The FZU together with ten Czech companies is launching a serial production of protective masks

Next week, CARDAM - a daughter company of the FZU, and Beneš a Lát a.s., and České zbrojovky a.s. are going to launch a serial production of RP95-M semi-mask intended for a higher-protection class. Its design is based on an original model developed by the Czech Technical University (ČVUT). As compared to the provisional production using 3D printing method, the manufacture of key parts will be complete in several seconds instead of several dozens of minutes. At the same time, the mask will improve in quality and will be less expensive.

One of the first batches of the scheduled weekly 50 000-piece production will be shipped to the institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, where samples are tested for the presence of the coronavirus. The production of the batches is coordinated by CARDAM, s.r.o., a daughter company of the FZU, and by Beneš and Lát, a.s. and České zbrojovky a.s. “The design of the mask makes it possible to use replaceable filters, including P3 R filters which provide a higher protection class than the FFP3 masks,” explains Michael Prouza, the Director of the Institute of Physics – where a special chamber for testing the tightness of the mask has been developed.

To start the serial production using injection moulding machines, it was necessary to adapt the design of the mask prototype developed by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics of the Czech Technical University (ČVUT). On a basis of an exclusive licence provided by the ČVUT TRIX Connections s.r.o., a modified RP95-M was created, whose serial production model was co-developed and co-designed by CARDAM, s.r.o., and Beneš a Lát, a.s.

Interplay between academia and industry

The cooperation between scientists and production companies in innovating the prototype and in launching the serial production was based on the lessons learned from the past projects by the MATCA National Competence Centre as well as on personal commitment of numerous individuals. “It was an example of a well-orchestrated interplay between academia and industry,” says Miloslav Klinger from the FZU, and Jan Lát, from Beneš a Lát, a.s., adds: “For instance, to maximise the mould production rate, the manufacture process was divided between six tool shops that were working in parallel on ten protective mask moulds.”

The key safety feature of the mask is tightness. “Each mask will be tested under conditions that are many times more demanding than in normal operation. We aim to provide workers at the front line with the highest quality masks,” explains Tomáš Jetmar, a head of a team responsible for developing a testing apparatus devised directly by the FZU.

Higher quality, lower price, longer durability

The costs associated with the use the mask are significantly lower even in comparison with the FFP2 respirators, which provide a significantly lower level of protection. “The costs of the monthly operation are ten times lower than those of any other commonly available respirator,” says Ondřej Kurkin, Director of CARDAM, s.r.o.

Due to its durable materials, the mask may be re-sterilized, with its life cycle set for a minimum of 100 sterilisation cycles by autoclaving, and an unlimited number of disinfection cycles. The combined particle P3 R filter corresponds to the highest protection level, and for clean hospital environments, a life cycle of one week of continuous operation has been declared by the manufacturer (AVEC CHEM, s.r.o.). Apart from that, the FZU and SIGMA Research and Development Institute, s.r.o. are developing a filter disinfection method to extend the life cycle of the filter.

The FZU also coordinates the distribution of 1200 protective masks to be delivered to the scientist of the biological and chemical institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences participating in testing and other activities in the fight against covid-19. Below please find a list of companies that have jointly cooperated on the preparation of the serial production:

 JAN SVOBODA s.r.o.

 Šonka servis s.r.o. (Černošice)

 Jiří Češka. Nástrojárna Příbram (Příbram)

 FORMEX Koh-I-Noor machinery s.r.o. (Brno)

 Staform UH s.r.o. (Uherský Brod)

 KONFORM PLASTIC s.r.o. (Zlín)

 Peartec s.r.o. (Plzeň)

 Libeos s.r.o. (Liberec)

 TD-IS, s.r.o. (Plzeň)

 JSW Machines s.r.o. (Brno)

Prague, 17th April 2020

Photo: Beneš a Lát, a. s.