ROUND-UP APRIL 2020
News review
A look over some of the coronavirus-related stories from across the UK
‘Unprecedented’, ‘historic’, ‘oncein
a-lifetime’. The past month has
been one of the most challenging
in the UK’s history, with the threat to public
health having a knock-on effect on people’s
freedoms and the economy. However, the
UK’s manufacturers have responded with
a combined effort in the race to produce
lifesaving equipment for frontline hospital
workers and those most at risk.
Here, we profile some of the good news
and the stories you may have missed from
the past month.
On 16 March, the government made a
formal appeal to manufacturers to assist
with the production of urgently needed
ventilators. Within 24 hours, ministers
had received ‘credible’ offers from over
60 manufacturers, including Airbus and
Vauxhall – the latter of which offered
its Ellesmere Port plant for assembly of
3D-printed parts.
Since then, ventilator manufacturing
has stepped up, with the government
awarding a contract for 10,000 ventilators
to vacuum cleaner manufacturer, Dyson.
The company had produced a prototype
in under a fortnight, although several
experts have expressed scepticism at the
practicalities of the endeavour.
Elsewhere, a group of companies, led
by Dick Elsey, CEO of the High Value
Manufacturing Catapult (who has delayed
his planned retirement to assist with the
crisis response), has combined forces
to help mass-produce ventilators. The
VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium,
which includes leading manufacturers such
as BAE Systems, Siemens and Unilever, as
well as all UK-based Formula 1 teams and
technology providers such as Microsoft
and Accenture, is accelerating ventilator
production. James Selka, managing director
of the Manufacturing Technologies
Association, which has helped develop
the supply chain for the project, said: “We
warmly welcome the fact that such a wide
ranging consortium of UK engineering
companies has, at this time of national
emergency, been able to work so quickly to
produce ventilators urgently needed for use
in our NHS. The MTA has been delighted
that our members, who supply critical
technology to manufacturers, have been so
ready to help this vital national effort.”
The Mercedes AMG Formula 1 team,
in conjunction with University College
London, developed – in under a week – a
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
(CPAP) breathing aid (main picture)
that could prevent as many as 50% of the
most severely ill patients from needing
intensive care. Mercedes AMG, along with
other Formula 1 teams, have been working
together as part of the Project Pitlane
collective to develop solutions while the
scheduled race calendar is suspended.
Other firms, including Walsall-based
PP Control & Automation, part of
the Manufacturing Assembly Network
(MAN) offered their services in other
ways. “We … believe the best way UK
industry can support them is to provide
a skilled workforce with expertise to
increase manufacturing capacity for
electro-mechanical sub-assemblies and key
elements, such as pumps, pneumatics and
vacuums,” said Tony Hague, PP Control &
Automation CEO. “The MAN Group believe
this is the easiest way to scale up and meet
demand allowing the OEMs of ventilators
to focus on the core task in hand, thus
eliminating IP and potential approval
processes applicable to medical devices.”
Additive manufacturing finds its feet
Additive manufacturing has come to the
fore during the crisis, with a number of
10 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk