May 2020

23 CORONAVIRUS n patient, using three 3D-printed pieces and Velcro; n introducing a small piece of tubing between the mask and balloon that could be connected to a Peep-valve; and n building a motorised system controlled by a single-board computer to automate the balloon’s press-and-release routines. Repurposing CPAP In another development, CPAP (continual positive airway pressure) machines are being repurposed as emergency ventilators. These machines apply mild air pressure continuously to the mouths and noses of people who can breathe on their own, but need help keeping their airways unobstructed. Some clinicians have expressed fears that CPAP systems could pump pathogens into the atmosphere. To overcome this concern, researchers at Auburn University have designed a device, called Re-InVent, that can be assembled using off-the-shelf components, a standard CPAP machine, a valve assembly, and the standard tubing and tracheal tube used in current ventilators. The system contains an inhalation valve and an exhalation valve, both rated for constant operation on a 100% duty cycle, and a PLC-based control systemwith user interface and alarms. The Re-InVent ventilator has been tested successfully, and the next step is to look for ways to increase its capacity, then refine and validate its efficacy. The team is developing a peripheral“booster box”that would use an extra CPAP machine to double the device’s pressurisation capacity. The drive to automation One area where automation is playing a vital role in the Coronavirus epidemic is plastics manufacturing. Robots are becoming increasingly common in injectionmoulding operations. Research by the European plastics machinery organisation Euromap has shown that the number of newmouldingmachines equipped with robots rose from 18% in 2010 to 33% by the end of 2019. “There has been a significant upwards trend towards automation, driven by flexibility”says Nigel Flowers, managing director at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag.“Six-axis industrial robots in precisionmoulding especially are certainly more commonplace today. Additionally, the price gap between Cartesian and industrial robots has closedmarkedly, while at the same time, they’ve become easier to programme and simpler to integrate.” A report from the British Plastics Federation has revealed that one third of companies in the plastics industry could potentially use their facilities to provide products and services that could be used by the NHS or the government to help fight the virus. Business as usual? Howwill companies reinvent and reposition themselves when the pandemic is a historical footnote? Designers and developers alike have learned new skills about working against the clock – not to maximise productivity, but because their work is a matter of life and death. According to Divya Chadha Manek, head of business development at NIHR Clinical Research, speaking during a recent webinar hosted by the Bioindustry Association (BIA):“We must look at the lessons learned from this ‘wartime mode’when we're back to business as usual. We have learned lessons in terms of quick setup and getting everything off the ground, as well as in implementation and delivery.” Manufacturers have also learned the importance of collaborative working across national borders, while the need strategic local resources has been clearly highlighted. The current supply chainmodel, designed for efficiency in terms of logistics, production and cost optimisation, is clearly unsuitable for disaster planning Rather than anticipate a return to business as usual, withmanufacturing activities concentrated in countries where labour is cheap and plentiful, companies in advanced economies may shift their focus to onshoring or local sourcing. n There aremore articles on engineering efforts to tackle the Coronavirus elsewhere in this issue. Ambu-bags, traditionally used manually by first-aiders to provide respiratory support, are being automated in several projects as part of the battle against the Coronavirus. The Spanish car-maker Seat is one of many engineering firms that have turned over part of their operations to manufacturing medical equipment – in this case, ventilators – as part of the Covid-19 effort www.drivesncontrols.com May 2020