A Mobile Unit is created based on the concept of a mobile service or activity provided by a company, organization, or government agency. Adapted and converted from vehicles (trucks, buses, cargo vans, minivans, trailers, etc.), mobile units can serve a variety of purposes: Mobile Health Unit, Mobile Showroom, Mobile Office, Mobile Workshop, Mobile School, Mobile Public Safety Unit, and so on.
Let's learn how the process of manufacturing mobile units works from an expert in the field. The company is Eco X Vehicle Adaptations and Conversions into Mobile Units.
To begin with, Eco X seeks to understand the client’s specialty for the mobile unit, how patient care will be provided for each specialty, and how many examination rooms will be included in the unit—in the case of a mobile health unit, for example.
Next, the manufacturer works to recommend and present a complete solution. In the case of a Mobile Health Unit Bus, for example, the complete solution will specify the types of chassis and body, the terrain conditions at the site of operation, and which equipment will be installed—such as a mammography machine, X-ray machine, or other more sensitive equipment.
Once the complete solution has been defined, the manufacturer begins working on the modular layout of the mobile unit. In the case of a mobile unit for women’s health, it will be equipped with a mammography machine, medical equipment, and all the necessary support for gynecological care, a full bathroom, and other specialties required for its operation.
Local governments can speed up their operations and even reduce costs with mobile units. The Eco X Mobile Units, for example, are helping to eliminate waiting lists for medical exams and appointments across the country, in both the public and private healthcare sectors.
The company operates countless mobile units providing medical and dental care through initiatives, projects, and services throughout Brazil. The Mobile Van Unit for Clinical Care for State and Local Governments, for example, can provide 660 mobile medical consultations per month across various clinical specialties and a wide range of tests (blood tests, X-rays, electrocardiograms, and others).
The Van Eco X Mobile Units are fully equipped to provide medical care and perform tests right in the vehicle, just as if the patient were in a hospital or clinic. To give you an idea, these vehicles are equipped with devices such as blood pressure monitors, ECGs (electrocardiograms), EEGs (electroencephalograms), ophthalmoscopes, and more, as well as waiting and examination rooms, a retractable awning, restrooms with sinks, and other amenities.
One of Eco X’s major healthcare initiatives is the CT Scan Unit for Combating the Coronavirus. With a capacity of up to 1,200 patients per month, these mobile units—converted from shipping containers—are equipped with modern, state-of-the-art CT scanners and all the necessary equipment for emergency care, as well as fixed modular rooms with metal frameworks; they also serve as transportable modules attached to field hospitals.
Eco X also converted a van into a Mobile Dental Unit (UOM). It is a Transbox leased in Frutal, in the interior of São Paulo, as part of a project for a mobile dental care unit run by BOMPAR—the Nossa Senhora do Bom Parto Social Center—in collaboration with the municipality and the SUS. It is a fully equipped mobile dental office featuring thermal and acoustic insulation; LED lighting; piped water supply; cabinets; sinks with swing-top trash cans; toothbrushing stations; a 32-inch TV with a DVD player; a side awning; and other equipment for mobile care.
Eco X’s Mobile Mammography Unit, used for exams and diagnostics in its traveling health programs, features a lead-shielded mammography room; a lateral projection room; air conditioning; 220V and 380V external power connections; thermal insulation; and more.
Another women’s health care vehicle created by Eco X is the mobile gynecological unit. Built on the basis of a box truck modified to perform gynecological exams, this fully-fledged health clinic features hospital-grade equipment and infrastructure specifically designed for this purpose, as well as fiberglass paneling, custom-built furniture, and other equipment.
Eco X also developed a Mobile Ophthalmology Van for the city of Saquarema, in Rio de Janeiro, with the capacity to provide approximately 600 consultations per month, in addition to offering information and education to the public through campaigns and the distribution of brochures and informational materials. Converted and adapted from a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, this true medical clinic on wheels is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for mobile healthcare services, including a PRK-8000 Auto Refractor, an ophthalmoscope, a slit lamp, a retinoscope, a pachymeter, an air tonometer, and a visual field tester, among other devices.
For municipalities, Mobile Units primarily provide health care through traveling campaigns. These are vehicles adapted for primary health care by municipal governments: buses, trucks, vans, trailers, and others, offering services in general medicine, gynecology, dentistry, ophthalmology, vaccinations, and other specialties.
Converting vehicles into mobile units for municipal health care is a challenging task, but one that can be accomplished through a multifaceted approach. Eco X is one of the market leaders when it comes to mobile units for medical, dental, and occupational health care.
Developed by Eco X, the so-called UOM (Mobile Dental Unit) and USM (Mobile Health Unit) were adapted and converted from a Renault Master van. The Mobile Dental Unit is fully equipped with all the necessary equipment and resources for this type of care: a dental chair, lighting, sinks, faucets, a work surface, and cabinets, as well as a retractable awning, air conditioning, a compressor, and more.
In addition to workbenches, cabinets, sinks, and faucets, the Mobile Health Unit is equipped with a stretcher, a prescription desk, a blood-drawing chair, and everything else needed for medical and clinical care. The mobile unit also features an air conditioning system and a retractable awning.
Through the Mobile Dental Care Unit, for example, it is possible to provide the same high-quality care offered in a dental office to people living in remote or hard-to-reach areas. With this mobile unit, it is possible to perform basic treatments such as cleanings, extractions, fillings, and more.
The Mobile Health Unit is an option for providing care to patients with chronic conditions or those who require regular medical follow-up. The use of the Mobile Health Van has proven to be highly effective in promoting access to healthcare in more remote regions, such as rural areas. In other words, residents of remote locations will no longer need to travel kilometers to receive care at fixed facilities (health centers, clinics, hospitals).
There are two models for contracting mobile units. Municipal governments have the option to purchase or lease mobile units for their health and other projects.
The municipality can raise funds through a legislative amendment or bank financing to purchase mobile units. For leasing, however, it is only necessary to have a budget plan.
One of the main advantages of renting mobile healthcare units is the cost, particularly for seasonal or short-term primary care campaigns and initiatives, for example. Or even to test a business model and assess the feasibility of implementing it.
In addition, renting mobile units makes it possible to take immediate action with a very small investment. Examples include social projects or even immediate measures to reduce the workload at UPAs (Emergency Care Units).
Eco X’s lease agreements for mobile healthcare units and other applications range from 6 months to 3 years and up to 5 years. They include all preventive and corrective maintenance for the vehicles and onboard equipment, as well as after-sales service with local technical support to ensure the effective use of the mobile unit.
The acquisition of a mobile health unit also offers numerous advantages. In this case, the focus is on meeting medium- to long-term needs by helping the public sector reduce waiting lists.
Purchasing a Mobile Health Unit makes it possible to expand your business—especially by creating a new mobile healthcare service for your brand or company, allowing you to offer services year-round, in any location, and even at your client’s business.
In addition to opening new customer service and sales channels, a company’s own mobile health unit generates brand investment through the visibility of its product or service displayed on the unit’s exterior. Not to mention the resale value of these mobile units.
Yes, in this case, Eco X can provide the designs and technical specifications for the mobile units delivered to other municipalities. These are safe designs involving highly complex engineering that comply with current legislation and applicable standards.
The platforms with the greatest visibility are the mobile units built on semi-trailers and larger structures. However, what determines the type of chassis (platform) is the operation and the terrain the mobile unit must navigate.
Eco X, for example, offers solutions for all needs and terrains. To that end, we have developed the Off-Road Mobile Health Unit.
Converted and adapted from a new bus and equipped to handle all types of terrain, this Mobile Health Unit stands out for its high-ride suspension, differential lock, innovative air intake system, and reinforced powertrain.
A true mobile medical and dental clinic, designed to bring healthcare to hard-to-reach rural areas, on off-road terrain with mud, rocks, dirt, and in the rain, among other conditions.
The Off-Road Mobile Unit has virtually the same infrastructure and equipment as an outpatient clinic or medical office and has the capacity to handle up to 1,320 patient visits per month. Among its features are a stretcher, a prescription desk, a blood-drawing chair, a workbench, cabinets, lighting, sinks, and faucets, etc.
The converted bus can accommodate a crew of up to six, offering excellent comfort during trips, and features an elevator for accessibility. It also has an air-conditioned interior reception area, strategically placed lighting, a modern, computerized environment with Wi-Fi, a 220V external power supply, hydraulic access points, a retractable awning with automatic opening, floodlights, and more.
Eco X has numerous examples of city governments that are already successfully using these mobile units. Take, for example, the municipalities of Buritizeiro and Santa Rita da Paraíba.
Buriti Palm – For the Buritizeiro municipal government, we developed a mobile unit project based on a Rural bus platform. This vehicle is designed to reach hard-to-access locations and serve the municipality’s rural areas—in other words, precisely those who most need medical care to come to them.
Also worth noting is the mobile unit developed for the city of Santa Rita da Paraíba, a municipality neighboring the capital, João Pessoa. Converted and adapted from a trailer with independent suspension, it features four treatment rooms, all of which are wheelchair-accessible and equipped with accessible restrooms.
This mobile unit is also equipped with a modern air-renewal system. All of this is designed to ensure the quality of care and safety of the people it serves, as well as the professionals working in the unit.
Other Eco X success stories in the public sector include mobile tourist assistance units. The well-known Mobile CATs (Tourist Assistance Centers) in mobile tourism units have been used successfully for some time in the country’s major tourist capitals.
Eco X is one of the manufacturers of the Mobile Tourist Assistance Unit. In Maceió, for example, the company converted and adapted a Renault Master van into the CAT Móvel to assist tourists in the region—a mobile unit made possible through a funding agreement with the Ministry of Tourism.
In Cuiabá, two Fiat Ducato vans were converted into mobile tourism units for the local CAT Móvel program; both are equipped with computers, internet access, air conditioning, and space for providing on-the-go services to tourists.
Another Eco X Mobile CAT in Recife is a minibus-style mobile unit. The Mobile Tourist Assistance Unit provided by the Department of Tourism and Leisure of the capital of Pernambuco stands out for its accessibility, featuring a lift platform for wheelchair users; a service area with tables and chairs; a lounge with an armchair and a television; shelves displaying handicrafts; a kitchenette; a restroom; and air conditioning.
CAT Móvel was created as part of a federal government program. The Tourist Assistance Centers are located throughout all major tourist cities, such as Manaus, Salvador, Maceió, Cuiabá, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Fortaleza, Vitória, and others.
Mobile CATs are installed in vehicles (trucks, buses, minibuses, vans, and cargo vans) that have been converted or adapted by companies such as Eco X, which supplement the services provided at fixed locations—such as container-based facilities or service counters at bus stations and airports.
A company that converts and customizes mobile units must offer a comprehensive range of services to meet the demanding requirements of municipal government bids. This is the case with Eco X, one of the leading manufacturers of mobile units on the market.
Let's take a look at the five qualities of a reliable mobile unit manufacturer—all of which Eco X Adaptações e Transformações meets.
1 – CUSTOMIZATION. “A mobile unit conversion company must be able to understand and meet the unique and specific needs of its customers by offering a wide variety of customization options: from interior layout to material selection.”
– Eco X converts and customizes vehicles (vans, trucks, buses, trailers, containers, etc.) into mobile health units, public safety units, showrooms, mobile service offices, and much more.
2 – QUALITY. “The quality of the materials used in the conversion of mobile units can significantly affect their functionality, service life, appearance, and durability, as well as the work of specialized professionals.”
– Eco X has a 10,000 m² industrial park with more than 85 direct employees, a production capacity of 240 units per year, and state-of-the-art technologies, such as a modern laboratory for prototyping mobile units.
3 – DELIVERY. “The manufacturing and customization company must have an efficient production management system to deliver high-quality mobile units on time.”
– Eco X isn’t just a manufacturer of mobile units; it’s a provider of complete mobile solutions—that is, from the initial idea to the perfect final solution for the application!
4 – CUSTOMER SUPPORT. “Customer support should be a priority for any company that manufactures mobile units.”
– Eco X customers receive support from the planning phase through project completion and throughout the mobile unit’s service life, should the customer require technical assistance.
5 – CUSTOMERS. “The mobile unit conversion company has a solid customer base.”
– Eco X has a broad portfolio of satisfied and successfully served clients: Caio, Comil, Volkswagen Man, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Volvo, Santander, JSL, Souza Cruz, TAM, Azul, Manupa, and many others.
*Please keep in mind that, although this guide is comprehensive and informative, it does not exempt you from or replace the need to follow the recommendations of the certified company.
Each piece of equipment is unique and requires individualized attention.