COVID-19: Ford is now saving lives with its new respirators

Ford is among several high profile carmakers halting production of vehicles to focus on making masks, ventilators, respirators, and other personal protective equipment in the battle against COVID-19 and now it has also started making its new powered air-purifying respirators to assist in protecting health-care workers.

Almost 100 paid United Auto Workers Union volunteers will assemble the new PAPR and N95 respirators at Ford's Vreeland facility near Flat Rock, Michigan with the ability to produce 100,000 or more.

By using a fan found in the seat of an F-150, Ford developed the PAPR respirator (with design and testing consultation from 3M) which includes air blower system, hood and face shield. It is powered by a rechargeable, portable battery, helping keep the respirator in constant use by first-line defenders.

"We knew that to play our part helping combat coronavirus, we had to go like hell and join forces with experts like 3M to expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies," said Jim Baumbick, vice president of Ford Enterprise Product Line Management.

"In just three weeks under Project Apollo, we've unleashed our world-class manufacturing, purchasing and design talent to get scrappy and start making personal protection equipment and help increase the availability and production of ventilators."

Ford has already begun producing three million face shields in Plymouth, Michigan while work started at its Rawsonville plant to manufacture a third-party ventilator. Ventilator pre-production has also begun in the UK to satisfy the government's request for 15,000 units.

Meanwhile, Ford's Van Dyke Transmission Plant will continue making masks with the help of 30 UAW paid volunteers in the building's ISO Class 8 cleanroom. It is also producing gowns at a rate of 75,000 a week with the ability to scale production up to 100,000 by April 19. The Blue Oval is also helping to expand the production of collection kits at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

"We are doing all we can to expand production and availability of personal protective equipment to help keep the true heroes - medical personnel - and our communities safe in the fight against Covid-19," said Adrian Price, director of Global Core Engineering for Vehicle Manufacturing.