Guyson International Ltd, the UK’s foremost industrial finishing equipment manufacturer, based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, has recently delivered and installed a further precision cleaning machine to Rolls-Royce Filton in Bristol, for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium. A consortium of significant UK industrial, technology and engineering businesses from across the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors, has come together to produce medical ventilators for the UK.

This latest Guyson 'Kerry' branded Microsolve 250, which was built in record time, has three process stages comprising of ultrasonic cleaning, followed by vapour rinsing and freeboard drying, provides precision cleaning of components used in the ventilators and is crucially already cleared by regulators, being used by an existing OEM manufacturer, so can immediately support production now it has been installed.

Mark Viner, Guyson's Blast and Wash Division Managing Director, said: “It continues to be a really challenging period, but I am very proud of our outstanding workforce our welders, fabricators, fitters, electricians, test engineers and not forgetting office staff who once again have enabled us to support this vital initiative supplying ventilator parts to the frontline.”

Having already supplied a Microsolve 250, and 350 - a larger version with greater throughput - to the consortium in the last month, it now means that Guyson solvent based ultrasonic cleaning equipment will be providing precision cleaning to seven critical cleaning lines being involved in the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.

After satisfying the initial UK demand Guyson are now also getting urgent orders and enquiries for its Microsolve precision cleaning equipment from other companies around the world, including Australia and North America. An identical machine to those manufactured for the VentilatorChallengeUK will be on its way before the end of May to a Mexican organisation involved in manufacturing similar ventilators for their own domestic market and Guyson's production staffs are working flat out in trying to meet this critical demand.

The VentilatorChallengeUK consortium is committed to support the NHS’ requirements to treat coronavirus patients and Companies in the consortium have now received formal orders from the Government in excess of 20,000 units.

5th July 2020

Today, the work of VentilatorChallengeUK, the Consortium of UK aerospace, motorsport, automotive and medical businesses concludes after more than doubling the stock available to the NHS.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, said:
“The Ventilator Challenge has been a great success and I would like to thank every manufacturer and designer, and their incredible workforces, for the huge part they’ve played in the national effort to protect our NHS and save lives. In around three months, industry has stepped up to make 14,000 new machines to save lives on the NHS frontline and to help safeguard against any future outbreak.

The Ventilator Challenge has shown that UK manufacturing always rises to the challenge at a time of national need. Everyone involved is truly a hero of the coronavirus crisis.”

Read the full statement from VentilatorChallengeUK here