Project snapshot: American Red Cross coagulant dispensing machine
Background: For numerous applications, medical practitioners such as those at the Red Cross utilize absorbent pads for applying coagulants. For example, in order to decontaminate operating room surfaces or clean blood off of patients, these pads are impregnated with coagulants and are kept sterile, lint-free, soft, and slightly abrasive.
Prior to approaching Specialty Design, the Red Cross dispensed coagulants onto absorbent pads by hand. This approach proved to be too slow and the application too inconsistent. Specialty Design was able to offer a cost-effective solution...
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Solution: We designed and built a special machine that had the following features:
- Robotic gun movement
- Pneumatic dispensing guns
- UHMW bottle tray
- Stainless/UHMW gauze tray
- PLC control
- Alumninum/Lexan guarding
The Red Cross can now produce coagulant pads in one table load at 30 second cycle times. Furthermore, coagulants are dispensed in a more uniform and consistent fashion. Not only did our special machine meet the Red Cross' firm expectations for producing a critical product, but the Red Cross informed Specialty Design that the machine has most recently been provided for military use.
