Michelin To Produce Masks & Visors To Fight Against COVID-19
Since the start of the current health crisis, a race against the clock has begun to increase the number of masks available in France and around the world. In response to this emergency, Michelin has mobilized its teams’ tremendous capacity for innovation as well as the Group’s expertise in research, materials, manufacturing and scientific intelligence to develop, produce and deliver several types of masks in large quantities and within extremely short timeframes. Through this initiative, Michelin is playing an active part in the global battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, both by increasing the number of masks it donates to health-care workers in the countries where it operates and by protecting the health and safety of its own employees by providing them with masks.
Michelin launches the production of surgical masks in 10 European plants
Following the initialization phase now underway, Michelin will produce some 400,000 category 1 surgical masks weekly, either in its own workshops or in collaboration with partners or subcontractors. Ten sites in Europe have already been selected, including La Combaude in Clermont-Ferrand (France), Olsztyn (Poland) and Zalău (Romania). European capacity will be extended in the coming weeks, thanks to the deployment of similar initiatives in North America, said the company.
In addition, Michelin has joined other companies, led and coordinated by the Grenoble-based collective VOC-COV, in the design and large-scale rollout of a reusable mask.
The OCOV® FMP1 or FMP2 mask, entirely developed and manufactured in France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in record time, is affordable and sustainable. It can be produced in large quantities and reused up to 100 times thanks to five washable, interchangeable filters.
Production of a prototype batch of 5,000 units is underway. The goal is to produce one million masks per week by May, leading to the total production of more than five million masks by end-June – the equivalent of 500 million single-use masks.
Sterilizable polycarbonate protective visors for hospitals
At the request of several French hospitals, Michelin has launched the production of sterilizable polycarbonate visors for health workers. As early as next week, the Group will be managing the outsourced production of 10,000 visors.
Michelin is active in many other projects involving ventilators, medical device components, patient-positioning cushions, and hand sanitizer.
