NPL to support companies developing and manufacturing ventilators

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), in its role as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, has been supporting industry for 120 years by maintaining the national and primary measurement standards and related services.

This world-leading measurement science and engineering can now play a vital part in helping to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Today it was announced that NPL will offer its support, at no cost, to companies developing and manufacturing ventilators and COVID-19 response equipment and products.

NPL has a broad team of experts, including scientists and engineers, with vast knowledge in many of the key parameters of ventilator control and operation. These include temperature, humidity, gas mixtures, dimensional measurement and materials testing. The experts are on hand to offer advice, guidance and consultancy in the verification, testing and, where applicable, the design and prototyping of parts.

NPL are supporting the national and global effort to rapidly manufacture ventilators in the following ways:

• Test and validation services (for example, testing of materials, components and sensors)
• Online training courses in measurement skills
• Guidance on compliance to quality standards
• Parts inspection (first and last article inspection reports)
• Access to world leading measurement experts

Dr. JT Janssen, Chief Scientist at NPL said:

With over 1000 great minds and a wealth of expert skills and knowledge we, at NPL, stand ready to fight this pandemic and support not only industry but the government and public too. We are a national laboratory and our mission, since 1900 has been to use our expertise to improve the UK's prosperity and quality of life. Now, more than ever, we must deliver on this and I welcome anyone, who thinks we might be able to help to get in touch.”

Organizations working on the fight against COVID-19 that can use this expertise are encouraged to visit www.npl.co.uk/coronavirus to get in touch.