When Ford first announced they were joining the fight, they asked for volunteers. What they received was an army of willing workers who answered the call. Transmission plants have to be clean to produce intricate parts. However, they are far from sterile. That’s why workers at the Van Dyke plant cleaned the facility top to bottom, even building an ISO Class 8 cleanroom for mask and gown production.
3M has joined the cause to train workers at Ford’s Vreeland plant on how to built respirators and ventilators. Perhaps the best news comes from Lenexa, Kansas. That is where Thermo Fisher Scientific produces virus test kits. Ford has stepped in to multiply their output. In summary, Ford has set new goals for all products:
- 100,000 gowns for the week of April 19
- 100,000 Respirators
- 3 Million Face Shields & Counting
These efforts are unprecedented, so here’s to Ford, 3M, the UAW and everyone involved.
