The MTC was established in 2010 as an independent Research & Technology Organisation (RTO). Its primary focus is to ensure that great ideas become reality by bridging the gap between academia and industry.
It represents one of the largest public sector investments in UK manufacturing and exists to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.
About the role in the CO-VERSATLE project:
MTC’s role in the project will be to develop a technology demonstrator to show how an automated robotic manufacturing cell can be rapidly reconfigured to meet changing needs (such as pandemic related crises). Utilising work already undertaken by MTC in robotics and automation, the demonstrator will show how these innovative technologies can be integrated together to provide a rapidly reconfigurable system. The demonstrator will be based around MTC’s existing Small Component Assembly LooP (SCALP) cell. The system will be developed to show how rapid changeovers can be achieved. Using key examples from MTC’s recent work in response to COVID-19 (ventilator production design and ramp-up, CPAP machine production ramp-up, Aerosol Generating Protective Intubation Shield design & manufacture and face coverings production), the system will be developed to enable rapid change over between production activities with the ambition of a 48-hour changeover time.