Enhancing Protection from COVID-19

Source: Dr Roujun Toh

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, an event was held on 25 June 2020 to bring together entrepreneurs, industrialists and researchers, who have pivoted their manufacturing to help solve the shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment.

Three organisations joined the Materials Australia community in an open discussion forum. Our speakers were Victoria Wells (Co-founder and Chair of 3DEME), Sophia Cole (Coordinator of Australian National University (ANU) MakerSpace @Engineering), Rachael Hanrick (Lead Maker at ANU MakerSpace @Physics) and Neil Wilson (Managing Director of Romar Engineering). Through the stories they shared, we celebrated their contributions, and learned about the manufacturing and materials challenges in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole and Hanrick shared their experiences in regards to how the ANU MakerSpace responded to the pandemic, and the subsequent closure of the ANU campus. As users and healthcare workers approached them to make PPE, their ability to pivot, quickly and easily, was was mainly attributed to the open-source and openaccess culture of MakerSpace. Designs and manufacturing methods were openly distributed by MakerSpace worldwide, right at the beginning of the pandemic. In addition, through their community and network of former members, MakerSpace was able to identify a specific need, and gather feedback from clinicians, in order to optimise designs for face shields; the product that was most in shortage at the beginning of the pandemic. With the need to source new materials, that were foreign to their usual work, the arduous task of building up a supply chain, from scratch, proved to be challenging. The initial project plan of producing 2,000 face shields had to be adjusted, as the minimum order quantity for foam would have generated 17,000 face shields. However, with the support of ANU, they were able to go ahead with the order. Moreover, they were able to distribute the free products to three hospital networks and 23 medical practices and health organisations. As a relatively small-scale fabricator, the speed at which they could pivot made a significant contribution. They managed to make PPE, as a stop gap measure in the interim, before larger manufacturers could jump on board. Their story underlined the importance of meticulous project planning, open, frequent and wellorganised communications, both internally and externally, and a community network to access knowledge, skill and the manpower required for rapid response. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Victoria Wells shared how she co-founded 3DEME, and steered her career into the medical technology sector. With Toyota as their partner, 3DEME had access to an established network of manufacturers and product design team. As the company pivoted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working long days of 22 to 23 hours was necessary, in order to ensure the design of important products for the community. Feedback was also gathered in order to make improvements to the design. In many cases, the end users of the products were consulted, such as the respiratory department in hospitals. A few challenges were highlighted in Wells’ story: (1)Getting raw materials imported into

Australia (2)Expediting various classes of devices (3)Intellectual property (IP) issues Leveraging her previous role as a contract lawyer at Toyota, and her understanding of their culture, Wells was able to use appropriate language and techniques in communications to the executive level at Toyota. Engagement with senior management helped streamline the process of navigating an uninterrupted supply chain. While decision making processes in large organisations may be tedious, Wells’ advice is to try to understand the structures and stress factors in place, rather than pushing against them. The result of her team’s tenacity has not only contributed to the production of face shields and hyperbaric hoods to support Australia’s frontline workers during the pandemic, but has also created a bridge

Project timeline and face shields production at the ANU MakerSpace. between the local medical community and the manufacturing community. Attendees also heard from Neil Wilson from Romar Engineering, a diverse small to medium enterprise based in medical device manufacturing and 3D printing. Sharing his insights on the change in thinking amongst the manufacturing community, Wilson pointed out that many manufacturing companies have had to make difficult decisions due to the loss of business, while having to still deal with existing fixed costs during the pandemic. At the same time, customers and government agencies were consulting the company about pivoting the business to produce PPE. In some cases, very short-term requirements, or work outside the bounds of their capability, were presented. In other cases, large capital investments may be necessary. Navigating through such a chaotic period of time, it was necessary to utilise the existing skill-base and equipment capabilities available, in order to pivot. Wilson talked about two main factors affecting their decision-making processes: long-term and short-term financial considerations, and compliance of medical devices. Given the small molecular size of the coronavirus, the high volumes of filtering products currently offered were not compliant. By working closely with regulatory bodies such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Food and Drug Administration, Romar Engineering is working to produce products that contain antibacterial capabilities, and where possible, include materials that are able to sterilise or kill the virus. As they told their stories, a number of strong trends became apparent: the need for clear communication within their teams, and with the clinicians that will use their products; product compliance; and the need for persistence and creativity to overcome supply chain issues that could halt production.