Conversion of Automated Assembly Machinery

Concepts

• industrial machinery
• conversion of automated assembly machinery
• conversion
• assembly machinery
• working plastics
• fitment of 3mm strips
• 5mm strips

Location

United Kingdom:

Description

Conversion of automated assembly machinery to allow the fitment of 3mm strips as opposed to 5mm strips.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 42994200 - Machinery for working plastics

Legal Justification

The machinery was designed by and manufactured by Huxley Bertram Engineering Ltd. Therefore, the most viable supply decision was to instruct Huxley Bertram to carry out this work which consists of modifying the machinery to use 3mm test strips as opposed to the 5mm strips.1. The COVID-19 outbreak is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern as declared by the World Health Organisation on 30 January 2020. The WHO Director General characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020.2. A key element of ensuring an effective response to the pandemic is ensuring that there is adequate testing. Therefore, ensuring surge LFT capacity, including sufficient availability of Lateral Flow Tests, is critical. 3. Mass testing of the UK Population is a key step in bringing the Pandemic under control. (Lateral Flow Tests produce quicker results than the current PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test, and do not require a lab processing step.) LFT tests have only recently become viable as a means of testing, with multiple tests being progressed through to certification and approval. This was unforeseen by the DHSC and outside its control.4. DHSC's market analysis data demonstrates that the global market for LFT is volatile and highly competitive. Global manufacturing capability is limited to circa 120m units per day. Demand often outstrips supply. DHSC requirement is driven by the progress of the pandemic (including emerging variants), the changing efficacy of available LTF products and the severity of the second wave/national R-number. That requirement means that the UK must make substantial purchases of tests during a short manufacturing window.5. DHSC has been tasked with ensuring security of supply of a critical consumable asset (Lateral Flow Antigen tests) in a volatile and competitive global marketplace. This manufacturing contract pursues that mandate by guaranteeing that DHSC is able to receive a stable supply of completed lateral flow test devices manufactured by a diagnostics tests manufacturing specialist, within the urgent timeframes required by the project and VFM cost.

Other Information

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