Farnell supports multiple projects to develop medical devices and donates more than $50,000 of 3D printing equipment to help tackle shortage of PPE

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people across the globe, Farnell has sought to support customers and others working to equip and protect those on the front line. This includes the introduction of an urgent critical medical order process to expedite the dispatch and delivery of components for the production of medical equipment and the donation of equipment and consumables to organisations created to tackle the global shortage of PPE.

Mathew Thorpe, Regional Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and Benelux for Farnell commented: “Demand for components for medical devices has surged. If you consider the amount of ventilators that are needed globally, demand outstrips the supply that any one distributor will have in stock. Our product and sales teams are working very closely with suppliers to access additional stock to fulfil orders and support our customers as they produce medical equipment at scale.”

Examples of projects that Farnell has supported include:

• In the UK, Farnell continues to work with a government-backed coalition of businesses including major household names who are repurposing their production capabilities to design, prototype and manufacture new ventilators and those increasing production of existing ventilators such as the paraPAC plus™ .

• In Italy, Farnell has supported one of the biggest companies as they produce the first 1,000 pieces of a new open-source pulmonary mechanical ventilator called “Milano Ventilatore Meccanico” leveraging Raspberry Pi and Multicomp products as part of an international research project.

• In the Netherlands, Farnell is supporting customers participating in Project Open Air, a global volunteer movement of projects and people working together to provide equipment, supplies and services needed by hospitals. Essential products include ventilators, respiratory masks, and home monitors to measure the temperature, heart rate and oxygen in the blood at home to monitor patients at risk.

Farnell has also supported customers with components for COVID-19 testing kits, non-contact viral temperature monitoring instruments as well as PPE for paramedics, power cords and power solutions for hospitals.

To further support health care workers facing a shortage of protective gear and equipment needed to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, Farnell has identified groups and individuals who are using 3D printers to create visors and ear protectors for health workers and parts for field respirators, and donated more than $50,000 worth of 3D printing equipment and consumables to support their efforts.

Across Europe, Farnell continues to support multiple volunteer groups through donations of 3D printers and filament, including a pop-up manufacturing plant in element14 community member’s home where printers are working around the clock to support the needs of hospitals across the UK; a new manufacturing hub launched specifically to support the UK’s first Nightingale field hospital; and organisations in Poland and Spain providing visors and parts for field respirators. Similarly, in Chicago—where Farnell’s North American business is based—Farnell has donated printers and filament to De Paul University, which is responding to local demand for PPE.