Delta Flight Products, the airline’s wholly owned subsidiary, is collaborating with Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI), a non-profit affiliate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, to manufacture face shields to protect hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using materials and designs provided by GCMI, Delta Flight Products is leveraging its best-in-class manufacturing facilities, boosting production to 1,500 per day on the way to a target of 5,000. Orders have been delivered to New York and Atlanta area hospitals, with teams expecting to fill an order of 20,000 face shields for VA Medical Facilities in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
Delta Flight Products is serving as an initial manufacturing site to test GCMI’s design and prescribed fabrication process and is exploring expanding its face shield production beyond the initial order in the coming weeks.
Face shields are essential in extending the use life of the dwindling N95 mask inventory, while protecting healthcare professionals from contamination. Each consists of a clear barrier meant to cover the user’s face, reducing the potential for any virus contacting the user’s eyes and respiratory mask.