WIKA Customizes, Manufactures Pressure Gauges in Record Time for Field Hospitals’ Medical Oxygen Manifolds

WIKA USA manufactured 4,000 custom-designed pressure gauges in less than three days to make sure field hospitals in New York City had the medical manifolds they need to manage oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients.

As more Americans contract the novel coronavirus and have to be treated for respiratory distress, hard-hit cities have had to build temporary hospitals – all of which need medical equipment, including oxygen manifolds. These devices distribute the gas from large holding tanks to each patient’s bedside. Without such regulators, beds closest to the tank would receive the most O₂, while those further away would receive less and less gas. Pressure gauges in the medical manifolds help make sure each patient receives the right amount of oxygen.

Since early 2020, medical equipment manufacturers have had to greatly step up their production – and to do so quickly. But to fulfill these rush orders, their parts suppliers also had to ramp up production.

Quick Turnaround to Fulfill Custom Order

In March, a major manufacturer of gas regulation and distribution systems received a rush request from New York City for multiple oxygen manifolds to equip its field hospitals. Fulfilling this order required 4,000 pressure gauges as quickly as possible.

WIKA USA had long supplied this company with pressure gauges and pressure transmitters for other equipment, but never for this particular manifold. Knowing our reputation for quality and fast turnaround times, plant managers asked whether we could deliver 4,000 mechanical pressure gauges in a hurry. What’s more, the dial faces had to indicate liters per minute rather than the standard measurement unit of psi. Was this order possible?

The answer was yes. Employees at WIKA USA worked tirelessly to produce 4,000 units of the Model 111.10 Bourdon tube pressure gaugesin 2.5 days, and that included the time it took to custom-design the dial face. The manufacturer then incorporated the gauges into their medical manifolds, which are currently supplying oxygen to coronavirus patients in NYC’s field hospitals.

We recommended this particular pressure gauge because it met the customer’s requirements for size, material, accuracy, pressure range, and customizable dial. Before shipping, each of the pressure gauges was cleaned for oxygen service (per ASME B40.1, Level IV) to get rid of flammable contaminants like oil and metal particles.

WIKA USA’s Most Valuable Asset: Our Employees

WIKA’s decades of experience, product knowledge, and lean manufacturing capabilities certainly helped us fulfill this large custom order. But it wouldn’t have been possible without our employees’ hard work and dedication. We want to especially thank all those who helped with sales, planning and BOM (bill of materials), manufacturing, dial customization, line supervision, production, and shipping.

WIKA USA is an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we take every precaution to protect the health of our employees. Manufacturers in a wide range of industries, from healthcare equipment to mobile working machines, rely on WIKA USA’s commitment to high quality and excellent customer service. For more information on gauges for medical manifolds or custom pressure solutions for your application, contact our sales team.