over the past month renishaw has
manufactured 115,00 precision machined ventilator
components Marc Saunders, Renishaw
rapid
response
Protolabs’
ability to deliver
parts quickly
has seen it play
an important
role in a number
of projects
relating to the
pandemic.
23 June 2020 / www.theengineer.co.uk
above and beyond to deliver critical
parts, often ahead of schedule.
We have worked on a number of
projects relating to the pandemic, but
some of the most high-profile ones that
have hit the headlines include:
• 3D printing of ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Dave’
valves to convert snorkelling
equipment into ventilator mask for
emergency use in Italian hospitals
• Injection moulding of parts for a CPAP
system for Covid-19 patients, designed
by Mercedes-AMG High Performance
Powertrains and University College
London
• Injection moulding of cassettes for
Covid-19 testing kits, designed by
AusDiagnostics
What are the key challenges that you
have faced and how did you overcome
these?
BW: We knew we needed to be flexible
and respond to changing conditions
quickly during these unprecedented
times. In the design phase, it was
vital to work closely with healthcare
professionals to get their direct
feedback, so improvements could be
made to the design before production.
The visors were designed to meet
the specifications given by healthcare
professionals and adapted for
manufacture via 3D printing. Using
this method, Jaguar Land Rover’s
ambition was to produce 1,300 visors
per week at its Gaydon-based Additive
Manufacturing Centre. Through
collaboration with local companies
such as Matsuura UK in Coalville, this
amount grew to 5,000 visors each week
which could be distributed to NHS
Trusts across the country.
Additive Manufacturing is best
suited to small complex parts that
can be made efficiently and costeffectively
without designing additional
tooling. However, when extremely
high quantities of the same simple
part are required then traditional
manufacturing methods become more
suitable.
MS: Working with government, VCUK
quickly settled on the two devices
that would meet the NHS’s clinical
specification and made our plans to
ramp up production, establishing a
new, parallel supply chain for each. We
have had to achieve all this whilst also
implementing safe working practices
within both new and existing factories.
Certification of device modifications to
meet the particular needs of Covid-19
treatment was fast-tracked through
close liaison with the medical regulator
(MHRA).
Each VCUK member has a clear
role – ours was machining, whilst
other members focused on assembly,
test equipment, regulatory approval
and supply chain management. At
Renishaw we deployed an experienced
engineering team, analysing the bill of
materials and working 7 days a week
to program and qualify new machining
processes. We diverted some of our
flexible machining capacity and were
producing parts at volume within a
week.
LB: As the world’s fastest digital
manufacturer, Protolabs is set up to
deliver parts quickly, so meeting rapid
turnaround times is something that we
are used to.
Whilst we always keep a large stock
of key materials, we did take swift
3d printing is the ideal
technology to react quickly in times
like these Ben Wilson, Jaguar Land Rover
safet y
driven
Engineers at
Jaguar Land
Rover are now
producing
14,000 protective
visors
every week
for frontline
medical staff
/www.theengineer.co.uk