The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kerry engineer on how motorsport can help in fight against COVID-19
A GERMANY-BASED Kerry motorsport engineer has revealed how his colleagues at Volkswagen Motorsport are helping in the global fight against COVID-19.
Richard Browne from Firies is an engineer with Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover. His usual day job is preparing race, rallycross and rally cars for international motorsport events all over the world.
Already this year he worked with former World Rally Championship star Andreas Mikkelsen on an event in Belgium and was preparing for a World Rallycross title bid with Swedish ace Johan Kristofferson when motorsport across the world was shut down. In the past he engineered Mikkelsen’s maiden WRC event win in Spain in 2015.
The engineering staff at Volkswagen plants in Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt as well as staff from other Volkswagen Group brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, MAN Trucks and Porsche have been reassigned to make crucial medical and protective equipment to fight the worldwide pandemic.
Volkswagen Motorsport is now using its 3D printers to help manufacture urgent protective equipment for medical staff. Other production facilities within the Volkswagen Group will be used to manufacture brackets for protective face masks.
“Motorsport industries are very good in this area of switching fast from one project to another, with a wide network of suppliers. In motorsport, solutions are required fast, so this is why we and a lot of the F1 teams are very suitable to react like this for such a crisis,” Browne said.
Browne’s boss Sven Smeets, who was also Paul Nagle’s boss when the Killarney man navigated for Mikkelsen on WRC events in 2016, is one of the prime movers behind the project.
“In these difficult times, we want to do our bit to help people. Protective equipment is hugely important for medical staff,” said Smeets, who is Volkswagen Motorsport’s Director. “We are obviously happy for our production capacity to be used for this good cause.”
Volkswagen’s 3D printing is usually used to manufacture components for its ID.R electric
sports car.
Volkswagen Motorsport started the emergency manufacturing process at its site in Hannover last week. The printers are also up and running at 3D printing centres in Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt.
In total, the Group has more than 50 facilities for 3D printing at its disposal. The components manufactured are initially intended for use in Spain, one of the countries currently most seriously affected by the COVID-19 virus.
“Technically speaking, the components manufactured in the 3D printing procedures are a frame bracket for the head, which is then covered with a transparent plastic film.
“The result is a face mask, which completely covers the sensitive areas of the eyes, nose and mouth,” added Browne.