Amtico uses factory to help produce thousands of NHS face masks

Coventry-based flooring firm Amtico has transformed its manufacturing facilities to produce up to 20,000 parts a day for life-saving face shields used by frontline NHS and critical key workers in the battle against COVID-19.

Better know for is luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring, the company has adapted the materials and machinery used in its production to create parts for essential PPE for use throughout the UK.

This comes as the result of joining forces with schools from around the country, who were working on producing face shields using 3D printing before assembling and distributing them nationwide. As the headband is the most complex and time- consuming component of a protective face shield, Amtico stepped in to help improve the efficiency and speed of production.

The company assembled a dedicated team of technical, CAD and cutting specialists and, within a few hours, modified the design of the headband to ensure it was more secure and structurally sound, as well as faster and more efficient to assemble, with less wastage.

Amtico also created a new composition of its flooring material specifically for the headstraps, ensuring the best balance between flexibility and rigidity, with the ultimate aim of making them as comfortable and practical as possible for frontline NHS staff and critical key workers.

The company has already produced 4,500 of the headbands to date, with capacity to produce up to 20,000 per day, and furthermore is now listed on the Government’s official PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) procurement service.

The final samples were taken to Watford General Hospital on Thursday 9th April 2020, where the design was approved and 2,000 units ordered. These were then produced by Amtico, free of charge, within seven hours of NHS approval. A further 12,000 parts have been ordered to create face shields for many hospitals throughout North and West London.

Jonathan Duck, CEO at Amtico, said: 'I’m proud of the way Amtico, as a company, rises to new challenges. Members of our CAD, cutting and material development teams listened carefully to feedback from the NHS to make sure the headband was not only functional but comfortable.

'We were able to draw on our technical expertise, modifying the design for maximum efficiency, scaling up production and helping local schools support the NHS and other key workers.'