Waddington Europe helps customer pivot supply chain to produce NHS PPE

Waddington Europe has joined forces with Ricoh 3D to bolster the national manufacturing and supply chain effort to provide supplies of personal protective equipment for the NHS.

3D printing specialist Ricoh 3D was first approached in March by The Royal London Hospital. Since then, countless NHS trusts and medical establishments have come forward requesting support, with Ricoh now fulfilling mass production of 40,000 face shields per week.

Following a swift response to source and produce the plastic visor component of the face shield, Waddington Europe was primed to go into full production by Wednesday 8 April, only 16 days after the initial request was made.

Waddington Europe’s managing director Eduardo Gomes said he is pleased to be supporting the increased production of PPE and medical supplies to the NHS.

Waddington Europe’s Bridgwater based in house design and development team produced and laser cut two initial design options with amendments to the position of the visor holes, so that the visors could be made on their thermoform machines.

Samples were dispatched within 12 hours of receiving the request, so that Ricoh could assemble and present the prototype visor to the NHS for approval within 24 hours.

Feedback from Ricoh required extra clear material to be sourced, which was immediately used to re-sample the visor, while working with Waddington’s manufacturing site in Arklow, Ireland, to begin mass production of the super clear extruded material within a week.

Gomes added: “As a truly vertically integrated thermoforming business, we have the agility, flexibility and in house skill to respond to our customer’s needs at short notice in this way, and I’m delighted we could pivot and provide for such an essential need at this unprecedented time”

Mark Dickin, additive manufacturing & moulding lead at Ricoh said: “We were very impressed at the speed and efficiency that our packaging supplier, Waddington Europe were able to work with us to turn this critical project around.”

Gomes finished: “I am personally committed to ensuring a seamless and reliable service to all our customers at all times, but now more than ever, we will be going the extra mile to help our colleagues and customers, friends, families and local communities.”