The world is experiencing a “ventilation shortage,” and car makers have shifted production to fill vacancies.
Editor’s note: This article comes from WeChat public account “The power of machines” (ID: almosthuman2017) .
Writing | Xu Dan
Edit | April
Currently, the number of newly diagnosed patients with new coronary pneumonia exceeds 340,000, and about 10% of critically ill patients are discarded. Combined with first-line treatment, at least 1/3 of the remaining patients need ventilator-assisted oxygen, and only the actual breathing required at present. The machine has exceeded 100,000 units.
But the ventilator is a high-precision medical device, there are not many professional manufacturers, and they are currently in overload operation. According to Reuters, an internal document of the European Union shows that in response to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the European Union The number of personal protective equipment and other medical equipment required by the country is 10 times that provided by traditional supply chains.
Forcing the situation, the United States, Britain, Italy and other countries are looking for cross-border production capacity, they are focusing on car companies.
However, in the face of such an extremely sophisticated and highly professional equipment as a ventilator, can car companies work across borders?
With the outbreak of the epidemic on a global scale, ventilator has become a “lifesaving aid” that is even shorter than masks.
Currently, the number of newly diagnosed patients with new coronary pneumonia exceeds 340,000, and about 10% of critically ill patients are discarded. Combined with first-line treatment, at least 1/3 of the remaining patients need ventilator-assisted oxygen, and only the actual breathing required at present. The machine has exceeded 100,000 units.
But according to EU internal documents, the current market demand for ventilator is 10 times that provided by traditional supply chain.
In Italy, the worst-hit area, there are currently only about 4,800 ventilators, but the number of infected people is more than 70,000. People with multiple diseases have a mortality rate of over 50%.
The situation in the United Kingdom is not optimistic. The United Kingdom’s National Medical Service (NHS) currently has only 5,000 ventilators. However, according to the current development of the epidemic, it is necessary to provide another 30,000 in two weeks. This is the existing six. Times.
Moreover, there is still a long equipment testing process after all the production is completed. Even a professional medical company, it takes about 40 days to produce a ventilator, not to mention that the car companies are obstructing these objective factors. Over time, even if it is produced in a short time, it may be premised on sacrificing quality, as in Britain.
As far as the current situation is concerned, most car companies are still in the preparation stage. Musk’s goal of delivering 1,200 ventilators this week may be overconfident.
However, this wave of cross-border production of ventilator may have a certain driving effect on the entire ventilator manufacturing.
The current status of global ventilator production is that a few overseas groups hold core patents, but the ventilator supply chain is scattered around the world, especially in China, it is difficult for them to achieve mass production; China ’s high capacity and ventilator brands also Many, but limited to low-end brands, high-end products are dependent on imports.
Cooperative production may, to a certain extent, break this unbalanced R & D and production situation.
In addition, the global procurement of parts and components can also increase the production capacity of the ventilator, allowing the original competitors to cooperate and communicate with each other, which will improve the overall manufacturing efficiency.
According to foreign media news, Meridian, one of GM’s suppliers, is purchasing six different magnesium compressor components, which can be used by about 200,000 ventilators. To purchase parts, Meridian is working with competitors and Twin City Cooperation with Myotek.
“Usually these three companies compete with each other, but in this case we are not competitors, but we are united as an industry,” said Joe Petrillo, GM’s North American sales director.