ONE of the city's best known businesses has adapted its operations to help customers in critical industries during the coronavirus crisis.

Yamazaki Mazak currently supplies a number of Original Equipment Manufacturers and subcontract engineering companies operating in key sectors, including the power generation and medical industries.

Several Mazak customers have also stepped forward to answer the Government’s call to aid with the manufacturing of ventilators. These include AE Aerospace, Lipco Group, Mazatech Precision Engineering, McLaren Formula One, Meggitt, Vision Engineering and Renishaw.

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Richard Smith, European Group managing director, said: “The work our customers, and the wider British manufacturing community as a whole, is putting in to support the NHS is nothing short of outstanding.

"Some of our partners are working seven days a week to produce products that will go on to save lives.

"On behalf of everyone at Mazak I would like to thank them, and their families, for such a critical contribution."

Following the introduction of the Government’s social distancing guidelines, an initial short-term closure and consultation period with production staff allowed for the introduction of several new social distancing and safe working measures.

These included a ‘one way’ system around the factory; the creation of six areas, each featuring solo working bays with no inter-movement of staff; and a new shift pattern.

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Once the measures had been instigated, the factory re-opened with a limited number of staff on-site at any one time, supported by senior management, to complete orders for customers that are still operational.

Stuart Astley, production director at Mazak’s production facility in Worcester, added: “The workforce has played a key role in achieving this, not only by helping to establish the new ways of working, but by following them to the letter.

"They have been incredibly supportive of what we are doing and I am happy to say that the morale on the factory floor has been superb throughout this difficult time.”