Disinfecting made easy

Challenge

SIMEF needed to design an extremely easy-to-use device that was available at all times, that could be used by everyone (customers included) and that was fully automated to allow superstore carts to be disinfected thoroughly and quickly.

Customer support was a critical factor when designing the equipment. In fact, SIMEF had been working on methods for disinfecting carts as early as 2015, initially offering a solution based on liquid cleaner. But when customers retrieved a wet cart once it had passed though the machine, they did not want to touch it or continue to use it to do their shopping. Despite its many advantages, this initial version of the device failed to convince anyone to use it and it stopped being marketed. The 2020 pandemic brought the need for disinfection back to the forefront, and SIMEF teams have been working to come up with this new model.

Solution

It took just months to move from the project start-up phase (prototyping and pre-production) to rolling out the solution for the first time, which is extremely fast.

"Collaboration with Eaton has come naturally. We have a long history of purchasing switchgear products from Eaton, who later also became our customer, as we assemble switch boxes and cabinets for this brand," explains Anthony Veuillet, president of SIMEF Industrie. "Our R&D and Sales departments chose to use Eaton's easyE4 programmable logic controller, which did not require specific product development and saved time and efficiency in building our machine," he adds.

The SANITROLL disinfection solution is based on amazingly efficient technology: UV-C germicidal light which is already being used in hospitals and in the catering trade. It is capable of killing 99.9% of germs in just 25 seconds of exposure.

Using Eaton's easyE4 programmable logic controller has made it possible to design a machine in a very simple way that involves little development so as to reduce implementation costs. The SANITROLL solution can be scaled up or down: stores can choose the processing time that's right for them, from 15 seconds to 900 seconds depending on the installation. From a commercial point of view, it also adapts to the needs of the client, who are able to purchase or lease it as they so wish. There are many advantages to the easyE4, both in terms of implementing and operating the device. It has a screen that can change color depending on the status of the process. Together with the illuminated buttons from the RMQ Flat range, it has allowed a very clear system of signals to be developed: the constant green indicates that the machine is available, flashing blue indicates that disinfection is currently in progress (for safety reasons, it is forbidden to enter the equipment enclosure while UV-C rays are being emitted) and flashing green informs customers that the cart has been disinfected and is ready to use. After using a hydroalcoholic gel to disinfect their hands themselves, they can safely retrieve their cart and shop safe in the knowledge that everything has been completely sanitized. A code red is also provided in case there is an operating issue or emergency stop, allowing store personnel to respond quickly.

Basic on-board functions, such as the micro-SD card slot, allow programs to be transferred in succession and allow maintenance to be carried out, including by individuals who are not specialists in the field. If there are any issues or if the machine simply needs updating, inserting a micro-SD card allows the machine program to be reset, then restarted with the desired update if necessary.

To ensure that this equipment is able to issue high, optimal levels of doses, 246,000 test cycles have been performed continuously, which is a very intense test protocol as it represents an average year of operation, which of course varies according to the brand and their number of daily customers. The volume at which the solution is used is estimated to be between 8500 and 35,000 cycles per month depending on the store.

Results

The project has been a huge success thanks to the number of installations and incoming leads, the demand and interest generated, the number of visits to the SANITROLL website and the very positive feedback from the stores that have installed one or more of the machines. SIMEF Industrie will continue to work with Eaton to create new solutions that will expand the range of disinfection units. For several months now, variations of this technology in the form of small boxes for disinfecting toys have been tested in reception centers, schools and early years settings.

SIMEF Industrie predicts that this new pandemic-related demand will become something that store customers will continue to expect, and these customers are very positive and reassured by the guaranteed level of disinfection that SANITROLL machines provide.