Ford Working To Speed Up Medical Supply Production

The motor company is working with companies to quickly produce shield masks, respirators and ventilators for first responders, healthcare workers, and patients.

WNEM recently reported Ford is partnering with General Electric, the United Auto Workers union, and 3M to make the various medical supplies needed in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Working with 3M and GE, we have empowered our teams of engineers and designers to be scrappy and creative to quickly help scale up production of this vital equipment,” said Jim Hackett, Ford’s president and CEO. “We’ve been in regular dialogue with federal, state and local officials to understand the areas of greatest needs."

Ford and 3M are working together to get more powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) designs and coming up with new designs to make use of existing parts, making them at Michigan plants.

GE Healthcare and the motor company are working to expand GE's existing ventilator design.

With help from the UAW, Ford is also using their existing 3D printing technology to make 1,000 face shields a week, an effort many other manufacturing companies across the state and across the country are also participating in.

Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman said, “At Ford, we feel a deep obligation to step up and contribute in times of need, just as we always have through the 117-year history of our company.”

If you have any information on what it is like to work for a company switching manufacturing to help with these efforts or anything similar, please share! We would love to get some insight, get your story and spread the word.