Urgent need for ventilation modules challenges industry and universities

In the ongoing fight against the coronavirus, many ventilation modules are needed to save lives. Demcon and Philips are increasing their production, whereas universities in Delft and Brussels are creating low-cost, simplified respiratory devices on their own.

Demcon subsidiary Macawi, developer of respiratory systems, is facing a ten-fold order intake. The demand is so great that it has decided to set up a second manufacturing line at its parent company in Enschede to double the production. Demcon usually builds between 3,000 and 4,000 modules a year. It’s now upping its assembly crew from 10 to 30.

The doubling of production will take a few weeks. Demcon CEO Dennis Schipper states: “Our suppliers need to be able to deliver components in time. The whole supply chain needs to find creative solutions.” Two of those suppliers are TBP Electronics, which produces and delivers the printed circuit board assemblies, and VDL ETG, which manufactures the platework.