Production is ten times faster – while quality has improved. With a new ABB robot, the company TIKI Safety is equipped to meet the record demand for respiratory protection in healthcare.

It's been a busy day at TIKI Safety in Bro, outside Stockholm. Demand for the company's respiratory protection has skyrocketed both in Sweden and globally. To meet the high demand, production needed to be streamlined, and the solution was an ABB robot.

“ABB understood our situation when the pandemic hit. They used their expertise and within a few weeks the new robot was in place. All software was installed and tested using ABB’s RobotStudio, a robot programming and simulation software.

Thanks to the ABB robot, we now have a cycle time that is ten times faster. This means we can deliver our orders and help hospitals in Sweden and around the world get the products as quickly as possible, says Mikael Klockseth, CEO of TIKI Safety.

TIKI is one of the most advanced and easy-to-use respirators on the market and consists of a unique positive pressure mask with a small fan at the top. To enable TIKI Safety to increase production, the company 3Button Group, together with ABB, developed a tailor-made solution: a new production cell where an ABB robot, model IRB 2600, picks masks in and out of a machine that forms the sealing rubber that sits around the respirator.

The part of the manufacturing process that was modernized previously took six minutes. Now it takes a maximum of 40 seconds. And it will be even faster.

“In a few weeks we hope to be down to 20 seconds per unit. In addition, no special skills are required to work with the new line, and less manual work than before results in better product quality,” says Mikael Klockseth.

Facts about TIKI respiratory protection

TIKI has been developed in Sweden for use in demanding environments with high demands on protection against airborne particles and bacteria. The respirator is reusable, has a self-regulating fan and is powered by batteries. The mask measures the strength of each breath in real time and supplies the air and pressure that the user needs. A significant advantage of this mask, which is unique to the TIKI design, is that it provides excellent visibility and good freedom of movement, as the filter and fan are located at the top of the mask instead of on a belt around the user's waist. Manufacturing takes place in TIKI Safety's factory in Bro, north of Stockholm.

TM3P classification

The TIKI respirator has a TM3P classification and meets the WHO (World Health Organization) requirements for protection class FFP3 or higher by a good margin. The respirator must filter at least 99.95 percent of particles of 0.3 µm to meet the requirements for TM3P classification. TIK was developed as protection against coronavirus, but also protects against other viruses, mold, bacteria, dust, smoke particles, asbestos, etc.

For more information about TIKI Safety AB, please contact:

info@tikisafety.com, phone +46 8 35 32 49, tikisafety.com