The ventilators are currently undergoing trials and safety tests and will be contingent on regulatory approval. Once approved, they could support patients with acute respiratory difficulties, which occur in severe cases of coronavirus.
Greg Ludkovsky, CEO of Research & Development at ArcelorMittal, says: “Our success over the years has been built on the foundation provided by our engineering capabilities and R&D expertise, and more recently, exploring the potential of 3D printing for steel solutions. But in a time of a crisis, we all want to help so we look at our resources and consider what role we can play.”
Spanish health authorities have also asked ArcelorMittal’s Research & Development team based in Avilés, Spain to support and develop 3D printed face shields for health professionals. In the space of two days, the team designed and created two types of face shields, including:
- Face shields attached to the head – these will be used by doctors, medical professionals and pulpit operators of the plant in Asturias. We’ve already started delivering more than 350 to hospitals in Asturias and 300 to the plant for an order of 1000. We hope to have 4000 available next week, each costing less than €5. ArcelorMittal Mexico is also producing a similar design.
- Face shields attached to the helmet – these are predominantly for use in our plants. We are currently producing 1000 for the plant in Asturias, each costing less than €5.
ArcelorMittal is currently working with a number of external partners to enable large scale production of these face shields.
Lakshmi N Mittal, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, says: “Enabling a rapid supply of ventilators and face shields is critical in helping beat this virus and I am very proud that our company and our people are able to contribute their skills and expertise to help make this a reality.”