EPS Expedites Machine Delivery to Fight COVID-19

KP08 Catheter Printer

As we’ve noted before, many of our customers have been deemed “essential” in the fight against COVID-19. Last week, one reached out to us to say that they had been contacted by the White House COVID-19 Task Force about dramatically ramping up production of medical devices in anticipation of enormous demand. They wanted to know, could we deliver a catheter printing machine in two to three weeks?

EPS has built medical product printing machines for many customers, so the technical challenges were slight. The greater challenges were logistical in the “new normal” of physical distancing. How would we conduct the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)? How would we perform the standard installation, which usually involves sending a technician to the customer’s facility for onsite installation and training?

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted every aspect of the global economy, but perhaps nowhere more so than in the manufacturing sector, where working from home just isn’t a possibility. We’ve written in the past about our efforts to “flatten the curve” and keep our employees safe and healthy, and we are continuing to follow CDC and state guidelines as they evolve. Our sales department is working from home but continuing to communicate with customers. Our software engineers are also working remotely. Additionally, EPS is investigating opportunities under the CARES Act, passed by Congress to encourage companies to retain workers during the COVID-19 crisis, in order to ensure that we can continue to offer our full range of goods and services, from industrial inkjet printers and pad print machines to custom pad print pads and laser-engraved pad print clichés. We have not reduced our workforce. Our capabilities remain undiminished, and we will do everything we can to keep our team intact.

Our assembly department is also adopting best practices to discourage the spread of the virus. Our production floor is large, as are our machines, so physical distancing has always been the case for us. Similarly, nitrile gloves have always been standard equipment, since ink can be messy. Isopropyl alcohol is a standard item found on every work bench. Masks are available for any who wish to wear one. In addition, we have adopted flex-time schedules, with some of our employees coming in to work in the evenings and on weekends.

Our curve-flattening measures seem to be paying off. To date, not a single employee of EPS has tested positive for the coronavirus, and we have been able to provide an uninterrupted supply of print consumables. We are also taking new machine orders and fulfilling existing orders.

In short, we are able to provide the full range of products and services that we always provide. We will deliver the medical device-marking machine to our customer in the time-frame allotted, along with providing clichés with their artwork. We have begun conducting FATs by video, and we have had the ability to remotely diagnose and service machines for years, so we continue to provide the after-sales service we pride ourselves on.

Life may never go back to as before, but some things won’t change. Engineered Printing Solutions will still offer a complete range of industrial inkjet printers, pad print machines, ancillary equipment such as pretreatment systems, part-loading and –unloading automation, dryers, laser cliché makers, and other optional devices, as well as custom pad print pads, inks, and printing plates for your direct-to-object part-decoration needs.

Got a part-decorating challenge? Drop us a line—let’s start a conversation!