Ford helping make ventilators, respirators

Automaker is working with 3M and GE to aid front-line workers

Ford Motor Co. is throwing its design and production prowess behind two other manufacturers’ efforts to build more ventilators and respirators for health-care workers and first responders.

The automaker will work with 3M Co. to accelerate production of the respirators and have United Auto Workers members assemble more than 100,000 plastic face shields a week, according to a statement Tuesday. Ford also will help General Electric Co.’s health-care unit boost output of ventilators hospitals desperately need for coronavirus patients.

“We’re just going as fast as we can,” Bill Ford, the automaker’s executive chairman and greatgrandson of Henry Ford, said on NBC’s Today Show. “Nobody’s talked about the financial implications of this because this is a national emergency and we’ll sort all that out later.”

The collaboration, which Ford dubbed “Project Apollo” after the Apollo 13 spacecraft rescue mission, will help GE and 3M scale their existing efforts to provide critical products to hospitals being taxed by the coronavirus outbreak. With shortages of ventilators, respirators and other essential equipment hampering efforts to fight the deadly pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump has challenged automakers to get involved.

Bill Ford said the company started the collaborations with 3M and GE before the White

House asked American companies to help produce medical supplies. “We’re doing it on our own,” he said, when asked if this was at the directive of the Trump administration.

“Obviously, the White House put a call out for companies to help. But frankly, we were doing this, getting all this in motion, before that.”

Ford is joining relief efforts along with General Motors Co., which said Monday it’s exploring the feasibility of building ventilators for Ventec Life Systems Inc. at one of its autoparts plants in Indiana, and

Tesla Inc., which purchased more than 1,200 of the medical devices from China and is now distributing them. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV also is aiming to produce1million masks a month at one of its plants in China to donate to first responders and health-care providers in the U.S.

Ford said it is co-ordinating with GM to avoid duplicating efforts as each company reaches out to suppliers to help boost medical device production.

“We’re going into our parts bin to see what can be done,” Bill Ford said. “We’ve got great engineers and great manufacturing people and we’re putting them to work.”

In the meantime, Ford extended the shutdown of its North American factories beyond March 30, when it previously planned to resume production.

“This is a national emergency and we’ll sort all that out later.”

BILL FORD EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN