Medical device manufacturer, Boddingtons, continues its work on recycling and utility management at the same time as managing a sharp increase in COVID-19 related medical business.
The recycling and energy management initiatives are folded into the company’s ongoing continuous improvement structures; with cross-functional teams progressing innovations and new methods under the supervision of the Boddingtons board.
The Kent-based factory is currently making 600 component mouldings a day in order to satisfy UK ventilator production demand in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency project came about on the back of Boddingtons just having doubled the size of its Class 7 cleanroom capacity.
The new facility has been created inside the £4.6m purpose-built factory building that was launched by Lord Digby Jones some three years ago.
At 225 sq metres in size, the footprint of the second cleanroom is just 10 sq metres short of the existing facility. It has the potential to house a further seven injection moulding production cells and additional assembly lines – in addition to the eight production cells currently in Cleanroom one.
The company’s use of utilities to service the expanded production is, therefore, a key focus of its lean manufacturing programmes, with the recycling and reduction of energy a top priority.
Where needed, Boddingtons also works with its customers in sourcing and manufacturing from valued, tested and traceable sources of polymer recyclate.
Boddingtons also ensures that all its cardboard, broken wooden pallets, general plastics waste and general site waste are fully recycled according to the latest environmental specifications.
Boddingtons has won the Plastics Industry Awards (PIA) four times for the category of Industrial Design. Three of those winners have been for ground-breaking medical devices. The pace of Boddingtons med-tech design and manufacturing innovation is not set to slacken during 2020.
Contact Boddingtons directly for manufacturing needs in relation to the virus. Telephone 01622 833723.
