1500: Experts help Penlon increase ventilator output
Operational consultancy Newton Europe and product data management (PDM) specialists Quick Release have joined forces to support the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium in the national response to COVID-19. Their combined expertise in operational excellence, supply chain mobilisation and transformation programme management have played a pivotal role in rapidly increasing production of Penlon’s ESO2 device – the first emergency ventilator to reach UK hospitals.
Based in Oxfordshire, the Penlon group achieved approval from the UK’s healthcare regulator for its ESO2 device, adapted from existing anaesthesia products, last month. Penlon has since received a formal order from the Government for 15,000 machines.
Penlon and another specialist manufacturer Smiths are usually able to produce between 50-60 ventilators per week. However, thanks to the scale and resources of the wider consortium, the companies are targeting a combined output of at least 1,500 units a week.
This significant ramp-up in production has been made possible by combining specialist product knowledge and engineering skill with the physical assets and human resources of large companies such as Ford, Airbus and DHL.
Newton and Quick Releases’ responsibility can be broadly split into two areas. The first phase looked at identifying the fastest route to regulatory sign-off and then driving urgency behind the critical tasks. The consultancies then shifted their focus to look at unblocking the rate-limiting parts or processes needed for high-volume manufacture – smoothing the way for factories across the country to build ventilators at pace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0900: Black Country firm helps protects dentists
A Black Country company has adapted its operations to come to the aid of a number of West Midlands dental practices during the Coronavirus epidemic.
Zero Point 8, based in Netherton, near Dudley, have fitted out reception areas in ten Bhandal dental practices with acrylic protection screens.
The screens – designed, manufactured and installed from the company’s factory – are there to protect the public using the practices and the staff who work there. Each screen has been tailor-made for the individual reception areas, providing a wider security element as well as helping fight the virus.
“We’re proud to be working with the healthcare sector," said Mark Baker, CEO of Zero Point 8. "As well as screens, we’re able to provide hand sanitiser stations, NHS and private hospital isolation units, pods and much more.
“The requirement from Bhandals was very specific and the turnaround very quick, but we had the supply chain contacts, knowledge and experience to be sure we could turn it around quickly. We went to ten sites so far, measured, quoted, fabricated the acrylic, manufactured the screens and fitted them – all within seven days.”
