Recently, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that it will be stepping in to help health workers and first responders of the pandemic by manufacturing and donating protective face masks, with an initial goal of producing 1 million face masks per month. With FCA’s manufacturing, supply chain and engineering expertise, production of face masks could greatly contribute in the fight against the pandemic.
Rallying FCA Group’s resources, it has allocated its Comau facility in China for the production and manufacturing of protective face masks. From the start of production in April, capacity has been increased with a target to produce 3 million face masks per month, with over 1 million masks manufactured in the first 10 days of production. As a priority, over 200,000 face masks are being donated to India to support those most vulnerable in the community. Shortly, donations will commence in China and the United States, followed by Indonesia, Philippines and Australia.
The cross-functional project team for China was formed with a plan executed in less than 24-hours. The team procured raw materials and machinery, established an ISO Class 8 clean room, coupled with obtaining the appropriate certifications, export licenses and government approvals. According to third party audits at a product and process performance level, FCA has met the best European and US standards in the medical field.
