www.machineryclassi ed.co.uk
briefs Protolabs in Covid-19 kit effort
briefs
3D-printed parts for the
Charlotte valve project
Protolabs, a digital manufacturer of
prototypes and low-volume
production parts, is using its 3D
printing, CNC machining and injection
moulding expertise to support the
frontline ght against Covid-19.
The company employs over 450
people at its European headquarters
in Telford and has played a key role
in supporting Italian engineers in the
conversion of ‘Easybreath’ snorkelling
equipment into ventilator masks.
3D-printed ‘Charlotte’ valves are
being rapidly produced and shipped
direct to its customer, Isinnova, which
is producing kits that can be used to
create a non-invasive ventilator mask
that will help save lives.
Protolabs is also working with a
highly multiplexed molecular
diagnostics specialist to produce a
series of plastic cassettes that will
help house a critical medical solution
used in testing for Covid-19.
AusDiagnostics asked Protolabs if
it could injection-mould 500 sample
parts, a challenge that was picked up
by the Shropshire-based on-demand
manufacturer. Parts will be shipped
by April 9.
Says Bjoern Klaas, vice president
and managing director of Protolabs
Europe. “The ‘Charlotte’ valve in Italy
is already having a really positive
impact on the challenge faced by
medical staff and the wider society,
whilst our latest involvement with
AusDiagnostics is crucial in the
national ramp-up of testing for the
virus.”
Citizen Machinery UK supports
medical equipment parts' makers
Citizen Machinery UK managing
director Edward James has seen his
social media post of 16 March
highlighting normal working at the
company, in accordance with
government advice, hit home with
one of the company’s 4,000 LinkedIn
followers responding and ordering
two Cincom sliding-head machines.
Others have followed in similar vein.
An existing Citizen user in the
West Country that has ve Cincom
sliding-head bar autos in operation
dating back to 1999, it responded at
lunchtime the following day. A
medical equipment OEM was asking
it to increase fourfold its capacity to
produce critical ventilator
components.
The subcontractor ordered two
additional Cincom machines for
urgent delivery. The rst, a 32 mm
capacity L32-XLFV, was installed two
days later on Thursday, 19 March.
Citizen's engineers worked around
the clock to commission the
machine, so that it could start
making the ventilator parts. The
second machine, a 20 mm bar
capacity Cincom L20-VIIILFV, was
installed the following Friday, 27
March. Within another 14 days, four
more customers ordered ve
machines for medical work.
Steel sector calls for support
The steel industry says it is
committed to supporting the
national effort to tackle
coronavirus. Whether that is
adapting production lines to
provide necessary components
for hospital equipment,
prioritising supply of specialist
materials, or providing skilled
workers for the manufacture of
vital equipment. But it adds a
stark warning. “In the absence of
further major government
interventions, a prolonged
shutdown of the UK economy will
quickly become terminal for the
steel industry, leaving tens of
thousands of workers without a
job to support their families.
Critically, primary steel production
sites do not have the exibility to
simply ‘switch off’ production
without major long-term
consequences,” reads a press
release issued by UK Steel.
The organisation says it
welcomes the measures already
announced by the Chancellor, but
adds: “We need details and more
action over the coming days to
ensure that our workers are
supported and that they will have
a business to come back to once
this crisis is over. Our message is
clear – nothing should be off the
table at this time.” Key
recommendations are: introduce
a ‘short-time working’ scheme, to
nancially support workers if
companies need to reduce hours
and production; immediate
provision of liquidity to
businesses, in the form of loans
or grants to cover operational and
necessary capital costs. Usual
state-aid restrictions must be
relaxed here; and reduction of
operational costs for businesses
by suspension or deferment of
key costs such as PAYE, NI,
Business Rates, EU ETS, and
other non-safety critical regulatory
costs.
Oil & gas faces tough test
Oil and gas sector representative
OGUK has issued a stark warning
about the sector’s situation and
prospects.
The combination of the global
economic impact of the
continued spread of the
coronavirus, the most dramatic
fall in oil price in almost 30 years
and a halving of gas prices is
driving an increasingly fragile
outlook for the UK’s offshore oil
and gas sector, the organisation
underlines. Severe pressures are
already building across the
sector’s supply chain and
signi cantly undermining its
businesses, jobs and contribution
to the economy expected.
OGUK’s ‘Business Outlook:
Markets and Investment’ report
expects drilling levels to fall back
to the lows experienced in 2016,
down more than a third on
previous forecasts. The report
also warns of a possible 20-30%
decrease in capital investment for
2020, as well as the potential
that the operators in the sector
will experience negative cash ow
this year.
While the industry was only
beginning to emerge from one of
the most prolonged and severe
downturns in its’ history, OGUK
says the supply chain had
remained under signi cant
pressure, with tight margins and
relatively low activity levels.
The organisation has called
for government support to ensure
the sector can continue to
provide security of supply in the
face of these extraordinary
dif culties. The body also said it
was working with industry,
regulators and government to
understand how it can protect
supply chain companies and
jobs. Innovative thinking,
partnerships and meaningful
collaboration will be required in
weathering the storm, it added.
8 April 2020, issue 1 - Machinery Classifi ed
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