Ford making 50,000 ventilators with GE Healthcare in next 100 days
Canadian Plastics
Materials COVID-19The ventilators are less complex than others, and are designed by Florida-based Airon Corp., a company that specializes in high-tech pneumatic life support products.
Ford Motor Co. and GE Healthcare plan to produce 50,000 ventilators within the next 100 days at Ford’s facility in Rawsonville, Mich., to assist with the coronavirus pandemic.
Production of the critical care devices is expected to begin with 500 United Auto Workers union members the week of April 20.
The design of the ventilator is being licensed by GE Healthcare from Florida-based Airon Corp., a company that specializes in high-tech pneumatic life support products. The devices are less complex than GE ventilators Ford previously said it would assist the company in producing at other facilities – it uses a design that operates on air pressure without the need for electricity, addressing the needs of most COVID-19 patients. Its production can be quickly scaled to help meet growing demand in the U.S.
The announcement adds to Ford’s efforts to assist in increasing health care supplies amid the pandemic, including ventilators, respirators and face masks.
The company earlier this month announced plans to work with GE to expand production of a simplified version of the company’s existing ventilator design to support patients with respiratory failure or difficulty breathing. Ford also partnered with 3M to manufacture air-purifying respirators.
