Making Masks and Shields to Keep Employees Safe

We are producing face masks and face shields as part of initiatives to deliver a safe working environment for employees performing essential roles at our facilities in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis.

Production of personal protective equipment is already underway in Germany, Romania, Spain and the UK. This is designed to ensure that our intention to restart initial production at most of our main continental European vehicle and engine plants next week does not add to worldwide demand for such equipment.

Rene Wolf, our director of manufacturing for Europe.

“We want our production facilities to be prepared and our staff protected – but we are determined to ensure that this has no impact on those tackling the COVID-19 crisis from getting the equipment they need.”

We plan to increase output to meet the demand for the full resumption of European business, combining with a similar facility in the U.S. to provide global coverage of masks for employees worldwide.

Our Dunton Campus, in the UK, has risen to the challenge by installing two new purpose-built machines that are capable of producing between 60 and 90 general-use, disposable face masks per minute. Three teams of ten will work around the clock to produce the masks.

In Germany, our Rapid Prototyping Center, in Merkenich, will in future handle the whole region’s volume production of face shields. The team is using in-house injection-moulding machines to produce up to 5,000 face shields per day for use across all our facilities in Europe.

In Spain, in Valencia, we are using 3D printing to produce 300 face shields per day, with 5,500 units already donated to medical professionals. A further 1,500 shields will be donated, while the team will continue to produce shields for internal use.

Face shields are also being produced in Romania, in Craiova. Around 10,000 shields have already been produced for employees and the local dealers’ network. The team there is also awaiting required approvals from the Romanian authorities that they might start donating face shields to hospitals and other relevant institutions.

The initiative to produce face masks and face shields is part of Project Apollo, our global effort to produce personal protection equipment, assist with local and national initiatives, and increase the availability of ventilators – all to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Follow @FordEU