers the solution package to guide the face mask production equipment

This text is the English translation of the official Turkish version of the applicable press release. It has been prepared solely as a reference and ease of use. Please refer to the original Turkish text for details and/or attributes. In case of any incongruity, original Turkish version shall prevail.

21 July 2020

As the pandemic storms the entire world, sterile mask production and supply process has become more important ever. The pioneer of the factory automation industry, Mitsubishi Electric has mobilized its long-established know-how and high technology solutions to contribute in fight against pandemic all over the world and support business partners, accordingly launching the iQ Monozukuri FACEMASK solution package. This solution package which provides help in mask production equipment manufacturing is offered to equipment producers and system integrators all around the world. Technical Documentation and Operator's Manuals which describe the function blocks incorporated in the solution package, which consists of two different configuration for mask production, are publicly available at the global website of Mitsubishi Electric for free.

Standing out with its high technology solutions in many industries "from home to space", Mitsubishi Electric has started to provide support to sterile mask producers which have an important role in this period of pandemic. iQ Monozukuri packages, located at the first step for the e-F@ctory applications, the Mitsubishi Electric's response to Industry 4.0, provide the best solutions for each of the processing, applications and equipment. Providing help in production of mask production equipment, iQ Monozukuri FACEMASK solution package is developed by the modification of the function blocks of iQ Monozukuri CONVERTING and iQ Monozukuri PACKAGING.

Mitsubishi Electric has made available publicly and for free the technical documentation which describes the function blocks for the devices to be used in the mask production equipment at its global website. iQ Monozukuri FACEMASK solution package is developed to provide a guidance for the equipment manufacturers thanks to sample configurations and projects.

Two different configurations created for the mask production equipment

Full-automatic equipment can be used for producing N95 type and several masks concurrently, and semi-automatic equipment for the plain mask production. iQ Monozukuri FACEMASK solution package describes the plain mask production for the semi-automatic equipment and provides following information among others.

Surface pieces, filter piece and nose strip are used as the mask production materials at the first stage of the plain mask production. At least four sensors are recommended for the iQ-R configuration offered as part of the solution package. These sensors are listed as signal sensor, edge sensor helping to avoid any misalignments in the mask production, sensors for surface piece finishing and filter piece finishing. In iQ-R configuration, surface and filter pieces are unwound by means of a servo-motor driving the unwinding axis. The feedback received from edge sensor via corner position axis are used to control the misalignment of the mask production material, and then main axis joins surface and filter pieces together sealing them vertically. Then, rotary cutters cut masks to a pre-defined size and then sends them to conveyor axis. After detected by the signal sensor, masks are attached with ear loops and sealed horizontally in the sealing axis to finish the mask production.

Operations for iQ-F configuration is same as those of iQ-R configuration, except the surface filter piece unwinding operations. Surface and filter piece unwinding operations and corner alignment operations must be carried out by equipment producer. Axes are controlled via Simple Motion module (servo motors). If different sensors will be used, then some modifications are required on the configuration as per these sensors. Both configurations allows easy intervention during the operation with the help of a graphic operator panel, and system can be monitored in real time.

In Turkey, team of Mitsubishi Electric Turkey Factory Automation Systems will provide the technical support for the solution package. Technical documentation and operator's manuals which describe the function blocks can be downloaded at the global website of Mitsubishi Electric for free.
https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/assist/covid-19/iqmz_facemask.html


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Note that the press releases are accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.