Aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and European airframer Airbus are part of a consortium that ... [+] will start producing up to 10,000 medical ventilators for coronavirus patients in the UK. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg

Aircraft production might be slowing down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the aerospace industry however is not resting on its laurels and is using its supply chains and technological know-how to help increase the production of much-needed medical supplies. European plane maker Airbus, Arrow Electronics, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Meggitt, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Smiths Group, and Thales are all part of a consortium that on Monday was awarded a contract by the UK government to produce10,000 medical ventilators for coronavirus patients.

The grouping, named VentilatorChallengeUK, was formed recently in response to Prime Minister Boris Johnsons calls for the countrys businesses to step in and help meet rising demand for life-saving equipment. In contrast to the U.S., where President Donald Trump on Friday officially invoked the Defense Production Act to force General Motors to manufacture thousands of ventilators, most of the projects involving the aerospace sector in Europe are born from the industrys own initiatives. The participants in VentilatorChallengeUKwhich besides aerospace firms includes also industrial, technology and engineering businesses from the automotive (such as Ford and Formula One teams Mercedes, McLaren and Williams) and medical sectors"have taken many of their people from key company projects to do this and serve the national need, noted the consortium.

Rolls-Royce has a crucial role to play in the fight against Covid-19, said Craig Askew, the UK engine makers Executive Vice President of Control Systems. We are proud to be playing our part in a consortium dedicated to scaling up production of much-needed ventilators and will be focused on working at full-speed to provide devices which can help save lives.

Over the past week, the consortium has investigated production of a range of ventilator design options to meet a high-level specification for a Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator System (RMVS) developed by the UKshealthcare products regulatory agency. The medical regulator has been involved throughout and is expected to quickly sign off on an agreed new design after the final audit, according to VentilatorChallengeUK.

The consortium is now working to start production of this design, which is based on existing technologies and can be assembled from materials and parts in current production. In parallel, the group will provide another producer of medical ventilators with additional manufacturing support and assembly facilities in order to scale up production of a second existing ventilator design which has full regulatory approval.

GKN, whose technologies are used in business jets, single-aisle and widebody aircraft and fifth-generation fighter aircraft, will establish a new assembly plant and Rolls-Royce will set up a supply chain to feed in materials as quickly as possible. The engine makers team dedicated to the ventilator project includes controls, valve and pump specialists who normally work in its Controls business in Solihull, near Birmingham, and commercial, procurement and programme management specialists usually based in its Derby campus. Rolls-Royce said is expects the team to grow significantly in the coming days and are also using resources in the U.S., so that we can work around the clock.

In Germany, the Deutsches Zentrum fr Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) said Monday it has successfully tested the conversion of its 3D printers so the models can now manufacture medical protective equipment during the Coronavirus crisis. The retrofit was prompted by a request from the European Commission for assistance in the production of urgently needed medical equipment, specifically the production of protective masks and valves for respirators using 3D printing.

DLR said is currently assessing its 3D printer capabilities, noting that the performance varies depending on the type of printer. Its most powerful printers can produce up to 10 protective masks or 15 valves for ventilators per day but by networking institutes and facilities, it will be possible to produce larger quantities. The certification and approval of the products produced by DLR for medical use is in progress, the research body said.

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European Aerospace Industry Makes Medical Equipment In Fight Against Coronavirus - Forbes