Airbus scales up production in coronavirus pandemic
European aerospace company 3D printing visors for medical staff fighting COVID-19
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Airbus is ramping up its manufacturing to help in the fight against coronavirus.
The aerospace company said in a statement Wednesday that most of its plants in Spain are now working together to make 3D-printed visor frames, which are considered essential personal protective equipment for health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the reasons I love my job is the capability for advanced design and quick manufacture,” Alvaro Jara, head of Airbus Protospace in Madrid, wrote in the memo. “We have gone from making aerospace concepts to medical equipment. This genuinely makes a difference in the fight against the pandemic and I couldn’t be prouder of our teams.”
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Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOX Business but more than 20 printers are working “day and night,” and hundreds of visors have been produced and shipped to hospitals nearby Airbus plants in Spain, according to the company's statement.
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Airbus is not the only company making medical equipment. Fashion brand Dior announced Tuesday on Instagram that it opened a volunteer studio in France to produce medical masks. The MyPillow company is refocusing 75 percent of its production to face covers. And footwear brand New Balance is also producing protective masks.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EADSY | AIRBUS SE | 45.21 | +0.28 | +0.62% |
And masks, in particular, are needed around the globe. New York-Presbyterian Hospital is using 40,000 N95 masks a day, according to one report. Meanwhile, officials in Los Angeles County are telling doctors and nurses to wear expired equipment.
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In March, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, to partner with private sector firms to ramp up production of critical medical supplies, including masks and ventilators.
GM and Ventec Life Systems will build 1,000 ventilators by the end of April.
The Airbus Protospace Germany and the Airbus Composite Technology Centre have teamed up as part of the 3D-printing network called Mobility goes Additive, according to the company. and are coordinating the collection and transport of visors to Madrid.