Williams Advanced Engineering proud to help UK's COVID-19 ventilator challenge for NHS
02 April 2020

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Technology & engineering services business, Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is playing a significant role in an Aerospace consortium to produce medical ventilators for use by the NHS during the COVID-19 coronavirus global pandemic.
The aim is to quickly produce an initial batch of 5,000 Smiths ParaPAC300 ventilators, utilising speed of response and rapid processes derived from a motorsport background. WAE is involved in developing 3D CAD models for the Bill of Materials (BoM), test equipment re-engineering and manufacturing, procurement and rapid prototyping.
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is proud to be playing a significant role in a consortium of UK industrial, technology and engineering businesses from across the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors, who have come together to rapidly produce medical ventilators in response to the coronavirus crisis. On 19 March 2020, the company were engaged by the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium to conduct re-engineering activity on the ParaPAC300 ventilator unit, producing a number of prototype ventilator components within 2 weeks.
The Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium is led by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a group of manufacturing research centres in the UK, and, as well as WAE, it includes Airbus, GKN, Rolls-Royce, PA Consulting, Thales, Siemens, Mclaren and BAE Systems. One of the projects is to rapidly produce an initial batch of 5,000 Smiths Group ParaPAC300 ventilators for the NHS.
The majority of the work has been undertaken at WAE’s Grove facility or by personnel working remotely from home and, to date, has involved over 50 staff members.
Craig Wilson, Managing Director of Williams Advanced Engineering said: “We are proud to be working with so many innovative partners on this project. Williams Advanced Engineering prides itself on speed of response and rapid turnaround; skills we can really maximise as part of the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium. We are all determined that the results of our collective efforts will make a huge difference and save lives.”
About Williams Advanced Engineering
In 2010, Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited began diversifying its operations, leading to the establishment of the Williams Advanced Engineering division, a technology & engineering services business, which became Williams Advanced Engineering Limited.
Combining cutting edge technology and the industry’s best engineers with precision and speed-to-market derived from four decades of success in the ultra-competitive environment of Formula One, Williams Advanced Engineering provides world class technical innovation, engineering, testing, manufacturing and operational consultancy services to the automotive, motorsport, aerospace, defence, health and energy sectors. Working in close collaboration with its customers, Williams Advanced Engineering helps meet the sustainability challenges of the 21st century and improve performance, with its expertise in aerodynamics and thermodynamics, electrification, advanced lightweight materials, simulation and vehicle integration.
In December 2019, Williams Grand Prix Engineering agreed to the sale of a majority equity stake in Williams Advanced Engineering to EMK Capital, with Williams retaining a significant minority stake in the business. Williams Advanced Engineering has grown from an embryonic business in 2010 to a company employing 350 people engaged in many innovative and transformative technical areas for a growing list of clients. The investment by EMK represented a natural next step in the evolution of the company, unlocking the potential for further growth.
The Company was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation 2018.
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