Amid growing concerns over the shortage of critical equipment required to treat some Coronavirus patients, the government is asking whether UK manufacturers can turn their hands to the production and assembly of ventilators.
With the NHS expected to require many more ventilators than the 5000 devices currently thought to be in circulation, UK prime minister Boris Johnson is today (Monday 16th March) due to speak to engineering firms about how they might support the production of essential medical equipment.
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“We’re calling on the manufacturing industry and all those with relevant expertise who might be able to help to come together to help the country tackle this national crisis” said a Downing street spokesperson. “We need to step up production of vital equipment such as ventilators so that we can all help the most vulnerable, and we need businesses to come to us and help in this national effort.”
Stephen Phipson, CEO of manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, told The Engineer that there have already been many offers of help from across the UK, adding that he believes the UK’s contract manufacturing base is well placed to rise to the challenge.
Visit the government’s ventilator challenge page to register your interest
“It can be done,” he said. “We have a very strong contract manufacturing sector in the UK which is used to being given other people’s patents & designs and being tasked to produce them. It may need government action to smooth this process very quickly but it can be done.”
So far, the only company officially mentioned by the government is Oxfordshire firm Unipart group, although Rolls-Royce Plc and JCB have also been referenced in a number of reports.
Other companies understood to be interested in helping out include West Midlands contract manufacturer PP Control & Automation, which employs 230 people at its manufacturing site in Walsall.
The firm’s CEO Tony Hague told The Engineer that thanks to prior experience working for the medical sector, his organisation is well-placed to rise to the challenge. “If there is a UK call to arms, we’re very happy to fully support it,” he said. “We can turn our hands to most things, ventilators being one of them. We have experience in the medical industry, we’ve assembled macerators, and endoscopic sanitising machinery and ophthalmic test equipment so we have a capability to do it.”
Hague said that contract manufacturers in general are ideally suited to the challenge, as they have existing engineering, supply chain and production capabilities and are used to scaling at speed. He added that large prime contractors, such as those found in the UK aerospace sector, are also well-equipped to respond to the assembly demands of a nationwide push.
Commenting on the practical challenges of switching to the production of ventilators, Hague added that it would largely be a case of ensuring that the right skilled and unskilled manual labour is in place rather than investing in production equipment. “You need people to make things,” he said. “It’s manual assembly. You can automate cable preparation, electronics assembly and test, but ultimately it’s about people putting things together by hand. It’s skilled and semi-skilled work. You just need bums on seats”
One of the biggest challenges, he said, will be mobilising the supply chain, and ensuring that all of the key components required can be readily sourced. “The key challenge is sourcing materials,” agreed Make UK’s Phipson, “Ventilators carry a lot of electronics which largely come from overseas and may already be in short supply.”
Another critical issue is quality. “If you’ve got a number of companies involved, making these things for the first time… there have obviously got to be very strict guidelines in terms of quality control,” said Hague. “You need to manage the design, manufacturing operation and test all the way through the end to end supply chain so that you then have a product which is fit for purpose.”
It can be done quickly but there will be a number of processes which government will need to act on urgently
Given the pressing nature of the problem, manufacturers are going to have to react rapidly. And not everyone is convinced that they will be able to. Robert Harrison, Professor of Automation Systems at WMG warned that ramping up production within weeks is going to be difficult. “JCB, Rolls Royce or others could potentially manufacture ventilators,” he said. “They have relevant skills and capabilities, but given that all the design and manufacturing related information could be supplied to them, getting the parts and the tooling to manufacture such a thing will be a significant task, taking perhaps taking many months. They would have to tool up production lines and train workers to assemble and test the product.”
However, Tony Hague is hopeful that industry can react more quickly. “I would say 4 – 6 weeks once companies have been identified that could help and are selected. It needs to happen in weeks. We can’t leave it three or four months because in three or four months it could be too late.”
Make UK’s Phipson added that whilst he believes the manufacturing sector is up to the challenge, decisive government action will be required to drive it through: “It can be done quickly but there will be a number of processes which government will need to act on urgently, possibly involving powers which would normally be only used in wartime or national emergencies which we are effectively already in.”
There are plenty of medical equipment manufacturers and their subcontractors in this country which would be more appropriate to manufacture ventilators than automotive or aerospace companies. I doubt that those companies have the certifications (or the clean rooms) required to manufacture such products. If anyone needs any suitable solenoid valves for ventilators, we have the capacity to manufacture them in their thousands. Contact us at http://www.leeproducts.co.uk
Given the predicted time line , all a little bit too later., not to mention you will need trained staff to use them – although its probably quicker to train a person to use and monitor a ventilator than it is to build one if that is their one medical nursing task.
The only real advantage now in ramping up ventilator equipment is that they could be shipped overseas to those areas that are further behind in the outbreak, suspect China will be back on its feet producing before we can ramp up.
The saying Nero (Boris) fiddling while Rome burns comes to mind!
Put the plans up on https://www.instructables.com/
There are some incredibly skilled hobbyists out there and if they only made one or two each, I bet you’d get 10,000’s pretty quickly
Perhaps leaving the EU when we need frictionless supply chains to bring medicines and equipment into the UK quickly was not such a good idea. This situation is unprecedented and we need Europe more than ever.
Design a very simple mechanical ventilator with a motor, make the volume and rate adjustable, and a simple monitoring circuit which sounds an alarm if it stops working. A simple wipe-clean sheet metal box. That’s it. Forget making it nice, forget certifying it, there isn’t time. Solid and reliable, 1950s style. Get everyone making the same design. Like the Mosquito in WWII, every company can help.
I work for Micronel UK the UK Office of a Swiss based manufacturer of high pressure dc blowers and we supply blowers to a number of medical breathing / ventilator companies worldwide including several companies in the UK. I saw Matt Hancock being interviewed over the weekend on TV and the articles in the National Press about getting JCB etc to manufacture ventilators. My first thoughts were that surely it would be best for UK Gov to talk to existing UK ventilator companies before drafting in Digger manufacturers (no disrespect to JCB) if this is to be done from a standing start and on an urgent basis. It does feel a bit like Boris read a book about car companies making Lancaster Bombers in WWII so I sincerely hope that this initiative is genuine. There was a chap on BBC news (Max Jonas) who said that the UK do not manufacture ventilators but this is not correct – I guess it depends on the type of ventilator you are talking about (ICU, Transport, Homecare, Trauma etc etc but all are used for different types of breathing assistance and to assist the patient in breathing and fighting medical conditions). Just some quick names there is BREAS (aka B&D/Nippyventilator) in Stratford-on-Avon, SLE Croydon, Diamedica in Barnstaple plus anesthesia companies such as Penlon Abindgdon, OES Witney plus a vast network of know how and expertise around the UK. Depending on the therapy a basic ventilator design can be done fairly quickly but it is usually the software and the approvals / documentation that take the time. If this was looked at on a “wartime footing” then I’m sure this could be done quicker. I’m no medic but even very basic trauma or “third world” type ventilators could save lives when compared to no ventilation at all. If we can be of any assistance or can have any input into this network or help in anyway then get in touch via http://www.micronel.com or – we have units available in our UK Stores in Windsor.
We have a young technical/engineering team with existing links to manufacturing/fabrication/ control & electronics and work with Hotels too. We are keen to be of service, based in Bucks
email: sales@VividHospitalitySolutions.com if we can help you.
Do you really need multiple companies to manufacture the finished item end to end? Would it not be better to match the individual components to companies that can make similar items, then assemble and test at one site? This way you can have the specialised knowledge and experience for assembly and testing in one place. From there it would be simpler to train others while overseeing the quality of the end result. E.g. your not trying to spread specialist skills and knowledge over multiple sites.
If China can build 2 whole hospitals inside 2 weeks I’m sure we can build a few hundred ventilators in a couple of months….
From BBC News website:-
Any businesses who can help with the Prime Minister’s call for ventilator production please contact @businessgov helpline on 0300 456 3565 or email ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk
There is no doubt it could be done, provided appropriate organisations with space and staff are available. However it will need parts, especially electronic, and most of those come from the Far East nowadays. The consequences of the move to a financial services economy, where we don’t need ‘experts’. And of course we don’t need agriculture because we can import all of our food, and once the pandemic wipes out all the elderly and sick we won’t need care and nursing staff either! And then the remainder of the population might have some herd immunity, or not as it is far too soon to know if this will occur without continuous seasonal vaccinations, which are also not available yet. The Government really hasn’t a clue. But there again all the hedge funds will be able to make money for a few wealthy individuals who will have nothing to spend the money on and a reduced population so there will be a lack of servants. Even the wealthy need a working society behind them.
Well done all, once again somebody needs us…
Type of ventilator really is a critical decision, if a simple unit would suffice then deployability in quickly set up temporary wards may be a dominant requirement (globally) so it may be preferable to build a suitcase unit. This need not involve starting from nothing because there are a number of design studies which could probably be the basis of a manufacturable Unit with some re-engineering and an agreement from the originator for instance there was a design study carried out by NXP in 2011 which (if agreements could be made) it might be possible to leverage. https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/DRM127.pdf
Surely the way to go is for any UK company to ramp up production – 24hr operation, expanded production facilities, currant staff train and oversee new assembly workers.
Agree Rod, There is so much negativity, It’s great to see such a positive ‘can do’ response from the Engineering community. Mind you I don’t know many Engineers who aren’t up for a challenge.
Seems an ideal application for Defence Systems Engineering after all BAE SYSTEMS went from cutting first metal to a flying aircraft in approx 12 months on the EAP Programme.
I’m a retired electrical/mechanical maintenance engineer, latterly from the food industry and formally an avionics tech in the RAF. Anyone need some assistance in the south Lincolnshire/Peterborough area with this project, then I’m happy to muck in.
I’ve no idea if this is technically plausible but these doctors seemed to think so:
Williams et al. A low oxygen consumption pneumatic ventilator for emergency construction during a respiratory failure pandemic. Anaesthesia, 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2009.06207.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2009.06207.x
Maybe a simple non electronic type could be manufactured quickly. See Wikipedia for design ideas.
We are a small business in Bradford used to designing, developing and manufacturing in house hygienic brewery packaging and process systems. I also previously worked in the NHS as an hospital engineer. Our small team is highly capable of producing new innovative designs and equipment very quickly. We need a brief and specification?.
Unfortunately my customers who are brewers are not in the current climate going to be buying new brewery equipment, so I have a skilled team ready will and keen to help.
I’m sure it can be done but the organization, if there is any, seems a little haphazard. Two things: can the ventilators be manufactured in a timely manner such that they will help ? and, if it was my business I’d ensure the funding was 100% guaranteed before committing.
We are Pegasus Precision Limited, a precision sheet metal business based in Kent with mostly medical instrument manufacturers as clients. We are available to help with the ventilator initiative. Please contact 07884 256 768 or alex@pawle.co.uk
We are a specialist recruitment firm supplying manufacturing staff within the electronic and engineering sectors. We have the tools and experience to source temporary, contract or permanent staff at short notice. If you need urgent assistance and a quick response please get in touch ASAP and I’m sure we can help 0118 981 1110 http://www.intec-recruitment.co.uk
In addition to new build, a faster way of getting more ventilators into use is to focus on those out of use for calibration and repair.
Could recalibration be speeded up by having it on-site at every hospital?
Are there bottlenecks in the current recalibration process that can be overcome?
Would a national database of ventilators and spare parts, wherever they may be, match spares with units to be mended?
If there is a shortage of test equipment for recalibration/repair, could other equipment, e.g. air data test sets (that the airlines are currently not using) be used for this?
Could aircraft instrument technicians be retrained to recalibrate ventilators?
Could ventilators previously deemed ‘beyond economic repair’, be farmed out to organisations wit appropriate skills to bring them back into use?
Non medical equipment could be
This looks like a very naive response. Do you really think that a company that is not already in the business would have any hope of developing, testing and then manufacturing a new (to them) product in any timescale that would alleviate the current crisis? Do UK engineers and politicians not realise how many months it takes to bring a new product on line?
Quite apart from design and prototyping (do you assume the current manufacturers will simply hand over their IP?)injection moulding tooling, electronic controls etc. all take time.
Yes, just about anyone can make them, but supplying in any useful time frame? I think not.
Great – then you can put your details to the government website.
Here is an ‘indicative specification’ for what is required: https://www.businessinspiredgrowth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Specification-For-RMVS-Challenge.pdf
KMF Precision Engineering is the sub-contact machining arm of KMF Group. We mainly supply machined components to the Aerospace & Scientific industry including value added mechanical assembly and surface finishing. We will be happy to look at any machined or turned component requirements. http://www.kmf.co.uk
UK based electronic component and specialist ferrite component distributor with component machining capability to assist in power supply, transformer, coil, sensor and associated design, including CAD, machine tool design and plotting. Ready to assist at the shortest notice with a resourceful team and a great attitude. http://www.gatewaycando.com. Lets get Covid defeated!
UK based high precision CNC manufacturing company, service driven and able to offer immediate capacity on urgently required production runs. http://www.torkingtonengineers.co.uk
If our capacity is suitable please forward manufacturing drawings ASAP
Not an unusual move:
https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/the-man-behind-the-motor-william-morris-and-the-iron-lung/
Vapourtec make peristaltic pumps for flow chemistry. The pumps can act as mass flow controllers for gases. I’m imagining using one pump to input air/oxygen and then a second to remove gas from the lungs. What sort of flow rates are needed? Is this a crazy idea
I own a metal engineering business in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire with precision CNC turning and milling in 316 stainless, hard plastics, prototyping and small parts manufacture. Extremely high quality and rapid delivery nationwide. Finescale Engineering 01926 335123
I am an engineer with some medical experience., and wish to get to the point .
Ventilators
We may be looking at the problem the wrong way. You need approx 7mm of hg pressure above air pressure to fill human lungs 0.5 ltrs per breath our lungs contain about 1.2 ltrs
1. Using vacuum instead of pressure.
Vacuum lines are available at most Nhs beds. Aspirate the lungs and let air pressure fill the lungs and possibly aspirate the lungs of pnuemonia fluids
2. EBME depts in each hospital have disused wards of old stored equipment, to possibly reinstate or faulty equipment from which you can learn.
3. Stanwell NR Huddersfield produce Beer dispensers which dispense 500ml of beer( approx what a. Human breath needs) using compressed air. Air Regulators and switched power, supplied solenoids and timers Air can supply the air to the pump. Dispensing air instead of Beer unfortunately, but I think the patients in question are going to be struggling with enough fluids in their lungs already.. I know this sounds silly, but unless people think outside the box our loved ones are six foot under.
Vacuum pumps can be obtained from Durr Germany, Cattani Italy and MetasysAustria all,of which have UK Suppliers.I have some pumps in stock, which will happily donate to companies who are willing to developer systems to help with Covid 19. I will give time to anybody that needs additional engineers.
We all have family and friends who we are concerned about and if we all think together
Your sincerely
Kevin Hatchard B.Sc
Hi,
I don’t know how helpful I can be here. I am a retired gas engineer (60) with nothing to do but watch the horror unfold. Any firms out there that could use me for assembly/production/delivery (I am now a london Cabbie with a new 6 seat electric cab), I will do whatever you ask. I am available for you 24/7
Danny Pembroke.
07500 666009
dannypembroke59@gmail.com
We can offer the ventilator accessories like breathing circuits, HME filter, bacterial filters, ET tube, test lungs and other ventilator accessories. Please contact us at info@headingtonmedical.co.uk
Thank you Best Regrads
Hi
Please let me know if there is any way or form where I can help with engineering support for any of the ventilators being used for this awful situation. I am a fully trained anaesthesia engineer with manufacture training on most products including (GE Datex Ohmeda), Drager, Blease, Penlon, Anmedic (M.I.E) Breas etc…
Contact details supplied. If anyone wants to get in touch with Mark contact jon.excell@markallengroup.com
Why not ask retired Tv and Video engineers to assemble ventilators as most are in possession of old components and the skills to do it thousands doing a few a day .
I hope all these fantastic offers of help are being forwarded to the right people, or they are going on the website in the article to sign up. We need our engineers!!
The company I work (Photocentric, Peterborough) for is involved in this (I’m not directly involved so can only pass on a little info) – but this is happening and isn’t just marketing – I hope the link works.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/photocentric-group_ukhospitals-ukhealthservice-healthcrisis-activity-6647862414916362240-SHya
and here’s a bit more info
https://photocentricgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Respirator-justification.pdf
There is an EU program to produce ventilators and PPE it is delivering all requested equipment for the 25 states which have signed up. The UK was invited to take part and refused. The Tories would rather play to second world war memes than actually address the problem with professional suppliers. If they are determined to have a UK ventilator program why not reduce the risk by joining the EU program as well?
I am a medtech consultant who previously had European responsibility for a ventilator company. A US contact has reached out with a US company that makes relatively simple Critical care vent but cant scale manufacturing there so reaching if there is a manufacturing company that they could work with them in ramping up. They are FDA approved devices but don’t have a CE mark. Anyone know if there is UKGov phone number that we can call to discuss.
Hi Mike – not sure if there is a fit by try contact @ https://photocentricgroup.com/covid-response-status/ – not a govt number
try here – there is a registration link down the page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-ventilator-supply-specification
I read some interesting info on the use of UV-C 222nm light to destroy bacteria and viruses very rapidly. Seems worthy of more investigation in the fight against Covid-19. Maybe the Engineer could produce an article.
Why has a well known vacuum manufacturer been blessed with a government order? Surely it could not be in response to donations into campaign coffers and a robust anti-Europe stand. Or could it be an attempt by HMG to boost the Malaysian economy as the well known supplier has closed the UK production points? Add 20+ days in transit and the kit may well prove to be redundant if added to the quoted development time. The procurement process looks ominously like the chartering of ships from companies without them.
Could existing designs be built under licence on a reverse engineering basis by credible companies. Correspondence above suggests there are many capable of this. Did exploring this option pose too many problem for Sir Humphrey?