JCB is set to restart production at its factory in Uttoxeter and reinstate 50 furloughed employees to join the national effort to manufacture ventilators
JCB is ready to restart production at its factory in Uttoxeter, which has been closed for nearly two weeks as a result of the coronavirus crisis, to join the national effort to manufacture ventilators.
Following a direct appeal from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, JCB Chairman Lord Bamford pledged to help in any way it could and instantly organised a research and engineering team to examine potential ways to assist.
Instead of making cabs for JCB diggers, the factory will make special steel housings for a brand new design of ventilator from Dyson.
A minimum of 10,000 of the JCB housings is earmarked for manufacture once Dyson receives regulatory approval for its design.
The first prototypes of the housings have been delivered to Dyson after rolling off the production.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford, commented: “When we were approached by the prime minister we were determined, as a British company, to help in any way we could.
“This project has gone from design to production in just a matter of days and I am delighted that we have been to deploy the skills of our talented engineering, design and fabrication teams so quickly at a time of national crisis.
“This is also a global crisis, of course, and we will naturally help with the production of more housings if these ventilators are eventually required by other countries.”
50 furloughed workers will return to work in order to help manufacture the ventilator housings.
