Ford To Start Making Ventilators And Respirators

Hospitals around the world are starting to run out of medical equipment and supplies. This is due to the coronavirus outbreak that has put an immense strain on healthcare facilities around the world, where the number of cases seem to be rising everyday. In response to the crisis, it seems that many companies are now starting to pitch in and help.

Ford has recently announced that they will be doing their part to help in a new partnership with GE and 3M for a project called “Project Apollo”. This will see Ford work together with GE and 3M to help produce ventilators and respirators that can be used by hospitals and healthcare facilities in the US.

On Ford’s end, they will be helping GE expand their ventilator production, while GE will also be creating a new ventilator design that is simple enough that Ford themselves can help produce it at one of their plants. This design has yet to be approved by the US FDA, but they are working on it.

Ford and 3M will also be working to together to help increase the manufacturing capacity of air-purifying respirators by a factor of 10, while at the same time also working on a simplified design that Ford can produce themselves. Ford, GE, and 3M aren’t alone in their efforts.

Previously it was reported that 3D printing enthusiasts have also started to 3D print respirator valves and also creating ventilators using an open-source design to help ease the burden on healthcare workers. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk had also stated that the company will help to produce ventilators if there is a shortage of them.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Medical
Tags: Coronavirus, covid-19, ford, Health