Penlon Case Study
Fast turnaround
The COVID-19 crisis required an urgent response from the government. The UK did not make the suitable critical care ventilators needed and established international manufacturers were struggling to cope with demand. The government called on UK manufacturers for help.
In response, a consortium of companies from across the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors formed VentilatorChallengeUK. Their mission: produce ventilators for the NHS.
Read more about the small, but vital components used in the healthcare and medical sectors.
Customer: VentilatorChallengeUK and Penlon Ltd
Industry: Medical devices
Project: Ventilator solutions
Solution: Washers, slotted screws, knurled knobs, retaining washers, cable clips and rectangular inserts
The challenge
VentilatorChallengeUK set about building thousands of emergency ventilators to the required specifications. One type, the Penlon ESO 2 Emergency Ventilator, saves lives by ventilating the sickest patients until they can transfer to an ICU ventilator. Problems arose, however, with production. With these ventilators urgently needed, the consortium’s supplier at the last minute failed to deliver the components that were desperately needed, due to lack of stock.
To keep production lines running, VentilatorChallengeUK needed stock immediately. They wanted one supplier, one port of call – a manufacturer, not just a distributor. The supplier needed to have a wide range of solutions and the ability to execute fast turnarounds.
The solution
Essentra Components was already a supplier to Penlon, an innovative medical-device company, member of the consortium and designer for the ventilator requiring components. Reaching out to Penlon, Essentra Components offered their expertise and capabilities. Penlon used Essentra Components’ hassle-free website to check available stock against their needs.
Satisfied, Penlon placed their orders. Within 2 hours, Essentra Components picked the stock needed and hand delivered it to Penlon. Thereafter a wider range of parts were then ordered, meaning that Essentra Components subsequently supplied Penlon with washers, slotted screws, knurled knobs, retaining washers, cable clips and rectangular inserts.
Results
Supporting VentilatorChallengeUK, Penlon was able to deliver the first 30 ventilators to the NHS on the timescale already agreed upon with the UK government.
- No time lost: Essentra Components had the critical solutions in stock. That, coupled with locality and agility, enabled them to meet Penlon’s timescales. Penlon was able to keep the manufacturing line going, without loss to productivity.
- Quality: Ventilators are highly complex pieces of medical equipment that require quality components to be effective. Essentra Components’ solutions contributed to the Penlon ESO 2 Emergency Ventilator standing up to rigorous testing to become the first device in the challenge to receive regulatory approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in hospitals.
- Trust: Essentra Components’ ability to come through in an emergency has helped Penlon receive the UK government’s trust. Following regulatory approval, the government ordered 15,000 ventilators from Penlon to be delivered to the NHS frontlines. The consortium has committed to producing 100-200 of these ventilators per day, with support from Essentra Components for the vital solutions needed.
Ongoing support
To support Penlon in their mission to save lives, Essentra Components continues to provide them with local, hassle-free support. Through experience, Penlon has the reassurance that whatever they need, and just as importantly, when they need it, Essentra Components is ready to help them take on any challenge.
To find out how the experts at Essentra can help your business, call 0345 528 0474 or email sales@essentracomponents.co.uk