A West Midlands manufacturer is using its operations to help in the fight against covid-19 by producing parts for engineers converting snorkelling gear into ventilator masks.
Protolabs, which specialises in 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding, is also helping with the creation of a new testing kit.
The company is supporting engineers at Italian research institute Isinnova with the conversion of 'Easybreath' snorkelling equipment into ventilator masks.
Using 3D printing, it is producing a special type of valve known as a 'Charlotte valve' to ship directly to Isinnova in Rome which is producing kits that can be used to create a non-invasive ventilator mask.
Protolabs, which employs over 450 people at its European headquarters in Telford, is also working with diagnostics specialist AusDiagnostics to produce a series of plastic cassettes that will help house a critical medical solution used in testing for covid-19.
Buckinghamshire-based AusDiagnostics approached Protolabs to see if it could use injection mould to create 500 sample parts.
Production is now under way and the parts are set to shipped by April 9.
Protolabs typically supplies products into a range of sectors including medical, aerospace, automotive and consumer electronics.
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Bjoern Klaas, vice-president and managing director of Protolabs Europe, said: "We're currently working on a number of customer projects that are critical to the fight against the covid-19 pandemic.
"The 'Charlotte' valve in Italy is already having a really positive impact on the challenge faced by medical staff and the wider society while our latest involvement with AusDiagnostics is crucial in the national ramp up of testing for the virus.
"The tests will be used by over 20 large NHS trust hospitals in the 海角视频 as well as medical diagnostics centres across Europe.
"The customer makes almost 200 kits a day but this figure will increase rapidly to meet the demand for more testing, with our injection moulding line ready to manufacture 20,000 cassettes every quarter.
"Digital manufacturing provides incredible speed of development and continues to be essential in equipping frontline staff with the solutions they need.
"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."