Royal Mint to mass produce 4,000 medical visors per day for NHS staff battling coronavirus

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David Child28 March 2020

The Royal Mint has started mass manufacturing medical visors to protect frontline NHS staff battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Engineers at the organisation created a successful prototype within just 48 hours, with moves now underway to produce 4,000 units a day.

Since news of the visor production emerged, the Royal Mint has received requests to supply hospitals across the UK.

As a result, production is now moving to 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the organisation's site in Llantrisant, south Wales.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint said: "We have received requests from NHS trusts and hospitals across the country since we announced yesterday."

"We have increased production as a result to help as many as possible."

A total of 750 visors were made on Saturday and the team is aiming to increase this to 4,000 per day from Tuesday.

The spokeswoman said engineers at the site, used to working on coins and related machinery, created the first design within seven hours.

They then outlined the materials required to produce the visors and designed the component parts.

The Royal Mint worked with its supply chain in the UK to source the materials so final prototypes could be made for the NHS to review.

Approval came within 48 hours of the company beginning work on the visors, with units now already in use at the nearby Royal Glamorgan Hospital.

Huw Davies, clinical director for anaesthetics at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said staff were "really grateful" for the visors.

"It was actually quite emotional for our teams when they came in and offered their support and expertise to us to help keep us safe," he said.

"It is a great example of collaboration and a real goodwill gesture from their team."

The Royal Mint has meanwhile appealed for manufacturers across the UK to help source 1.0mm clear plastic, a vital component for the visors which is currently in low supply.

Anyone who can help should contact visors@royalmint.com.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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