Dyson to make ventilators to bolster NHS supply in fight against coronavirus
The government has ordered 10,000 ventilators from household appliance firm Dyson.
The company said it has designed a new ventilator from scratch with engineers working “round the clock.”
The government had earlier called for manufacturing firms in the UK to use their production capacity to make ventilators to counter a national shortage.
However, the provision of Dyson’s device is subject to being approved by medical regulators.
Junior health minister Edward Agar earlier claimed the UK has 8,000 ventilators with another 8,000 on the way.
“That’s 8,000 in and 8,000 being ordered, being manufactured and shipped and they should be coming in stream over the coming week or two and into the future depending on the speed with which we can get them manufactured and installed,” he told the BBC.
The devices are key to helping those infected with the virus to breathe.
Rival vacuum cleaner manufacturer GTech has produced a new ventilator design.
This can be made by other companies from existing materials.
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A consortium including engineering firms GKN and Meggitt in addition to car maker McLaren and aviation giant Airbus is working to help produce existing ventilator designs.
Across industry
The government has called for help from all sectors including some of the UK’s best known brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and digger maker JCB.
German engineering conglomerate Bosch is working to produce a coronavirus testing kit.
Additionally, petrochemical giant Ineos announced yesterday it would set up a factory in Middlesbrough to produce hand sanitiser.
This has also extended to small businesses.
Surrey based lights and signs firm Carousel Lights has began producing protective ‘sneeze screens’.
These are available in various sizes to protect those working on key areas such as medical facilities and supermarkets.