Ford says it will be able to manufacture 50,000 ventilators by July 4. It's retooling a plant in Michigan, which is set to begin operations on Monday.
A Model A-E ventilator, left, and a simple test lung. Ford plans to begin manufacturing the simple ventilator that operates on air pressure, without the need for electricity, next week.A Model A-E ventilator, left, and a simple test lung.
Ford plans to begin manufacturing the simple ventilator that operates on air pressure, without the need for electricity, next week.Ventilators have been in short supply as the coronavirus pandemic spreads, and corporations are shifting production capacity to help fill the gaps., with a goal of producing 50,000 of the devices over the next three months. NPR's Rachel Martin checked in with Adrian Price, Ford's director of global core engineering for vehicle manufacturing, for an update on those plans. He said Ford should be able to make its target by July 4. We've known for a while that mid-April would be the peak of the virus, and the specific Ford plant that you're going to reopen to make ventilators in Michigan isn't open yet, right? No, actually, our team has been working round the clock to retool that facility [in Ypsilanti, Mich.]. First of all, to make it safe for our employees in this environment. And then secondly, to get all the station facilities in place, the medical oxygen supplies that we need. In fact, our team of facilities engineers, who are used to retooling facilities to make all new cars and trucks, are out there right now building that facility — and as an example, putting together an oxygen supply tank farm. They started from the ground up and had the thing finished and complete in 10 hours.
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