Jlr to start production of 3d protective visors in covid-19 battle
JAGUAR Land Rover is bringing its manufacturing expertise to the coronavirus fightback with the production of 3D protective visors for NHS staff on the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The automotive giant’s Advanced Product Creation Centre in Gaydon will make an initial 1,300 pieces of the vital headgear each week, with the potential to ramp up production to 5,000.
The reusable visor has been developed in consultation with a team of
NHS healthcare professionals and is the only piece of kit of its kind to be approved by the health service.
Designer maker Ben Wilson said: “It’s been a real team effort, we’ve trialled different materials and improved the design over several iterations in consultation with real doctors and nurses on the frontline - this has allowed us to create something unique and truly fit-for-purpose.
“While this is a small effort, it is vital we help as many people as we can by utilising our resources. Collaborative teams working at Jaguar Land Rover, along with the wider computer-aided design and 3D printing community will continue to do what we can to help healthcare workers.”
Rapid prototype printing is already under way at the centre in Gaydon, home to one of the most advanced 3D printing facilities in Europe.
Jaguar Land Rover is answering a Government plea for protective equipment to protect keyworkers against infection and stop them from having to wear uncomfortable gear for long hours.
Through collaboration with companies such as Pro2pro in Telford, the ambition is to produce 5,000 visors a week for NHS trusts across the country.
Pre-line trials have already taken place with a team of healthcare professionals at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust before assembly began at Jaguar Land Rover in Warwickshire on March 31.
Using rapid prototyping technology, has enabled the engineers to work through several iterations of the design in under a week, allowing for medical staff to feed back and improvements to be made.
Engineers in the Additive Manufacturing Centre, who have designed and manufactured the visors, are now in discussions with suppliers and partners to scale-up production. They hope to create a tool that will enable mass production.
It is Jaguar Land Rover’s intention to make the open source CAD design files available to Additive Manufacturers and suppliers, so many more protective visors can be printed over the coming weeks.
Each face visor has been designed to be reusable, and can be easily dismantled and cleaned before being used again; safeguarding NHS trusts against future shortages as the situation develops.