It has been 10 years now since American investors from 3M bought the Viscoplast medical dressing plant in Wroclaw. The site in Kowale is now turning out ultramodern products for medical services but not only. "The 3M product range encompasses over 55 thousand different items, only 10 thousand of which are available in Poland," says 3M Wroclaw Technical Director Krzysztof Łebek, PhD.
A typical man in the street comes across 3M products more than 17 times a day. The scope of their operations is incredibly wide. On the one hand, they offer solutions for healthcare, e.g. toot fillings or modern Tegaderm™ medical dressings. On the other, they also develop solutions for industry or digital products, e.g. Cubitron II abrasive materials, specialist glues and industry tapes, optical fibre cables and other products used by aviation giants such as Boeing or Airbus.
The 3M Innovation Centre is a must to all people passionate about modern technology, chemistry, physics, biology and biotechnology. The centre showcases solutions which harness scientific innovation to the needs of everyday life.
The first stand is enough to catch our eye. Krzysztof Łebek throws his phone into a container with transparent liquid. You can see that the phone is working even though it is completely immersed. If you take it out of the container, it dries in a second. Likewise, an immersed banknote sustains no damage and dries immediately after leaving the container. "This is how Novec™ works, an innovative fire extinguishing material developed to save valuable collections or machinery in libraries, server rooms or air traffic control towers. Novec™ extinguishes fire without inflicting damage to valuable objects or furnishings," explains Emilia Demczur, Centre for Innovation Coordinator.
Other stands are even more intriguing. Tapes and glues that can hold steel beams together. A stethoscope that communicates data to the computer. Foils to protect lower parts of the chassis. Materials that insulate the inside of the car against the noise and vibrations from the engine. Plastic capsules with special sensors to be buried underground during road works later send a signal to inform about the installation grid work in particular locations. An apron with a watertight pocket to be worn by patients while in surgery reduces the infection hazard and helps to collect waste. The Wroclaw 3M Innovation Centre holds thousands of ergonomic and useful objects.
Krzysztof Łebek, PhD, explains that new products can be developed in two different ways. "The first procedure is as follows. For example, you have an enquiry from an automotive company. They want to reduce noise inside their vehicles. We have 46 different technology platforms at the company (e.g. foils, fluoropolymers, ceramics, acoustic materials, micro replication materials, nanotechnology, fibres) with ready-made solutions for a number of industries. We can use all of them to reduce noise inside the car.. Our local lab personnel (30 people) can also develop customised solutions here in Wroclaw. The second procedure is a slightly different one. We have 36 different Research Centres all over the world. Our scientists are constantly striving to find new solutions and products. But they don't have to focus on particular clients. Once they have formulated a new idea, they transfer relevant information to engineering, sales and marketing units to develop the best applications available. Our ideas are often ahead of the potential and know-how of the local markets, which means you have to either wait or seek new solutions. However, our research is now for research's sake. Our products have to be useful. Our chief slogan at 3M is Science. Applied to Life.™" says Krzysztof Łebek.
The 3M Innovation Centre is open to the public during the Long Night of the Labs on 10 October. You have to register to take part in the event. A detailed programme and a registration form are available at www.noclaboratoriow.pl.
