Register for this free webinar

Do you know what talent will be needed at your company moving forward? Or how to create a safe environment for those working the plant floor?

If you answered no to either of these questions, you’ll want to register for the free webinar, Restarting manufacturing in COVID-19 conditions. Taking place on May 28 at 12 pm EDT, Bill Currence, President & Managing Partner, and Dan Davis, Executive Consultant, Cornerstone Consulting Organization LLC, will discuss topics on how to re-think your supply chains to operate successfully in COVID-19 conditions.

As the industry moves forward in these unprecedented times, the information provided in this webinar will be crucial to understand how best to operate your business in 2020 and beyond.

Unable to participate on the day of the event? No problem. Each registered attendee will also receive a link to an online copy of the webinar. The link to the virtual conference content will be sent approximately 5 to 10 business days after the event.

REGISTER TODAY

Wind River issued new research investigating how technology executives – specifically, C-suite leaders and senior executives in areas such as IoT, DevOps, security, and embedded development – from both the U.S. and China are realigning their focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their insights are embodied in the Wind River commissioned report titled “COVID-19 and Corporate Strategies in the U.S. and China: A Seismic Event Demanding Change and Action from Top Executives.”

Seismic events can disrupt our focus and thinking and force reassessment of drivers of future business success. The current COVID-19 pandemic is one of those major events producing a worldwide impact, especially given its reverberations on the two largest global economies, the U.S. and China.

“Prior to the pandemic, the vast majority of corporations were looking toward advancing their digital transformation. However, we’ve entered a different landscape that is triggering leaders in DevOps and IoT development to make profound decisions about the speed and nature of their technology investments,” says Kevin Dallas, president and CEO, Wind River. “As we’ve seen from our study, in this COVID-19–shocked world, those most optimistic about the future of their business and the direction of their technology and development investments are the enterprises viewing this as a time to accelerate and even change the nature of that transformation.”

Looking inside the minds of technology executives in major sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing/industrial provides a view into how leaders are redirecting their focus and accelerating or delaying investments. The report surveyed 400 senior-level technology executives from the U.S. and China at enterprises with revenues ranging from $100 million to $1 billion.

With COVID-19–related challenges creating new pressures, enterprises are rapidly falling into the categories of simply surviving, pivoting to adapt to new realities, or doing nothing. While the U.S. and China are in different phases of the pandemic, in several aspects the responses from each country split in similar ways. More than 1 in 3 executives – 39% of U.S. and 43% of Chinese leaders – are focusing on surviving this crisis, while 35% in the U.S. and 33% in China are spurred to make a transformation due to COVID-19.

To tackle these challenges, there is a clear recognition among leaders that they will require transformative focus and skills. Therefore, in order to successfully lead a digital transformation, C-suite leaders and executives in DevOps/DevSecOps and IoT anticipate increased importance in their roles (ranging from 60%+ in the U.S. to 73%+ in China) as their businesses exit COVID-19.

As the world grapples with the disruption caused by COVID-19 and enterprises begin to understand major gaps and the resources required to deliver on customer needs, they must identify the right strategies and experts to help them accelerate a digital transformation and realize long-term success beyond the pandemic.

Founded in 1949, Franke GmbH develops and produces wire roller bearings, turning systems, and linear systems. Customers from medical technology, renewable energies, and aerospace technology trust in the innovative and high-quality solutions of the technology leader.

To meet the quality requirements, Franke relies on six machining centers from DMG Mori for mechanical processing. With the global spread of the COVID-19 virus and increasing demand for medical technology components, Franke ordered two additional DMC 125 FD duoBLOCK.

High-end special bearings with integrated drives for CT xcanners, bearings for ceiling lights in intensive care units, and special bearings for medical centrifuges and laboratory devices are just a few examples of what Franke manufactures for well-known medtech OEMs. The company’s share of medical technology sales rose from 35% to more than 40% in 2020.

µ-precise production of bearing components
Franke has been manufacturing with machining centers from DMG MORI since 2008. Its machine park includes a DMU 210 FD and the DMC 80 FD duoBLOCK, DMC 125 FD duoBLOCK, and DMC 160 FD duoBLOCK equipped with a pallet changer. All machines have an accuracy package.

© DMG MORI / FRANKE

The duoBLOCK models in particular play a decisive role for Oliver Schröder, authorized representative and head of purchasing and materials management: “Milling and turning in one clamping combined with the automatic pallet changer offer us the optimal package for processing highly complex housing parts for special bearings from 300mm to 2,000mm. The accuracy is in the µ range.”

One of the two recently ordered DMC 125 FD duoBLOCK also has the DMG MORI technology cycle gearSKIVING in order to be able to manufacture straight and oblique external and internal gears in-house using conical gear skiving tools in the future. This can reduce both costs and lead times.

Dearborn, Michigan – Ford has signed contracts with health systems in four metro areas with major company facilities to quickly test hourly and salaried employees with suspected symptoms of COVID-19.

In Southeast Michigan, Ford will work with Beaumont Health for testing. In Louisville, Ford employees will be tested through University of Louisville Health. In the Kansas City area, employees will be tested through Liberty Hospital. In the Chicago area, employees will be tested through the University of Chicago Medical Center and UChicago Medicine-Ingalls Memorial Hospital.

“Fast and accurate testing is a key tool in the effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Walter Talamonti, Ford Medical Director. “These contracts will allow us to test employees with suspected symptoms and have results back within 24 hours. If they test positive, we can quickly identify close contact employees who may have been exposed and ask them to self-quarantine for 14 days.”

In Southeast Michigan, where Ford employs approximately 46,000 people, employees who exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19 will receive a prescription for testing from Ford’s onsite doctors. This prescription allows employees to receive testing through Beaumont Health.

In Louisville, where Ford has two major assembly plants and employs approximately 12,500 people, employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to immediately schedule a telemedicine appointment with a doctor. The doctor can then write a prescription for COVID-19 testing if necessary. Testing will be done through University of Louisville Health.

In the Kansas City area, where Ford builds the F-150 and employs more than 7,000 people, employees who exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19 will receive a prescription from Ford’s onsite doctors for testing. They can then access a drive-through testing site at Liberty Hospital.

In the Chicago area, home of Chicago Assembly and Chicago Stamping plants, which together employ nearly 7,000 people, Ford will advise employees who suspect or exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 to call the COVID number of the University of Chicago Medical Center and UChicago Medicine-Ingalls Memorial Hospital. After a phone screening, they will be given a same day appointment for COVID-19 testing when appropriate.

In all locations, the goal is to have results available within 24 hours.

Testing results will be simultaneously shared with Ford doctors in order to quickly identify others who were in close contact with infected employees and immediately have them self-quarantine for 14 days.

“We are working on quickly expanding testing of symptomatic employees,” said Ken Washington, Ford’s Chief Technology Officer. “The health and safety of our employees has been – and remains – our top priority as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to expanding locations for these tests, we are also pursuing the possibility of voluntary antibody testing in the future for our employees.”

Ford is initially focusing on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which identifies if someone is actively infected. PCR tests are used to detect the presence of viral RNA, not the presence of the antibodies, which are the body’s immune response.

“Fast, accurate tests work hand-in-hand with personal protection equipment and protocols to create a safe environment for our workforce,” said Gary Johnson, Ford’s Chief Manufacturing and Labor Affairs Officer.

Testing is the most recent addition to Ford’s health and safety protocols in place in the company’s facilities.

To guide the workforce with the new health and safety protocols, Ford has compiled a comprehensive Manufacturing Return to Work Playbook to help protect its workforce, assembled using best practices and input from experts around the world. Some of the safety protocols include:

• Daily online employee and visitor health self-certifications completed before work every day. Employees or visitors who indicate they may have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus will be told not to come to Ford facilities.
• No-touch temperature scans upon arrival – anyone with a raised temperature will not be permitted to enter and will need to be cleared of symptoms before returning to work.
• Required face masks for everyone entering a Ford facility. Every Ford team member will be provided a care kit including face masks and other items to help keep them healthy and comfortable at work.
• Safety glasses with side shields or face shields will be required when jobs don’t allow for social distancing.
• There will be more time between production shifts to limit interaction between employees and allow for additional cleaning.