UK-based subsea and offshore equipment manufacturers Subsea Innovation and Tekmar Energy, part of Tekmar Group, have joined forces to manufacture protective face shields for NHS workers in the North East of England.

The protective face shields are being manufactured in Darlington (Subsea Innovation) and Newton Aycliffe (Tekmar Energy).

Last week, Subsea Innovation designed, prototyped and began manufacturing the protective face shields using 3D printing technology.

"Recognizing the limitations of using 3D printers to produce the face shields in quantity, the design team developed a design that can be cast in polyurethane and manufactured in greater numbers with sister company Tekmar Energy," the Tek

Supply chain partners Arthur Jackson & Co and Maddisons machined bespoke aluminum molds within a 24-hour period at the end of last week. 

This allowed Subsea Innovation and Tekmar Energy to set up production lines over the weekend and start producing key components alongside ongoing production activities for their offshore energy clients, Tekmar said.

Subsea Innovation and Tekmar Energy are now producing between 150 and 200 protective face shields a day and will distribute them at no cost to local NHS trusts. 

James Richie, Tekmar Group CEO says, ‘Tekmar Group is fortunate in that we have the capability to expand our operations and produce protective face shields for the NHS during this period of unprecedented demand. The Tekmar family are driving this initiative forward and they continue to demonstrate fortitude, determination and compassion during these difficult times"

A design pack for the face shield is available to anyone wanting to join in or to provide components (please contact info@tekmar.group).

The UK Government last week called for the industry to support its efforts and ramp up domestic production of personal protective equipment.

"Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, over 761 million items of PPE have been delivered across the UK to 58,000 different settings, including hospitals, hospices, care homes, home care providers, GPs, pharmacists and dentists to ensure our frontline is protected. This includes 158 million masks, 135 million aprons and 360 million pairs of gloves," the government said last Friday.

"The plan also emphasizes the need to ramp up domestic production of PPE. The government is calling on industry to join forces to manufacture more protective equipment to support the national effort," it said.

Apart from Tekmar and Subsea Innovation, other companies such as Burberry, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Ineos, and Diageo have started work to produce equipment including gowns, visors, and hand hygiene products.