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Johnson Matthey, a leader in sustainable technologies, is helping provide increased numbers of vital ventilator components in Europe through its customer HOERBIGER Flow Control.

As COVID-19 continues to impact countries around the world and more people become critically ill, ventilators have become a vital part of helping to save lives by helping when patients’ lungs struggle. Governments are asking manufacturers to find ways to dramatically increase production to prepare for the peak of infections and help protect lives. JM has many roles to play in this, one of which is through the supply of piezo products, key parts of the ventilator supply chain.

HOERBIGER Flow Control, based in Germany, are a leading provider of technologies centred around pneumatic and hydraulics products that control fluidic flow. One of their products is the piezoelectric valve that ventilators need to be able to function. Because of that, HOERBIGER Flow Control has been designated an essential business, and is seeing increased demand for these particular products from countries across Europe.

Piezo products use the special physical properties of the materials we produce, which means that when an electrical voltage is applied to the electrodes the material will change shape. JM is an expert supplier of piezo products, and our team creates piezo ceramic bending actuators, which enable HOERBIGER’s valves to open and close. Through the hard work of our talented people in Redwitz, we’re now providing many times more parts for this application.

Michael Riedel, Business Manager Piezo Products, said: “It’s gratifying to realise that the products we make on a daily basis are going to such an important cause. The team in Redwitz has been working hard to deliver on the promise we’ve made to our valued customer HOERBIGER.”