Since the pandemic hit the United States, Ford has been tremendous in how they have addressed, not only their employees but the public as well. Ford decided to produce respirators, ventilators, protective gowns, face shields and face masks to combat COVID-19 under a program called the Guardian Project. Due to the urgency of this project, Ford needed help figuring out how to produce these PPE’s in an automotive plant, since they don’t typically make products like this with equipment that would be coming from Asia. Electro-Matic stepped in to help and was then deemed the sole supplier for that project.
Most of this equipment was to be built in Southeast Michigan at customer plants Electro-Matic works with like Flat Rock Assembly, Rawsonville Components, VanDyke Transmission and AMC (Advanced Manufacturing Center) in Redford. These facilities needed to convert floor space and existing equipment to produce the various forms of protective gear. Since PPE supplies were scarce at the time, Ford was under intense pressure to get their plants, and the protective equipment fully operational while meeting all safety standards.
Solution
Electro-Matic was able to supply parts to install machines and replace defective parts, including parts we distribute and 3rd party products we do not normally sell. Electro-Matic pulled together a slew of potential equipment suppliers, from all over the world, and helped manage them.
Not all of the equipment received was up to Ford standards within their manufacturing plants so Electro-Matic Integrated’s group stepped in to upgrade the equipment that was not designed for Ford and brought all of the products up to safety standards by using disconnect boxes and power supply boxes.
Benefits
Electro-Matic’s team was able to consolidate all of the individual suppliers and get the necessary equipment, not only installed but up and running properly within Ford’s facilities, allowing Ford to continue running and operational during an extremely crucial time. Electro-Matic was deemed essential during this time, because we helped manufacture ambulances, firetrucks and also as in this exact case, helped produce the PPE equipment that the folks out there working every day needed in order to do their jobs.
Quote/Testimonial:
“I truly want to thank the team at EM, who support the Van Dyke Guardian Face Mask project during the COVID shut down in April of 2020. Without the support from EM the project would not have been successful. I would like to say thank you to Jim Tabbert, Scott Beaver, and Katie Perkins for supporting me and the Face Mask project launch at Van Dyke.”
List products and services Electro-Matic used:
A variety of distribution products as well as Electro-Matic’s configured solutions were used for this project including disconnects, assemblies, safety products, and lockout devices. Electro-Matic also brokered and managed 3rd party products from across the globe.
This project had a consumer-facing product that Electro-Matic was excited to be a part of. This is one of those instances where we can say we actually helped with the tooling that makes the masks that everybody in Ford, North America is wearing. Working on this project allowed Electro-Matic to not only show Ford how valued our partnership is, but also how adaptive we can be.