Vehicle manufacturers retool to help medical device industry cope with demand

The German Federal Government asked domestic vehicle manufacturers to produce medical equipment, such as masks and ventilators, to help fight Covid-19.
In a statement, the Volkswagen Group announced 20 March it will be providing about 200,000 category FFP-2 and FFP-3 protective face masks for public health protection in the near future. The donation is being made in close cooperation with Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn.
A spokesperson said the company has more than 125 industrial 3-D printers which could be repurposed to make respirators or other necessary devices, once they receive the required info.
Kathrin Schnurr, spokesperson for Daimler AG Human Resources and External Affairs Communications told International Hospital: “We have inquiries from the medical technology sector. We are currently examining how we can contribute, for example by providing 3D printers or our production expertise.
“In addition, we are in constant communication with the authorities about how and where we can help, for example to sustain the supply infrastructure.”
This follows a trend across Europe as companies unrelated to the medical-device industry offer to retool factories to help make equipment to combat the shortage of devices such as respirators and face masks.