In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, automotive componentry supplier Dayco is applying its manufacturing technology to produce a vital component in the conversion of a snorkeling mask into a life-saving ventilator.
The adaption of the mask supplied by sports outlet Decathlon, is the brainchild of the inventor supported by a project team including Italian consultancy Isinnova, eight individuals and several partners.
Originally intended for leisure activities, the snorkeling mask is being transformed into a vital resource that is already being used in hospitals in northern Italy and by the Italian Red Cross.
Dayco is producing the Charlotte Valve which is a key component that allows the mask to be converted to a medical respiratory device. The company is manufacturing the valve on 3-D printers at its San Bernardo d’Ivrea facility in northern Italy.
“To be able to contribute in the fight against this terrible virus was an easy decision to make as we have both the facilities and machinery required to make the Charlotte Valve in the required numbers,” says Dayco global powertrain operations president Michael Weiss.
“We are now in contact with the Ivrea and San Giovanni Bosco hospitals along with the Red Cross to help distribute the item, which can be installed quickly and easily, and in conjunction with the reversal of the three existing valves in the face of the mask, convert it into the life-saving device.”
