How to Select a Ventilator Parts Manufacturer During COVID-19

May 19, 2020 | Medical/Pharmaceutical

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 5 in 6 COVID-19 patients recover without needing medical intervention. However, one out of six people becomes seriously ill.

This is when ventilators become necessary. High quality manufacturing of ventilator parts is key for hospitals to defeat COVID-19.

But with a shortage of global medical supplies, manufacturers from industries other than medical and pharmaceuticals have switched gears to produce medical supplies, such as ventilator parts. But just as important as the ventilator parts are, the components made to process them and ensure they are sterilized to be shipped off to hospitals should also be priorities and made of high-quality materials

How Do Ventilators Help COVID-19 Patients?


COVID-19 is part of the family of coronavirus which attacks the respiratory system. The virus damages the lungs, making breathing difficult and causing oxygen levels to fall. A ventilator machine assists with two important functions: getting oxygen into the lungs and taking carbon dioxide out. Although ventilators do not fight the infection, they assist with breathing and support lung function. 

Modern ventilator parts consist of pump machines, a monitor, and a tube that is inserted into the windpipe through the nose or mouth to control the airflow. The tube can also enter through a surgical opening, via tracheostomy, if needed.

For patients without as severe COVID-19 complications, non-invasive ventilators can be used and do not require an airway tube to be inserted into the body. Instead, these use a facemask to be placed over the nose and mouth. 

Ventilator parts have been in high demand since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak; it has been projected that the U.S. will need almost 80,000 ventilators to combat the pandemic while 880,000 are expected to be needed globally. In order to meet the demand, governments have turned to manufacturers of industries outside the medical field, including automotive and aerospace, to produce ventilator parts. 

Manufacturing of Ventilator Parts

Ventilator parts for COVID-19 patients must be made of high-quality materials to ensure the health of patients and their reusability. For example, baskets for manufacturing ventilator parts need to be made of durable material and properly sanitized to provide the utmost protection for the COVID-19 patient.

Durability

When processing ventilator parts, the equipment itself or what is being used to manufacture the parts should be of the highest quality. Baskets made to run ventilator parts through parts cleaning before they are ready to be shipped out to hospitals need to be durable enough to withstand large production quotas and strict production tolerances. 

Baskets may be subjected to repeated impacts due to conveyor belts systems and a strong tensile strength to withstand impact resistance. They also need to hold their shape and be able to deliver the same results to keep up with the large demand for ventilator parts. 

For a durable, longer-lasting material for ventilator parts manufacturing, stainless steel baskets are superior to alternatives like plastic. Besides its strong impact resistance, stainless steel offers resistance to fluids, stress, and temperature - so baskets can last years without needing replacement.

Sterilization

Before being sent to hospitals to help the hardest-hit COVID-19 patients, ventilator parts need to be properly sanitized so they can arrive in the most sterile condition. Stainless steel baskets ensure that the valuable ventilator parts are properly washed before the components are put together. If ventilator parts are not properly cleaned, bacteria and other debris, such as dirt, could be accidentally placed into the lungs of patients. 

Though there are hundreds of different types of stainless steel, the most popular types used for medical manufacturing applications are grade 304 SS and grade 316 SS due to their properties. Not only do they have high tensile strength, but grade 316 stainless steel has a higher resistance to chlorides, while grade 304 stainless has an excellent general resistance to chemical corrosion. This makes 304 SS ideal for a wide variety of manufacturing applications, such as parts washing since it can repeatedly withstand powerful sanitation methods. 

Stainless steel wire baskets can also be electropolished, a process that strips the top layer of material from the metal form. This creates a surface so microscopically smooth that it leaves no crevices for bacteria to hide in. As a result, electropolished steel is easy to sterilize, making it ideal for medical and pharmaceutical applications. 

How to Select the Right Ventilator Parts Manufacturer

The wire baskets you use to manufacture ventilator parts contribute to the quality of your components. Baskets made with plastic may be unable to withstand the high production demands and harsh sanitation methods used during parts washing to ensure ventilator parts are as clean as can be. In contrast, stainless steel wire baskets can be depended upon to retain their strength and capabilities, no matter how many times they are used and how tough the sanitation temperatures and chemicals are.  

In today’s COVID-19 climate, a lot is dependent on the life-saving devices being shipped out to hospitals nation-wide to combat the virus. Both doctors and patients rely on equipment such as ventilators to save lives and stop the outbreak. Ventilator parts are essential to this fight against COVID-19, and the wire baskets used to manufacture them are just as important. 

If you’re looking for the right wire basket manufacturer for your medical equipment needs, reach out to the team at Marlin Steel. Marlin’s engineering team has years of experience in crafting custom stainless steel wire forms to fit a wide variety of applications, including wire baskets for ventilator parts and test tube racks. If there isn’t an available medical tray that meets your needs, they can design one with your specific requirements in mind.

Contact Marlin Steel Medical Pharmaceutical Solutions