VITRINET
DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GENERATION ECO-DESIGNED DISPLAY CABINET
Fume cupboards are ventilation elements with an electronic control system that enables the ventilation of the fume cupboard to be activated for the extraction of gases that are dangerous and harmful to the user. It is a rudimentary control and limited in its functions, as the existing design for fume cupboards has remained largely unchanged for the last 15 years, ignoring the technological advantages and functionalities that have occurred over this period: improvement in materials, advances in electronic systems, improvements in the performance and precision of the manufacturing machinery, etc. The entire fume cupboard manufacturing sector follows the same line. Therefore, the development of competitive equipment that improves the working conditions of the users at these facilities is a key opportunity.
BURDINOLA is a cooperative that focuses on the development of laboratory projects, including the manufacture of its own furniture and safety equipment. BURDINOLA has led VITRINET,on which it has worked with ULMA EMBEDDED, a company specialising in electronic manufacturing and design, and the MUKA design studio.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop a new range of state-of-the-art fume cupboards marketed by BURDINOLA.
- Reduce material, manufacturing and transport costs by 40%.
- Monitor the energy consumption of the display cabinet and obtain data for subsequent analysis and proposal of energy improvements, in order to reduce the energy consumption of the display cabinet by up to 15%.
- Improve the user experience by moving from a membrane keyboard to a TFT touch screen (HMI).
- Implement remote commissioning without the need to travel to the site.
- Monitor faults and incidents remotely using IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, without having to travel to the customer's premises, and reducing support time from days to minutes.
- Improve fume cupboard safety by including new sensors.
- Improve the overall safety of the laboratory by using sensors for the remote detection of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and hazardous compounds.
- Take over as technological leaders in the fume cupboard field and transfer it to the laboratory environment by focusing on efficiency, user experience and, above all, safety.
RESULTS
- Fully developed and finished fume cupboard. It is industrially efficient and technologically advanced in terms of manufacturing, assembly, transport, commissioning and regular maintenance, and clearly improved in relation to the competition.
- Information and documentation has been obtained for the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
- 7.5% reduction in material consumption.
- 30% reduction in the assembly process thanks to the system’s remote management.
CONCLUSIONS
- VITRINET has been relevant in gaining experience in collaboration with local industrial partners, such as ULMA EMBEDDED as a technology solutions provider.
- Substantial operational improvements in productivity, manufacturability, installation and maintenance have been achieved, as well as a technologically advanced and differential product in the laboratory market.
- The eco-design applied in VITRINET has given rise to a highly efficient, profitable and differential product, which is marketed immediately after the industrialisation phase.
ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNICAL
ECONOMIC
COMMERCIAL
ON THE MARKET
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