As governments and healthcare workers around the world respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, many national and state companies are also changing their manufacturing focus to produce new kinds of supplies. For weeks medical supplies such as surgical masks, gowns, and ventilators have been in high demand. The steady influx of patients and the infectious nature of the disease has pushed supply inventories to the breaking point.
In response to these new needs, many companies are responding accordingly. Ford, GM, and Tesla all have begun shifting manufacturing from cars to ventilators, refurbishing parts and processes from their cars. GE and Dyson have also been commissioned to begin designing and manufacturing their own ventilators. These will be essential in the weeks to come as hospitalization numbers rise.
National tech companies aren’t the only ones joining the cause. New Balance, the national shoe company, has committed to moving its manufacturing from shoes to face masks. Closer to home, a Utah company, Sugarhouse Industries, has begun manufacturing face masks and shields for healthcare workers in Utah and nationwide. OC Tanner, an international jewelry company based in Salt Lake City, has also shifted its production to face shields, ventilator parts, and air respirator adapters, many of which have already been shipped to University of Utah Health facilities.
Full stories
- Ford and GE plan to produce 50,000 ventilators in 100 days – click here
- Tesla unveils ventilator prototype – click her
- Dyson designs new ventilator – click here
- New Balance is making medical masks – click here
As these large companies come together to assist our national healthcare workers, individuals in the community are also doing their part. A small company in Montana has designed a 3D-printable multi-use surgical mask which individuals can make for themselves and their families. Many others have followed suit, designing and making masks for their community. Kim Bourri, seen above, is a visual game artist in Utah who started 3D printing her own masks for the community, asking for donations of filtration materials to fit over the plastic-printed frames. Speaking of our brave healthcare workers, she said, “All of these people are doing their very best to protect us and I want to do my part to help them.”
Utah Stories
- Utah woman 3D prints masks for healthcare workers from her basement – click here
- Utah Company Shifts To Face Shield, Mask Production Amid COVID-19 Shortages – click here
- O.C. Tanner: From high-end jewelry to high-demand medical gear – click here
Kim Bourri 3D-printing new face shields | KUTV