General Motors will share its plans and operational designs for surgical masks.
The idea is to spread the knowledge so that others can replicate the process and produce masks.
“Our ultimate goal is to get more masks to the people who desperately need them,” said Shilpan Amin, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “And we recognize it would be counterproductive for GM – or any other manufacturer – to compete for supplies with existing medical mask companies. By making GM’s production processes available to the OESA and the MMA, we hope to facilitate other companies’ efforts to bring more materials, more equipment and ultimately, more face masks to the community.”
GM has shared its manufacturing plans with its suppliers along with the Michigan Manufacturers Association to help other companies ramp up their own production efforts. “The Michigan Manufacturers Association has 1,700 companies across all industries, and many are looking for ways to help during this crisis,” said John Walsh, Michigan Manufacturers Association president and CEO. “GM’s production plans and their willingness to share design specifications will be extremely appreciated as our members accelerate their own efforts to help during this crisis. GM’s efforts are a strong symbol of how manufacturing is driving solutions to solve this crisis.”
GM is also sharing the plans with the Original Equipment Suppliers Association. “The 500+ members of OESA are honored to lend their manufacturing expertise in this initiative,” said Julie A. Fream, OESA president and CEO. “For automotive suppliers, this is an excellent opportunity to champion the efforts of our healthcare workers and provide much needed PPE to help fight the global coronavirus pandemic.”
To aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, GM is now producing face masks in its Warren facility. Warren can now produce up to 1.5 million face masks a month. GM has already started delivering masks to hospitals in coordination with the State of Michigan’s Michigan Community Service Commission.
GM will add two additional production lines: a second line for face masks and a new line for filtering facepiece respirators.
GM is also making masks in China via a joint venture with SAIC-GM-Wuling. Studies are underway to launch similar initiatives in additional countries.
If you would like to see more on how GM is striving to make a difference in the COVID-19 fight, check out its online information page.
