Enabling Economic Recovery During COVID-19 by Developing a Customized and Flexible Automated Bottling System for Hand Sanitizer

位于不列颠哥伦比亚省柯特奈的任性酿酒厂是加拿大众多酒精蒸馏厂中的一家，这些蒸馏厂在新冠肺炎危机期间转移了业务，以满足洗手液生产的需求。最近几周，需求呈指数级增长，生产洗手液现在是酿酒厂的主要活动。 虽然芒果已经能够扩大洗手液的生产规模，但鉴于目前的设备和专业知识，以及全球对购买类似生产设备的需求，生产过程中的灌装和包装部件的规模更具挑战性。 与北岛学院工业自动化项目的合作将为任性提供专业知识以及教职员工和学生研究助理的支持，以开发一条定制的灌装生产线，满足目前产量增加的需求，并使该生产线能够在以后重新调整用途，以满足生产优质白酒的常规运营需求。 随着加拿大人考虑如何以安全的方式重返工作岗位，清洁和卫生制度将成为重返工作岗位议定书的重要内容。该项目将直接有助于加拿大人的安全，因为我们进入了大流行的长期活跃期。

Wayward Distillery in Courtenay, BC, is one of the many alcohol distillers across Canada who have pivoted operations to serve the demand for hand sanitizer production during the COVID-19 crisis. In recent weeks, the growth in demand has been exponential and the production of hand sanitizer is now the primary activity of the distillery. While Wayward has been able to scale up the production of hand sanitizer, the filling and packaging components of the production process are more challenging to scale, given current equipment and expertise, and the global demand to purchase similar production equipment. A partnership with North Island College's Industrial Automation program will provide Wayward with expertise and the support of faculty and student research assistants to develop a customized bottling line that will meet the needs of the current increase in production and will also enable the line to be re-purposed at a later date to serve the regular operational needs of producing quality spirits. As Canadians consider how to return to work in a safe way, cleaning and sanitation regimes will be an important element of return-to-work protocols. This project will contribute directly to the safety of Canadians as we enter a prolonged period of pandemic living.