Standard of Excellence: Anticipating Customer Needs Early and Often
The Knowledge Base: At the Forefront of Electronics Manufacturing
Global Citizenship: Training the Next Generation of Talent
Circuitwise Joins Emergency Ventilator Team
May 13, 2020 | CircuitwiseEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Circuitwise has joined a consortium to manufacture emergency ventilators being developed as part of Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Circuitwise will deliver printed circuit board assemblies to control 2000 ventilators being developed by a consortium of companies led by Melbourne-based Grey Innovation. Grey won a $31.3 million contract with the Federal Government to deliver the ventilators by the end of July.
Circuitwise general manager Serena Ross said she was humbled her company was chosen to deliver the critically important electronic controls in such an important project and to be part of the resurgence in Australia’s ability to manufacture advanced technologies locally.
“This pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of our supply chains and product developers are now realising that the new smart move is to manufacture their sub-assemblies in Australia, rather than Asia,” Ross said.
Grey’s NOTUS Emergency Invasive Ventilator Program is supported by the Victorian Government and Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre. Victoria may purchase a further 2000 ventilators and Grey Innovation is hopeful the ventilator will also be attractive to other countries, having already fielded inquiries from Asia.
The program will manufacture under license a mechanical ventilator design from UK-based Smiths Medical. Smiths has been at the forefront of the UK government’s efforts to ramp up that country’s supply of ventilators.
According to Grey’s executive chairman Jefferson Harcourt, the decision to use a design that was already certified was the best approach.
“Using a certified design means that Grey only has to prove equivalence to Australian regulators. Certifying a new ventilator design developed from scratch would have been infeasible in the timelines required.”
Circuitwise was chosen to join the consortium because it is one of Australia’s leading ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturers of medical devices. It is already working with other medical technology clients delivering essential equipment for hospitals including CT injection, sterilisation, radiology and remote healthcare. Circuitwise services highly innovative Australian-owned business such as Nanosonics, right through to global giants such as Bayer and Siemens.
Grey Innovation has been guided by a medical and clinical advisory team including Prof. Rinaldo Bellomo, Prof. David Story and Prof. Bruce Thompson, representing a range of universities and other medical institutions in Melbourne.
“Ventilators are the next step from supplying oxygen via respirator to the patient who is having difficulty breathing; they are essentially life-support devices that take over the breathing for patients,” explained Prof Thompson.
“The ventilator design is lightweight and portable and has been selected for its ability to be easily transferred to us for the actual production, and its ease of use for our medical teams.”
There is a range of companies in the consortium Grey Innovation has brought together. ANCA and Marand are doing machining of critical components and sub-assemblies and Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions is making the test equipment required for the ventilators. The other partners in the consortium led by Grey Innovation include Planet Innovation, Braemac and Hosico.
Circuitwise is a 100% Australian-owned contract manufacturer of electronic devices, specialising in complex products such as those used in the medical and mining industries. Situated in Bella Vista NSW.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Molex Releases New Report on Strategies for Advancing Rugged, Reliable Connectivity in Modern Aerospace and Defense Applications
04/01/2025 | MolexMolex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, has released a new report from AirBorn, a Molex company, which explores the unrelenting demands for constant, continuous connectivity to support the rigors of modern aerospace, defense and space-industry applications.
Electronic Design Automation Market to Reach $17.47 Billion by 2030, Growing at a CAGR of 10.7%
03/31/2025 | PRNewswireThe growth of the EDA market is driven by the increasing complexity of integrated circuit (IC) designs, rising adoption of connected devices, and growing demand for EDA solutions in the aerospace and defense sectors. Additionally, the increasing integration of AI and machine learning in chip design is further boosting market expansion.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
03/28/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I’ve spent my week recovering from a busy and interesting week in Anaheim for the 25th IPC APEX EXPO. I think back to my first APEX EXPO, and the changes since then are too numerous to count. I first attended in 2004, also in Anaheim, back when there was almost no design content in the conference or expo portions of the show. It was just a few years after the downturn, and attendees and exhibitors alike were skittish, almost afraid to show confidence in our industry. A few unemployed design friends handed out copies of their resumes. Travel budgets were still down, and the aisles weren’t exactly packed with traffic.
It’s Only Common Sense: 7 Tips to Focus on What Works
03/31/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseIn business, there’s always the temptation to be all things to all people, whether it’s expanding product lines, chasing every lead, or trying to keep up with competitors. The fear of missing out can lead to spreading our time, resources, and energy too thin. However, success doesn’t come from doing everything; it comes from doing the right things well.
HARTING 3D-Circuits Leads 3D-MID Innovation: Transforming Consumer Electronics with Advanced Technology
03/27/2025 | PRNewswireThe consumer electronics industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation, propelled by rapid technological advancements and an increasing demand for compact, efficient, and multifunctional devices. Central to this evolution is 3D-MID (Three-Dimensional Mechatronic Integrated Devices) technology, which redefines design standards and drives innovation.