Staff from BAE Systems based on the Isle of Wight have assisted in turning the company’s AirCare ventilator from a blueprint into a production-ready device in light of the Coronavirus outbreak.
At least four mechanical engineers at BAE Cowes have been assisting their colleagues at the Great Baddow (Essex) and Broad Oak (Portsmouth) sites in response to the Government’s national ventilator challenge.
Tribute to staff
BAE have today (Friday) paid tribute to those who have worked on the BAE Aircare Ventilator. In just a matter of weeks, the team took the Aircare project concept through design and development, to the point of being ready to begin rapidly producing ventilators.
BAE say the AirCare Ventilator is not needed for the immediate UK response to Covid-19, but it is ready to go into large-scale production if and when it’s needed.
The Government announced today they would be reassessing Aircare alongside four other devices by a further clinical panel next week.
Hudson: Talented team worked day and night
Ben Hudson, Chief Technology Officer of BAE Systems, paid tribute to those who designed and built the ventilator.
“Thanks to an incredibly dedicated and talented team who worked day and night to draw on the incredible advanced engineering and manufacturing expertise we have in BAE Systems, we went from a concept to a functioning design in just a few weeks, something that would typically take up to a year.
“We couldn’t have done this without the support from the wider company, clinicians, the Government and the MHRA. The combined effort from everyone involved, including our suppliers and SMEs, has been truly inspirational.
“I think I speak for everyone in the AirCare project team and across the Company by acknowledging the true heroes in the fight against Covid-19 are the men and women of our health services that put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep all of us safe. The efforts made by those that contributed to the AirCare project is our small way of demonstrating how much we truly value the sacrifices made by our health care workers on behalf of all of us.”
