Ford producing PPE, test kits to fight pandemic

Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., is expanding its efforts to design and produce urgently needed medical equipment and supplies for health care workers, first responders, and patients fighting the coronavirus.

In addition to the current production of more than 3 million face shields in Plymouth, Mich., Ford now is producing powered air-purifying respirators at its Vreeland facility near Flat Rock, Mich. Approximately 90 paid UAW volunteers are assembling the respirators, with the ability to make 100,000 or more.

The automaker also is manufacturing face masks at its Van Dyke Transmission Plant and is leading an effort to scale production of reusable gowns for health care workers with airbag supplier Joyson Safety Systems. And Ford is providing manufacturing expertise to help scientific instrument provider Thermo Fisher Scientific quickly expand production of COVID-19 collection kits to test for the virus.

In addition, Ford and GE Healthcare are working together to expand production of a simplified version of GE Healthcare’s existing ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing. The automaker also is evaluating a separate effort not involving GE Healthcare with the U.K. government to produce additional ventilators.