1615: Thousands of protective masks printed at AMRC
Thousands of protective face visors to help keep Sheffield’s frontline NHS workers safe in the fight against Covid-19 are being made by a team at the University of Sheffield AMRC who are working around the clock to rapidly manufacture and assemble the essential face shields.
Engineers from the AMRC’s Design and Prototyping Group (DPG) have responded to the national call to produce more Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers by using technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting to make up to 1,000 face visors per week.
The shop floor at the AMRC’s Design and Prototyping Testing Centre has been transformed into an assembly production line and the team worked tirelessly over the Easter weekend to deliver the first batch of 934 protective face shields to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital on Easter Monday. They plan to deliver an additional 1,000 visors to the Northern General Hospital by next week.
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1530: Manufacturing body and trade unions tells government 'let us help'
The Chemical Industries Association and the trade unions who work in the UK chemical sector are united in their efforts to do all that is possible to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate the social and economic impact.
The Government needs to ensure that the workers employed in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors can get to work where they are needed for essential operations and that the industry’s raw material supplies and logistics remain intact.
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1450: JCB re-opens production line to help with PPE production
JCB and a team of volunteer employees have set up mini production lines to come to the aid of the nation’s NHS heroes in need of personal protective equipment.
Principal Electronics Engineer and father-of-two James Morley – who is normally based at JCB’s World HQ in Rocester - has converted the garage at his Derbyshire home to produce vital supplies.
Inspired by his efforts, JCB has re-opened its Innovation Centre at the World HQ so colleagues and Tooling and Moulding Engineers Joe Mumby, 22, and Joe Bagley, 25, of Ashby de-la-Zouch can also volunteer and have free use of the company’s 3D rapid prototype machines to help produce medical grade visors for NHS staff. The World HQ and JCB’s other UK manufacturing plants fell silent last month as a result of the disruption caused by the Coronavirus and the vast majority of employees furloughed.
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1115: Wearwell produces first batch of NHS scrubs
Wearwell has dispatched its first batch of scrubs to the NHS after adding a new production line to its Tamworth factory. The workwear manufacturer has produced 3,000 sets of scrubs over the last two weeks, with this vital piece of PPE going direct to doctors, nurses and healthcare workers on the front line. Another batch will go into production later this week.
Wearwell CEO Richard Wright said, “The Wearwell factory has been an absolute hive of
activity for the last few weeks and we are moving faster than we ever have. The whole team has been incredible and I’m extremely proud of everyone here and their determination to pitch in and help where ever possible. Last week, we were running two shifts and keeping the factory open until 11pm."
The NHS scrubs are one of a number of products to come off the Wearwell line designed to help frontline workers. The manufacturer is also producing PPE for other critical industries including utilities and the food sector.
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1030: Yorkshire manufacturer plays a key role in Nightingale hospital
A Knaresborough company is using its manufacturing expertise to provide vital frontline medical equipment to the five new Nightingale hospitals across England.
Wirework manufacturer Craven & Co is making and distributing 800 intravenous (IV) drip stands every day after being fast-tracked into the NHS supply chain because of its production capabilities.
Craven is also producing and distributing trolleys, shelving and other medical equipment to all five hospitals, including around 1,000 modular shelves in the last week alone. It is fulfilling all of Harrogate’s shelving and storage requirements and the majority of Birmingham’s.
