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Kelowna-based Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp. (AEM) has completed its first 2,000 protective face shields to be distributed to Canadian healthcare workers, hospitals and medical professionals. The avionics and specialty audio manufacturer was approached to assist in producing personal protective equipment to meet rapidly increasing demand amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the aerospace industry has been deemed essential and global sales remain strong for the local manufacturer, AEM CEO Brian Wall identified available capacity in the company’s 32,000 sq. ft. facility.
“When the news of the COVID-19 pandemic initially broke, we immediately started discussions with local health authorities, as well as provincial and federal government representatives to offer support in any way we could,” said Wall. “We knew we had the equipment and expertise to manufacture various components of PPE and life-support equipment, so when presented with the opportunity to produce these urgently-needed shields, we got to work right away.”
The face shields, which AEM can manufacture at a rate of approximately 1,500 per day, are assembled at another Kelowna facility and then distributed across Canada, prioritizing provincial demand within British Columbia. AEM is prepared to continue filling orders for these shields until the need is sufficiently met.
AEM has also been identified as a potential resource for mechanical ventilators. “We have made ourselves available and stand at-the-ready to participate with the production of ventilators should there be a need to support the two Government-approved organizations currently working jointly in this undertaking.”
As a Transport Canada-approved manufacturer, AEM already meets extremely high levels of quality assurance within it’s existing processes and therefore are a reliable resource for the needs of the healthcare workers across the country.
