SDA companies Dyson and Gtech have both stepped up to design and manufacturer thousands of much needed medical ventilators for hospitals during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Dyson is working on a first order of 10,000 ventilators called CoVent for the NHS, designed in just two weeks in partnership with The Technology Partnership. A report in The Guardian newspaper highlights similarities between ventilators and vacuum cleaners as ‘both pump air efficiently’ and ‘areas of crossover include digital motors, battery packs, airflow analysis and high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPAs).’
Sir James Dyson has said he intends to make the ventilators – subject to stringent testing – in Wiltshire.
Gtech is sharing its design details of a medical ventilator and a video of the ventilator working has been presented to the government and NHS alongside video drawings and parts.
Nick Grey, owner of Gtech began working on the project after being contacted by Gareth Rhys Williams, Government chief commercial officer on March 15. He states: “We designed the ventilator entirely from parts that can readily be made from stock materials or bought off-the-shelf. This means that if Government approves and wants Gtech ventilators they can be made by almost any engineering and manufacturing company.”
He adds:“Gtech could produce around 100 per day within a week or two providing we could find steel fabrication and CNC machining companies to help us make some of the parts”.
Top: Ventilator designed by Worcester- based Gtech.
