Tech Industry Turns Its Tools to Fighting COVID-19

AI Tools Free for Coronavirus Researchers

Florida-based tech startup, Capice, is offering volunteer researchers free access to the company’s artificial intelligence tool and deep learning network. These are weapons they’ll need to successfully trove the reams of available data on the pandemic. The project’s mission is to find hidden secrets in the research data that may help governments worldwide slow COVID-19’s growth.

To give scientists easy access to the research, a database has been uploaded to a centralized hub named The COVID-19 Open Research Dataset. (Image source: Capice)

Pet Toy Manufacturer Turns to Face Masks

Pet product manufacturer West Paw has retooled its Bozeman, Mont. production facility to produce face masks to protect the safety of health care workers. The company has leveraged the skills of its employees who normally make dog toys, beds, collars, and leashes. “As of this week a portion of our Bozeman, Montana factory has temporarily shifted gears to make masks for healthcare workers,” said Spencer Williams, president, and CEO of West Paw. (Image source: West Paw)

Maxon Launches Medical Fast Track

Swiss developer and manufacturer, maxon, has launched a “medical fast track” process to ensure that critical application needs will go to its customers who are involved in fighting COVID-19. The fast track system is reviewed in real-time to expedite urgent requests for products. As part of the fast track, the maxon group management team reviews each request and matches the need with a solution - prioritizing manufacturing efforts globally to ensure product production and shipment to medical essential customers. (Image source: maxon)

Stratasys Creates Coalition to Build Face Masks

A coalition of companies and universities assembled by Stratasys is now producing face shields by leveraging 3D printers. The group now numbers more than 150. Among others, the list includes Boeing, General Atomics, Medtronic, Dunwoody College of Technology, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Minnesota.

Stratasys set an initial goal to produce 5,000 face shields at no cost to recipients through its own and partner resources. This includes both a 3D-printed visor and a clear plastic shield that covers the entire face. Stratasys said the coalition should be able to produce more than 11,000 face shields this week, and 16,000 or more during the following week. (Image source: Stratasys)

Siemens Connects Healthcare Providers and Medical Designers to Produce Components with Additive Manufacturing

In response to the ongoing global health crisis caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Siemens is making its Additive Manufacturing (AM) Network along with its 3D printers, available to the global medical community to speed design and production of medical components. The AM Network connects users, designers and 3D-print service providers to enable faster and less complicated production of spare parts for machines like ventilators. (Image source: Siemens)

Robots Are Producing COVID-19 Tests

Roche Molecular Solutions is utilizing ABB robots to rapidly produce the newly approved FDA COVID-19 tests. Now, instead of days, doctors and patients will receive results in three hours. The emergency authorization is allowing these tests to be manufactured at a rate of 40,000 a day, equivalent to about 1.5 million tests a month. (Image source: ABB)

Dassault Systèmes Launches COVID-19 Community

Designers, engineers and manufacturers can play a critical role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Dassault Systèmes is leveraging collective intelligence to source, qualify, design, engineer and manufacture rapid solutions during the pandemic. The Open COVID-19 Community was launched last week and already includes members from the USA, UK, India, France and the Netherlands. 

The global and online community is composed of engineers, designers, manufacturers, scientists, makers and fabbers. Design projects can be shared as 3D models. Engineering will be qualified by the community including industry experts, health care professionals and scientists. (Image source: Dassault Systèmes) 

Green Cures and Botanical Distribution Release Hemp-infused Hand Sanitizer Product Line

Hemp gets used for the weirdest things. But hand sanitizer? Green Cures & Botanical Distribution, a manufacturer, wholesaler, and distributor of hemp and CBD-infused nutritional, sports, body care and alcoholic spirits products, announces it is launching a new hemp-based hand sanitizer set to hit the market next month. The company will market both products online and is speaking with distributors and retail chains about broader distribution. (Image source: Green Cures)

Six Days from Zero to 50,000 Masks a Day

General Motors approached Esys Automation, a JR Automation company, to help produce face masks to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The project was designed to build an entire mask assembly line capable of producing 50,000 masks a day. GM needed the equipment running in less than one week. The leadership teams at Esys and JR Automation, a subsidiary of Hitachi, reviewed the request and planned the next steps. Builders at Esys Automation worked around the clock to assemble components, delivering the first equipment in just a few days. GM produced their first mask in response to the COVID-19 crisis using the line that JR Automation built in just six days. (Image source: Esys and JR Automation)

Sencorp Revamps to Make Masks

Sencorp Thermoforming announced that it will modify its thermoforming machines to form face masks for the medical professionals combating the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, the Cape Cod, Massachusetts company successfully modified two machines. Each one has the capability to produce about three million face masks per week. (Image source: Sencorp)