Telford firm working with Mercedes F1 team to develop Covid-19 breathing device
A Telford company has joined forces with the Mercedes Formula One to help develop breathing aids for the NHS during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Three new tools that will produce tens of thousands of critical parts for a new breathing aid are being made by Protolabs in Telford.
Protolabs has created a dedicated 20-strong team to work with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains to create the parts via injection mould tooling in just three days.
Protolabs, which employs 450 people at its headquarters in Halesfield, is helping Mercedes and partner University College London increase production of its CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) system that delivers oxygen into the lungs without the need for an invasive ventilator.
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The first two tools are for moulding the bracket that will be used to hold the device next to the bed, while the third tool is for the production of a cap that prevents any air escaping from the machine.
Initial sample parts, made in nylon 30 per cent glass fibre and Acetal co-polymer, will be sent out for inspection shortly and, if successful, the company will make 1,100 parts per day until 10,000 of each component are manufactured.
The final devices and equipment will then be sent to 250 hospitals across the UK to help frontline staff provide the best possible care for Covid-19 patients.
Baninder Kaur, strategic account manager at Protolabs, said: “Speed is of the essence for this project, as we need to get the CPAP systems to UCL as soon as possible.
“Within a few hours of the call, we had mobilised a dedicated design and manufacturing team to review the bracket’s design for manufacturability.
"This led to four quick iterations and the decision to make the bracket using two tools, allowing us to reduce lead times by running production simultaneously.
“There were also some slight adaptions to the cap, with our engineers exploring the possibility of using one tool with two cavity moulds that would hit the 1,100 daily required parts as well as keeping the accuracy in place.”
Proud
Involvement in the CPAP device is the latest example of how Protolabs is using its 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding expertise to support the frontline fight against Covid-19.
The company has already played a key role in supporting Italian engineers Isinnova in the conversion of ‘Easybreath’ snorkelling equipment into ventilator masks.
3D-printed ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Dave’ valves are being produced and shipped for the assembly of kits that can be used to create a non-invasive ventilator mask.
The company is also working with a molecular diagnostics specialist to produce plastic cassettes which blood samples will be put into ready to be tested for coronavirus.
Bjoern Klaas, vice president and managing director of Protolabs EMEA, added: “Protolabs employees continue to play a vital role in helping us support the needs of our customers in what is a generation-defining moment.
"I am extremely proud of the commitment and expertise everyone is showing and I am humbled that, in our own way, we can contribute to saving lives across the world.”
