Lamborghini: manufacturing facemasks to combat COVID-19
Lamborghini has become the latest manufacturer to join the companies fighting the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, producing surgical masks and protective shields.
The masks and plexiglass shields will be produced in Lamborghini’s super sports car production plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese, and will be donated to the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna. The hospital is located less than 20 miles away from the factory, which halted car production on the 12th of March due to the spread of the coronavirus in Italy.
Staff typically tasked with the production of saddlery for the interiors of Lamborghini’s cars will work on the manufacturing of the equipment, creating 1,000 masks a day. 3D printers within the carbon fibre production plant will be used to produce 200 medical shields a day, supporting the Emilia-Romagna region which homes the manufacturer.
With more than 14,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, Emilia-Romagna is the second worst-hit region by the pandemic.
SEE ALSO
- JCB joins Dyson to help end the ventilator shortage
- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' response to COVID-19
- COVID-19: UK car manufacturing to see major impact
- Read the latest issue of Manufacturing Global here
The Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences will oversee the validation testing of Lamborghini’s medical devices before they are delivered to the hospital, with production of the safety equipment being conducted in collaboration with the University of Bologna.
“During this emergency, we feel the need to make a concrete contribution. The S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital is an institution with which we have had a collaborative relationship for years, through both professional consultancy in promoting programs to protect our workers’ health, and in research projects.” Said Stefano Domenicali, the Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.
“We will win this battle together by working in union, supporting those who are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic every day.” As a show of unity with its host country, Lamborghini has been lighting up its historic headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese with the colours of the Italian flag.
Lamborghini follows the lead of manufacturers such as Fiat Chrysler, Ford and Tesla in the fight against the coronavirus. Tens of thousands of ventilators, protective shields and other crucial pieces of protective medical equipment are being donated to hospitals around the world by manufacturers, as healthcare professionals continue to battle the pandemic.
For more information on manufacturing topics - please take a look at the latest edition of Manufacturing Global.