91福利

A team of WMG academics, technicians and engineers are using their 3D Printing skills, to help in the fight against COVID-19, by producing face shields for NHS front-line staff.

As the supply of PPE became a key issue in the pandemic, technicians Phil Gibbons, Joseph Benjamin and Martin Worrall, and PhD student Kevin Couling responded to call asking volunteers to use their 3D Printing capabilities to produce face shields.

奥惭骋鈥檚 nine 3D printers have now been programmed to run around the clock producing more than 400 shields each week.

The first batch of face shields have now been vigorously inspected, cleaned, packaged and distributed to 3D Crowd鈥檚 central assembly station in 91福利shire. They will now be sent to organisations running low on supplies.

The team have also managed to order extra materials and will keep the printers running until supplies literally run out.

Reader Greg Gibbons explains: 鈥淒emand for PPE is incredibly high, and we are in a unique position to be able to help.

鈥淲e have 3D Printers running in our Degree Apprenticeship Centre (DAC) and we are also planning to open up our Materials Engineering Centre (MEC) to enable mass production of the shields.鈥�

In addition to the work with 3D Crowd, and with funding from WMG Centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the team are also working in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London on the development of an injection moulding process for face shield to enable mass production of the frame.

Associate Professor J茅r么me Charmet, and Post-Doctoral Research Associate Rui Rodrigues explain: 鈥淚t is fantastic that we are able to respond to this call and work towards providing the protection to the NHS that is so desperately needed.

鈥淲e are now finalising a tool design before we begin production. Once the process is up and running we then plan to transfer manufacture to , an Injection Mould SME, who will continue with large scale production.鈥�

In light of the highly-infectious Coronavirus pandemic, healthcare systems across the world have had to adapt rapidly for the evolving situation for three reasons:

1. The need to triage and treat large number of patients with respiratory problems

2. The need to protect healthcare workers to ensure they can treat the sick

3. The need to protect the elderly and most vulnerable in society from being infected

In the editorial, , published in the journal Digital Health (SAGE Publications), researchers from our Institute of Digital Healthcare at WMG, 91福利 (together with colleagues from 91福利 Medical School, University Hospitals Coventry & 91福利shire NHS Trust and Bristol Heart Institute, United Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust) provide insight into how these three reasons have led to an increase in digital healthcare.

Professor Theodoros Arvanitis, from the Institute of Digital Healthcare at WMG, 91福利 comments:

鈥淐ovid-19 will unfortunately have a human cost that will be remembered for many years to come. Its impact on healthcare, the economy and society, as a whole, will be rather significant. However, it could also be the start of more digitised healthcare, as new ways of remote and digital health working have had to evolve so rapidly. We can learn from this time and take it further to make one positive come out of coronavirus, a more digital healthcare practice.

鈥淎 more digital healthcare practice could help slow further spreads of infections, as if you have an infection and go to the doctors, you could pass it to people in the waiting area. It can also help GPs communicate more quickly and internationally, sharing advice more freely in the future.

鈥淚t can also improve the economy of the healthcare system by managing better the clinical load of frontline staff, while provide flexibility in the way citizens access healthcare services.鈥�

Innovative digital healthcare responses come into various aspects of coronavirus, from communication, to education and patient management.

In terms of communication, clinical groups are using messaging services such as slack and WhatsApp to manage rotas as high levels of staff may be off sick or in self-isolation. They are also using social media, such as Facebook to make groups such as the 鈥楥OVID Doctors Forum (UK)鈥�, which on the 6^th April 2020 had 14,813 members.

The group covers a range of topics, from PPE to procedures of self-isolation and lessons from colleagues internationally, as well as a number of blog posts.

There鈥檚 also been further examples in change of communication as the Discourse Digital Health Network had a page with multiple threads considering the digital response to Covid-19, as well as a webinar on the response, hosted by NHSX ,which would have previously been face to face.

Education wise many conference, training courses, post-graduate exams have been cancelled, however the need for rapid education of the healthcare workforce to deal with respiratory problems and deployment education to staff who have changed roles during the pandemic is still needed. It has therefore been carried out virtually.

Doctors in training have had their Annual Review of Clinical Progression assessments virtually, e-learning packages have also been set up much more rapidly than previously. For example, University Hospitals Coventry and 91福利shire produced a training package in just 72 hours to help staff train to deal with viral respiratory diseases.

One of the most significant changes is to patient management, in order to protect the elderly and vulnerable telemedicine consultations have taken place rather than in person.

There鈥檚 also been a rapid reaction in the MedTech industry to roll out digital tools and packages, such as EMIS, (Egton Medical Information Systems), the largest supplier of electronic health records, introducing a range of interventions, including modifying coding, alert tracking and all EMIS web GPs in the UK being able to host vide consultations for free.

Most GP practices are now offering appointments over the phone, video call or via an app.

WMG is proud to be playing its part in the government鈥檚 .

Fourteen winning projects, announced by the Business Secretary in March, will share a total of 拢6.7 million. These projects will help boost supply chain efficiencies in industries affected by electrification, from aerospace to automotive, to energy and rail.

Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said:

鈥淔unding and increased support for state-of-the-art electric manufacturing centres will help people, goods and services move across the nation, in a greener, safer and more reliable way than ever before.

By investing in world-leading science and engineering institutions, we are creating a modern transport system, bringing communities closer together while reducing the UK鈥檚 contribution to climate change.鈥�

Co-ordinated by WMG Centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult, WMG at the 91福利, will be part of the project consortiums for High Volume E-Machine Stack Manufacture and Lightweight Aluminium Winding (LAW).

High Volume E-Machine Stack Manufacture

This project brings WMG together with Brandauer, and Jaguar Land Rover to improve the production methods, tooling design, processes and material selection used in the creation of rotor and stator components to pave the way to a high volume production of thinner laminations in the UK.

Given the rise of electric vehicles and more electrified systems it is strategically desirable for the UK to develop its own supply chain for the production and distribution of high-performance electric machines at volume. This project seeks to close the gap in UK-based supply of rotor and stator lamination stacks.

Brandauer is already established as a market leader in high precision stampings and pressings in multiple sectors but does not currently have the capability to meet the demand of the automotive sector. This will create the opportunity for Brandauer to not just enter the automotive supply chain, but to do so as best-in-class.

Lightweight Aluminium Winding (LAW)

A consortium, led by Aspire Engineering, with WMG, Voltalogic, Ashwoods Automotive, Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products will develop a winding machine for aluminium wires. The winding machine will provide the first UK supply chain solution for manufacturing aluminium coils. Coil winding is a critical component of eMachine manufacture and is not provided by any UK manufacturer. UK based companies of eMachines have to purchase winding machines from overseas suppliers or have wound coils shipped to them.

Ashwoods and Voltalogic will provide copper coil designs that will be redesigned to use aluminium wire. Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products will provide coated aluminium wire with the preferred electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Aspire will build their work on winding machines to provide a volume manufacturing solution, and WMG will leverage their development work on volume e-Machine manufacture to guide the partners to the provision of a volume manufacturing solution.

The successful completion of the project will provide a UK supply chain for the manufacture of e-Machine coil winding. Through this, it will enhance the UK's competitiveness to deliver e-Machine manufacturing technology. It will embed the design and manufacturing expertise for coil winding into the UK supply chain.

The project will develop the reduction in weight of e-Machines by 15% without compromising performance by developing manufacturing processes for winding coils from alternative material.

It will also deliver, for the first time, to the off-highway market a single source drive system incorporating advanced IPM motor technology, radically lighter BUT equally as efficient as current IPM technology.

Find out more about 奥惭骋鈥檚 Transport Electrification and Energy research here.

WMG at the 91福利 is helping a body of British citizen scientists, medical clinicians, academics, manufacturers and engineers who have developed an alternative model of ventilator to support the Government鈥檚 drive to equip the NHS.

The new model, the exovent, is a cutting-edge reinvention of the archetypal iron lung which saved the lives of countless polio victims during the last century.

, the UK鈥檚 leading privately owned Aerospace and Defence business, is exploring the technical aspects of the scheme ahead of rapid production and roll-out of the Negative Pressure Ventilator (NPV). The exovent concept is also supported by WMG at the 91福利 and representatives from Imperial NHS Trust and The Royal National Throat Nose and Ear hospital. Two leading intensive care units have agreed to trial the prototype ventilator support devices.

exovent is non-invasive, which means that patients do not need to have their windpipes intubated, so they don鈥檛 need to be sedated or paralysed. Instead, they can remain conscious, take medication and nutrition by mouth, and talk to loved ones on the phone. It can be used on a normal ward, keeping patients out of intensive care.

Margot James, Executive Chair, WMG, 91福利 comments: 鈥淲e are delighted to be working with exovent to help scale up their non-invasive ventilator from prototype to volume manufacturing. Our engineers and researchers are collaborating with the exovent team on the design, engineering, component sourcing and assembly of the ventilator. I am extremely proud of the unstinting and dedicated efforts of our research team, led by Archie MacPherson at WMG, and glad that we are able to apply our expertise to this important project.鈥�

*Please credit images to John Hunter Steer Energy

WMG is pleased to be supporting 鈥檚 event, a global virtual hackathon to find technology solutions to fight the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate against its economic and societal impact.

The event organised by takes place this weekend (4^th – 5th April). There are a consortium of partners including WMG, , Case Western Reserve University鈥檚 , the Cleveland Clinic鈥檚 , , , , , , and the .

This UK-launched initiative joins the global movement of taking place around the world.

Teams of technologists, creatives, activists and experts will be launching up to 25 new applications over the weekend, as they work to help solve some of the greatest challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovative projects will focus on three key themes. 

These are:

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;Citizen science - solutions to empower individuals to help healthcare and the government tackle the disease faster

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;Community health - technology or applications that help the vulnerable or ensure communities have the resources to make it through the crisis

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;Mass coordination - solutions that unlock the power of personal data to help mobilisation and coordination of resources  

Mentoring, resources, and support from experienced technology and product leaders will guide each project as they compete to make the biggest impact on the virus and its effects on society. Viable solutions will be offered funding and professional developer support, and the entrepreneurs leading them will be encouraged to continue development and bring the solutions they have created to market to help communities, patients, and healthcare services.

Professor Irene Ng 奥惭骋鈥檚 Professor of Marketing and Service Systems and CEO of Dataswift explained: 鈥淲e鈥檙e giving people a chance to respond with action, by working together to improve the lives of everyone affected by COVID-19.鈥�

鈥淥ur goal is to band together to help communities, patients, and their families using what we know best - technology. We need to ensure that in these difficult times opportunistic app makers aren鈥檛 hoovering up our data, and to avoid a scenario where the world ends up worse than it was before. This collective action will prove that the ethical data economy can trump the surveillance economy.鈥�

Hack from Home is actively looking for participants, mentors, and sponsors. Anyone interested in getting involved is invited to register online or get in touch .

Professor Ng added: 鈥淟et鈥檚 roll up our proverbial sleeves with the research, technology, and business communities and demonstrate how much public value we can create when we鈥檙e working together.鈥�

Youngjin Yoo, Professor of Design and Innovation at Case Western Reserve University and Faculty Director of xLab has highlighted that: "The fight against the pandemic is not just a medical problem - it is a behavioural, and a social problem. Our economy, our social lives, and our community are all affected by the pandemic. A multi-disciplinary, multi-industry approach to this struggle is required. And the market failure of the ethical use of personal data is one of the challenges.

鈥淭he Covid19 pandemic is demonstrating in real time why the society desperately needs a scalable ethical technology infrastructure. This hackathon will bring bright minds together to address this complex and rapidly evolving problem."

For more information visit:  

Now that schools across the UK are closed due to Covid-19, the challenge is on for parents to keep their children educated. Or failing that – just keep them occupied.

The outreach team from WMG, 91福利, want to encourage children and their parents and carers to use this time to explore some of the fun, creative which are available online. With support from WMG centre HVM Catapult, the outreach team at WMG has produced a number of online activities for children of all ages to get involved and learn something new.

Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation for WMG, explains:
"With schools closing it鈥檚 a real opportunity to engage parents and carers with online teaching resources, to ensure children are getting an education at home during these uncertain times.鈥�

鈥淲e hope these resources, which are suitable for young people of all ages, will inspire children to take up careers in STEM. Many children may think of engineering as physically making things, but don't realise the maths or computer design skills required, which could open up a great career for them in the future.鈥�

The first resource suggested by WMG outreach team is is great for children in school years 5 to 9. Turtlestitch is a free website on which users can write a program to control a digital embroidery machine. It is used by WMG for outreach activities, as a means of raising awareness of the breadth of engineering. Young people really enjoy using Turtlestitch for pattern design, with or without access to a digital embroidery machine, which makes it ideal for learning at home while schools are closed.

Helen Luckhurst, a Project Officer at WMG, 91福利 comments: 鈥淭urtlestitch is great for children learning at home because it gives them a fun context for applying maths skills. It is interactive and engaging as children discover the patterns they can make using maths.鈥�

鈥淲e have created a number of resource cards and video tutorials to support its use, so I hope that parents and carers will encourage their children to use this as a different way of learning.鈥�

Find WMG video tutorials, how-to cards and maths tasks to guide users through Turtlestitch . Explore the learning materials on basic programming skills, year 5 and 6 maths, craft projects and further mathematical investigations.

Another fun activity for both primary and secondary school children is , a colourful, easy to use computer-aided design software, which is free to use in the web browser and suitable for children from around 8 years of age. Teachers, kids, hobbyists, and designers use it to imagine, design, and make anything. It is used by WMG outreach as part of the 91福利 Bright Stars programme in primary schools. Parents can find video tutorials and ideas for several projects , including keyrings, money pots and lolly drip trays.

Diane Burton, a Project Officer at WMG, 91福利 explains: "These Tinkercad projects engage children in the design process, and get them using measurements and maths as an essential part of their design work.鈥�

Autodesk Fusion 360 is a powerful, professional CAD package. It is used in secondary schools and is suitable for ages 14+, and a free download is available to students, educators and enthusiasts. WMG video and written tutorials are available here, where you will find projects including design of assistive technology.

Parents may also want to do some experiments at home with their children, which are fun and educational for any age.

WMG staff have made videos available of demonstrating experiments to do at home, using household items and toys you might already have. It is advisable that children are supervised during these experiments.

Watch Graduate Trainee Engineers Lauren, Jacob, Josh and Lucas demonstrating STEM experiments, and follow a guide to building a pulley from a toy construction set. There are many more experiments to come, telling the engineering story behind household objects.

Dr Phil Jemmett, a Project Officer at WMG, 91福利 comments: 鈥淓very product in your house has been made by engineers and shaped by scientists. We want to tell the story behind those items and show you experiments that you can do with everyday stuff. Now that we are all staying in our homes, we just have to find a way to do STEM with what we鈥檝e got!鈥�

Parental supervision is advised when accessing external websites.

Robert Harrison, Professor of Automation Systems, at WMG, 91福利, comments on the potential of UK engineering companies to manufacture ventilators.

He said: 鈥淛CB, Rolls Royce or others could potentially manufacture ventilators. They have relevant skills and capabilities, but given that all the design and manufacturing related information could be supplied to them, getting the parts and the tooling to manufacture such a thing will be a significant task, perhaps taking many months.

鈥淭hey would have to tool up production lines and train workers to assemble and test the product. Sourcing the parts, e.g., electronics, valves and air-turbines, quickly could be difficult.

鈥淭hese are sophisticated devices. It is crucial that they work correctly in order to keep the patient alive, as these are life-critical pieces of equipment.鈥�

Congratulations to WMG Associate Professor Dr Ian Tuersley who has been awarded a Outstanding Contribution Award 2019 for Marine Education.

鈥淒r Tuersley is a , a Fellow of both the IMarEST and the , and has been part of the teaching team at the 91福利 for over 25 years.

His nomination for the IMarEST Outstanding Contribution Award was based on his engagement with the 鈥樷�� (eISR) and the US equivalent (ISR) competitions over the last seven years. His involvement has reaped a substantial amount of educational benefit that he has developed and disseminated throughout the higher education sector.

Since 2013, Ian has acted as Project Director on the 91福利 Submarine team supporting final year engineering students in designing and building a human-powered submarine to the exacting specification of the US and European competitions.

Ian said: 鈥淭his award is wonderful recognition of a great deal of very successful work – but that has involved contributions from a number of colleagues and of course a lot of my project students. Their enthusiasm and engagement in both the 91福利 Submarine project itself and the dissemination of its benefits and achievements has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career as a teacher. I am grateful for having the opportunity to have been involved in this activity with all of these people and would like to extend the recognition that this award offers to all of them.鈥�

Ian鈥檚 teaching subjects range from applied statistics and experimental data analysis to various aspects of Engineering Business Management (EBM) at both undergraduate and Master鈥檚 degree level. His exceptional standard of teaching has been recognised with several awards including a '91福利 Award for Teaching Excellence' (WATE).

Pictures of empty supermarket shelves, and stories of supermarkets putting limits on items dominates the news as people stockpile due to Coronavirus.

Jan Godsell, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG, 91福利 offers her expert comment on why it needs to stop.

Supporting the supermarkets to 鈥榮mooth the spike鈥�

A demand problem鈥�

"The current issues facing UK grocery supply chains, is not one of supply, but one of demand. The UK grocery retailers have sophisticated planning systems that seek to balance demand and supply. Over time, they learn seasonal patterns, the impact of promotions and other events and automatically adjust. The systems are so sophisticated that in the shorter term, they can adjust to changes in weather, for instance making sure we have the right food for our BBQs on hot days.

Need to smooth out the spike鈥�

"The one type of demand that these systems really don鈥檛 like is unpredicted spikes in demand. Most grocery products have a relatively stable, and predictable rate of demand that the retailers can plan for. If this suddenly increases, it can take time for the supply chain to react, and move the stock that is further upstream to the shelf.

The problem at the moment is that whilst there is stock upstream in the supply chain, it is hard for the retailers to replenish it to shelf at the rate consumers are taking it. It also means that rather having stock in a warehouse, that could be used by all, the stock gets isolated in our homes, where it can only benefit an individual or their family.

Grocery retailers are taking the really sensible step of 鈥榬ationing鈥� to try and smooth out these spikes. This is a really responsible reaction, and one to be commended as it will help to ensure that everyone gets the essential items they need.

Need to protect the vulnerable鈥�

"Many in the UK have to budget carefully and only have the financial resources to buy what they need, when they need it. They can鈥檛 afford to stock pile.

Rationing should improve availability of products to all, and encourage everyone to buy at the rate that they consume. In that way we should all have access to the essential items we need.
Further measures by grocery retailers to prioritise delivery slots, and have dedicated in-store shopping slots for the elderly and vulnerable are be commended too.

What else could be done?

"Whilst UK retailers have started rationing, some are still offering promotions. Buy-one-get one-free, 3 for 2, or buy 2 for a fixed amount, all encourage consumers to buy more than they actually need.
Perhaps now is the time to stop such promotions, move to fixed pricing, to discourage purchasing more than required.

The Italian retailers are a number of weeks ahead of the UK retailers in understanding the impact of the virus on demand. It would be expected that once initial panic buying is over, when cupboards are full, replenishment will return to a more normal rate. There may be some uplift as we stay at home, and consume more in our domestic environment. Insight from the Italians, shared with UK retailers and their suppliers could help us to prepare.

With more consumers shopping online, and rationing in place, donations to food banks have fallen at a time when they are needed more than ever. Perhaps it is time to consider, how we can move food banks on-line too. Donate food, as part of our on-line shop or as a direct donation. With digital food bank vouchers, enabling the most vulnerable to get direct supply from a retailer.

These are unprecedented times. The basic principle of good supply chain management is to balance demand and supply. The UK retailers are working really hard to ensure that we have all the essential items that we need. We can help too, by buying responsibly and supporting the more vulnerable."

An Autonomous Guided Vehicle is being designed by researchers at WMG, 91福利 in a bid to help the horticultural sector tackle a labour shortage.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) launched the in 2018 in a bid to help the sector鈥檚 economy by reducing labour requirements in horticulture through new technology and automation.

Leading automation experts from the WMG, 91福利 are creating the model alongside three horticultural businesses; (lettuce propagators, Yorkshire), (salads, Worcestershire), and (bedding plants, Essex).

The model will have the potential to work in both glasshouse and outdoor environments to automate the movement of trays and boxes around the production area, speeding up production.

from on .

Professor Robert Harrison from WMG, 91福利 comments:
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to apply the cutting-edge technology developed in the automotive industry to the challenging environment of horticultural production.

鈥淲e reviewed existing AGVs to ensure there wasn鈥檛 an available product that could meet the growers鈥� needs, and have run a full analysis on the potential prototype to ensure the investment could be repaid through offsetting future labour costs.鈥�

Our research teams is working on a solution to specifically address needs within the horticulture sector. Having captured the requirements, we have produced a configurable solution, which we are now progressing via prototype designs. Key aspects of the solution include the ability to work both indoors and outdoors and for it to be usable in conjunction with application-specific attachments of different types.

Grace Emeny, Knowledge Exchange Manager at AHDB, said: 鈥淲ith the lack of available labour an increasing pressure for many businesses, there is a growing need to automate more routine tasks to enable staff to be reallocated to more skilled jobs.

鈥淭here are two main barriers that prevent the uptake of automation. Many off-the shelf solutions don鈥檛 work for diverse horticulture production systems and often the return on investment doesn鈥檛 stack up in the current trading climate. WMG were tasked with addressing both of these challenges, which we believe they are well on their way to achieving.鈥�

The overall goal is for the prototype to be developed commercially and is likely to cost around 拢30,000 to 拢50,000 depending on its configuration. So it鈥檚 available to all kinds of businesses in the sector.

James Bean, Crystal Heart Salad Co. comments:

鈥淲MG have made several visits to our nursery. They have carried out a study of our logistics and have identified a design of autonomous vehicle which can improve efficiency and remove low-skilled manual tasks.

鈥淲e are excited to see this move to the next stage, to conduct real-life tests of the technology. If it fulfils expectations, it will make a fundamental change to our business.鈥�

Grace added: 鈥淲e know horticulture is at the forefront of a digital revolution in farming and our SmartHort programme is designed to help connect growers with automation and robotics experts to help accelerate innovation. This project demonstrates the potential opportunities available from matching skills outside horticulture to meet the needs of the industry.鈥�

The project is being funded by AHDB and match-funded by Innovate-UK-backed High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

To find out more about the SmartHort Automation Challenge, visit

 ENDS