Coordinate measuring machine (CMM) manufacturer LK Metrology has introduced a subcontract inspection service in support of ventilator and other medical component and equipment manufacturers in the UK and Ireland that may not have sufficient quality control resources in-house.
When the UK government launched its Ventilator Challenge UK, the consortium behind it asked multinational firms such as Rolls-Royce, BAe and GKN with robust experience in supply chain management to identify and involve OEMs and subcontract machinists in the aerospace, automotive and other industries to boost the production of medical parts. It was designed to meet the target of 30,000 extra ventilators needed by the National Health Service to cope with the surge in Covid-19 patients. They were looking for manufacturers with spare machining capacity or an ability to acquire more urgently, as well as ISO accreditation and expertise in metrology to ensure the high level of quality required when making parts for medical equipment.
Many firms had the first two prerequisites but not the third. It prompted LK Metrology to expand the existing contract inspection service run from its headquarters in Castle Donington and make it available exclusively to companies registered to supply ventilator and other medical parts.
Dave Robinson, marketing manager at LK Metrology commented, "We understand that manufacturers in the medical sector today are critically needed to help provide valuable components, products and systems to combat the pandemic.
"The majority typically require the use of CMMs to measure, reverse engineer and assure the quality of many complex and precision parts, including prismatic, rotational and freeform. For that reason, we are offering them a series of metrology services that we believe can be of assistance during these anxious times."
The company's location in Derbyshire in the Midlands means that it is conveniently placed to serve the whole of the UK and Ireland. It continues to operate under government guidelines, including in its own factory and in the field for applications, programming and service, and has put in place special transportation arrangements should manufacturers require them.
The CMM Assistance Programme can be contacted on +44 (0)1332 813755 or www.lkmetrology.com/contact