the wider supply chain
surfaced on social media
platforms, predominantly
LinkedIn.LinkedIn
In amongst the more usual
company promotional messages, postings about
collaboration plus celebration of effort and
success broke through in volume. Industry was
keen, indeed happy, to put its shoulder to the
wheel and make common cause with, and give
support to, peers via LinkedIn posts.
In this article, Machinery draws heavily on that
medium to shine a light on the many companies
putting in literally life-saving effort. Those eeting
glimpses of action in short-lived social media
posts are captured here as a more permanent
record of what was a historic, once-in-a-lifetime,
and hopefully once-in-a-century, collective
response to a grave national challenge.
This snapshot of manufacturing activity at
OEMs, component makers and manufacturing
technology makers and suppliers covers a period
of four weeks up to the Easter break of 10, 11,
12, 13 April, with a small adendum of post-Easter
news. It captures both the growing effort and the
changing concerns as, rst, there’s a national call
to action, then top-level OEM groups established,
product designs nessed, component suppliers
sought, who in turn need cutting tools,
workholding, machines and material. And there
are the individual efforts, too. Those using 3D
printers at home, for example. It is a
collective national effort not seen
since World War II. It isn’t the whole
story, but it shows the frenetic activity
that was ongoing leading up to what
was seen as a critical point. Links to the
original posts and website articles are given.
Apologies to the many companies that played
their part but who are not mentioned here. Also,
while these news snippets are grouped by week,
there is the potential for spill-over between weeks,
as posts and stories are not necessarily concurrent
with action.
Week beginning Monday, 16 March
Start of 'work from home, if you can' – PM Boris
Johnson: “We need people to start working from
home where they possibly can. And you should
avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social
venues.” www.is.gd/gu we
Government calls on manufacturers to help
produce more ventilators. The number available to
the NHS stood at 5,900, a gure of 30,000 is
widely reported as ordered/required. BEIS asks
prospective companies to log their interest in
helping via a website. www.is.gd/nehesa
“More than 60 manufacturers have been sent a
blueprint for making up to 20,000 ventilators to
treat coronavirus patients,” reports The Guardian.
www.is.gd/ecihod
Home appliance maker GTech develops a
ventilator after company owner Nick Grey was
contacted by Gareth Rhys Williams, government
chief commercial of cer, in the early hours of
Sunday, 15 March. www.is.gd/zixoko (video:
www.is.gd/efeyat)
Citizen Machinery UK managing director Edward
James highlights normal working, in accordance
with government advice (www.is.gd/mevoti), adds
stock machines available to those making
“ventilators, respirators, PPE or any other items
which are in high demand”. www.is.gd/paguji
Ward CNC says: “We are putting procedures
in place to ensure that we are able to retain the
high standard of service and customer support
that you would expect from us.”
www.is.gd/ugoquk
EDM Zone says it has already received requests
for components and tooling relating to the Covid-
19 ght. www.is.gd/pesawa
Mills CNC reveals Covid-19 working parameters
for the company and visitors (in later statement of
2 April says majority of services continue as
normal). www.is.gd/majafo
Week beginning Monday, 23 March
Boris Johnson: “From this evening
Monday, 23 March I must give the
British people a very simple
instruction – you must stay at home.”
‘Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives’
period starts. www.is.gd/epuyun
Cutting tool expert Ceratizit UK & Ireland makes
six-point offer to makers of ventilators or other
medical equipment. www.is.gd/vuguyi
DMG Mori temporarily shuts down its European
production plants and selected sales, plus service
companies. www.is.gd/liruku
Composites and advanced materials precision
slitting company Bindatex, 3D-printing technology
specialist Stratasys and automated
communications specialist ANT Telecom are
among the latest companies to join the ght
against the Covid-19 pandemic, with medical
parts manufacture and personnel, lone-worker
monitoring solutions. www.is.gd/resabi
Autodesk offers free and extended access to
cloud collaboration products. www.is.gd/ixixek
Europa Tool offers free tooling to those engaged
in the effort to produce NHS medical ventilators.
www.is.gd/agiwoj
Carfulan Group makes its multi-sensor
metrology, 3D-printing and optical measurement
technology available for subcontracting work to
help ease the pressure heaped on UK
manufacturers. www.is.gd/gojonu
For more information: Titanium Machining
to Perfection MonsterMill TCR – ensuring
service life and process reliability
cutting.tools/en/monstermill-tcr
Strip Adverts UK_197x30mm.indd 4 24.04.2020 11:09:15
8 May/June 2020 | www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets
Andrew Parsons/No.10 Downing Street (Flickr – www.is.gd/iturug)
COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC THE ENGINEERING RESPONSE
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/nehesa
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