Ineos Team Uk’s 3d Printers To Make Nhs Face Shields

Throughout the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sport Industry Group is using our Cutting Edge Sport section to highlight the innovations, initiatives and ingenuity of the sport industry as it aims to help solve the issue and save lives.

INEOS TEAM UK has harnessed part of its team base in Portsmouth to make PPE face shields for NHS staff.

Utilising the manufacturing capacity and resource within the team base, including 3D printers and sailmakers, together with additional resource from the existing team partnership with Mercedes-Benz Applied Science (MBAS), INEOS TEAM UK and MBAS will together be producing an initial total of over 100 PPE face shields a day.

The team says it aims to supply over 5,000 free of charge to the local hospital in Portsmouth, with additional face shields distributed to local ‘red-zone’ surgeries in the area. 

INEOS TEAM UK Skipper and Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie said: “The entire INEOS family feels it is everyone’s responsibility to be hands on in this crisis by deploying resource and expertise to support the frontline where best we can. The work INEOS, for example, are doing in producing millions of bottles of hand sanitisers across Europe and distributing them free-of-charge to frontline staff has been inspiring to see.

“We have a lot of expertise in manufacturing and production and we therefore felt the best way for us to support was the production of PPE face shields which will go direct, free-of-charge, to frontline staff in the team’s local area.

“Our partnership with Mercedes-Benz Applied Science has been fantastic in enabling us to increase our production of these face shields and I wanted to extend my deepest thanks to them for all their invaluable support”.

INEOS TEAM UK Design Engineer Ollie Pendleton who is leading the 3D printing of the headbands added: “When Mark Coombe and the team approached us asking for PPE equipment we immediately set about exploring how we could help. We have two 3D printers at our base which at full capacity could produce around 100 headbands a week for PPE face shields.

“We then spoke to some of our partners and they have been brilliant. Both our official charity, The 1851 Trust, and Mercedes-Benz Applied Science have provided additional 3D printers. Now working closely with MBAS that means our production is currently at over 100 face shields a day.”

Dr Mark Coombe, NHS GP and partner at Horndean Surgery, Hampshire, added: “To help fight back against this global pandemic we have turned our surgery in Hampshire into a ‘red-zone’ clinic where we will assess and treat patients with COVID-19 symptoms on-site to take pressure off of the local hospitals.

“To be able to run a clinic like that safely we need a significant amount of PPE equipment. Through my relationship with INEOS TEAM UK I approached them and asked if they could help and they have gone above and beyond, now producing over 100 PPE face shields a day. That is even more than we require at our surgery. We at Horndean Surgery are hugely grateful for these and it’s great news that additional face shields will be sent to other front-line workers as well, they will make a huge difference in protecting our safety.”