Seattle-Area Manufacturer Ramps Up Production of Housings for COVID-19 Ventilators
- Everett-based Toolless Plastic Solutions rushing production of 500 units to Ford
- Ventilator housings will be shipped to Ford on Friday
- Proud to be part of the COVID-19 national effort
EVERETT, Washington (April 7, 2020) – Toolless Plastic Solutions, Inc, a Seattle-area manufacturer of specialized housing for medical devices, is ramping up its production of ventilator housings for Ford as part of the national emergency response to COVID-19.
Toolless, based in Everett, will do an initial production run of 500 plastic housings units to be shipped to Ford by Friday. The company has set aside other work and is reorganizing its production facility to focus solely on this task.
“We are in hurry-up mode and have been working overtime since being contacted by Ford about a week ago,” says Kathryn Harja, the company’s VP and chief financial officer. “We had to set aside all other customers to hit this deadline, and we are dedicating this entire week to completing this order for Ford.”
Toolless has 17 employees who work in a 10,000-square-foot facility. The company has implemented social distancing and suggested hygienic procedures for its employees to safely work on the production line.
“We feel a sense of pride working on this project,” says Harja, noting that her company heard the call of Gov. Jay Inslee for Washington companies to help make devices and products critical to the COVID-19 national emergency.
“Two weeks ago, everything felt uncertain as the shelter in place mandates took effect. Over the next week we began receiving information from the majority of our customers that their products are considered essential. That culminated in hearing about the Airon and Ford ventilator deal. When we told our crew that we would be jumping into this project one of our employees looked at us and said, ‘So we get to be heroes.’”
The housings manufactured by Toolless will contain the specialized electronics and components for the pNeuton model A ventilator sold by Airon Corporation, which has licensed its ventilator design to GE Healthcare. Ford will provide manufacturing strength to produce up to 50,000 of the ventilators in 100 days.
The pNeuton model A is a lightweight and easy-to-use ventilator that healthcare workers can use to treat critical care adult or pediatric patients, according to Airon. The device provides oxygen and pressure to keep the lungs open for COVID-19 patients who have become critically ill. Toolless has manufactured the housings for Airon’s ventilators for many years, but typically only about 100 per year in runs of 50 at a time.
Toolless typically produces an average of 1,125 units of product per week of various sizes, shapes and levels of complexity according to Brice Benard, president and co-owner along with Harja. “We have been working nonstop to prepare for and meet this ambitious order of a complex enclosure,” Benard says.
Photos, Video and Media Assets:
- Contact Paul Tolme, 720-203-9430, paul@paultolme.com, to arrange interviews on-site or by phone with Harja and Benard
- Youtube video of the Airon pNeuton A
About Toolless
Toolless Plastic Solutions Inc. is a plastic enclosure manufacturer that makes specialized housings for medical devices and other products. Toolless uses a proprietary process that employs 3D modeling, CNC machining, precision bending and a bonding process to manufacture and assemble its products on-site for customers in the United States and internationally. We are located at 1410 80th Street Southwest, Suite C, Everett, Washington 98203. www.toolless.com
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