Approximately 90 paid UAW volunteers have assembled more than 10,000 PAPRs with the ability to make 100,000 or more.
Ford is sending out its first shipment of respirators, designed in-house with 3M, to health-care workers in Seattle fighting COVID-19.
After pledging to help, Ford partnered with 3M to develop and produce the powered air-purifying respirators, or PAPRs, using only components the automaker had in stock. Mimicking the efforts NASA undertook to help get the Apollo 13 astronauts home, the companies accepted the challenge – appropriately dubbed Project Apollo – and moved from start to shipment in less than 40 days.
In addition to the respirators, Ford is also shipping 500,000 gowns made from the same materials used for airbags, to workers in New Jersey.
(Ford expanding medical gear production in alliance with 3M.)
“Ford could not stand by while health care workers in this country placed their lives on the line to help others without even having proper protection,” said Jim Baumbick, vice president, Ford Enterprise Product Line Management. “That’s why we kicked off an all-out sprint to protect those who are so selflessly helping patients afflicted with this terrible virus.”
Rows of boxes filled with personal protective equipment made by Ford wait to be shipped.
The PAPR includes a hood and face shield to cover health care professionals’ heads and shoulders, while a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter system provides a supply of filtered air for as long as 8 hours. The air blower system – similar to the fan in the Ford F-150’s ventilated seats – is powered by a rechargeable, portable battery, helping keep the respirator in constant use by first-line defenders.
Ford’s Product Development team moved quickly to design the new PAPR, combining vehicle air conditioning expertise with 3M’s knowledge of medical devices. Hand-drawn concepts of the Ford PAPR were created one day after starting the project.
Engineers also leveraged vehicle seat trim expertise to design the PAPR hood. In parallel, Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing team rapidly prototyped the PAPR using 3D printing, while the Ford Purchasing team worked with suppliers to procure and produce components and the Ford Manufacturing team designed the production process. Assembly lines and production of PAPRs started within three weeks of the initial request.
(Ford converting second plant to build powered respirators.)
The respirators are built by 90 paid employees who volunteered to return to the plant. They have assembled more than 10,000 PAPRs at Ford’s Vreeland facility near Flat Rock, Michigan, with the ability to make 100,000 or more.
Paid UAW volunteers assemble powered air-purifying respirators at Ford’s Vreeland facility near Flat Rock, Michigan.
One of the proud UAW workers is Michele Strong, a team leader volunteering in Ford’s Vreeland facility. Now at almost 43 years with the company, Strong has worked in both Flat Rock Assembly Plant and the Rouge complex. Strong maintains a perfect attendance record – she wasn’t about to stop now.
“I’m proud of all of the vehicles I’ve help build over the years, but this is something totally different,” Strong said. “I’m up for this experience to help the world – to help the situation we’ve got. A lot of friends ask me, ‘Are you really going to do this?’ and I say, ‘Yes. It’s the right thing to do.’”
Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is the first customer to order and take delivery of the Ford-built PAPRs. In addition to Ford building the respirators, 3M is also ramping up its efforts.
“We are dedicated to helping support and protect the health care workers fighting COVID-19,” said Bernard Cicut, vice president, 3M Personal Safety Division. “We thank Ford for partnering with us to quickly develop and deliver more of these critical health care supplies to the heroes working on the frontlines of this unprecedented health crisis.”
(Ford, GM prepped to build ventilators, other essential medical gear.)
3M is a leading provider of personal protective equipment, including powered air-purifying respirators. Demand for 3M PAPRs is exceeding supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through partnerships with companies like Ford and others, 3M plans to increase capacity of its own PAPRs by ten-fold within the next several months.