Boddingtons is currently in manufacture of moulded components including assembly in order to satisfy UK ventilator production demand in the face of the Covid19 pandemic.
The emergency project came about via a tool transfer request from McLaren Racing working directly with Penlon on the Ventilator Challenge, teaming up Boddingtons with other OEM participants in the project consortium.
Boddingtons CEO Andy Tibbs, said: “Medical customers increasingly need their suppliers to be ‘all in’ – able to show them that the medical sector is their primary business.”
“Such suppliers must also have the ISO 13485 medical manufacturing standard as minimum and must ideally be able to provide all legal and administrative support, together with Class 7 Cleanroom capability when needed.”
All of these qualifications and more helped Boddingtons join the Ventilator Challenge, ultimately supporting Penlon and their direct supply to the NHS and the UK population where needed.
A number of project tasks presented themselves from the outset; including tool transfer, repair and modification, preparation of production facilities and incoming materials; manufacture of gauges and jigs for the seven brass fittings in the component.
McLaren were instrumental with their fast turnaround of design and manufacture with support from Boddingtons for the required jigs and fixtures.
The moulding itself is a bellows plate and is directly involved in the workings of the ventilator air flow system.
Chris Philpott Boddingtons Business Development Manager, explained: “This bellows plate is of critical importance in the ventilator operation. We are therefore delighted to have succeeded in satisfying the project brief every which way; logistically, technically and in terms of the finished product.”