Photo By Mallory Haag | A Crane Army Ammunition Activity employee labels containers of hand sanitizer produced...... read more read more
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Editor's Note: This is the third article in a four-part series on Army Materiel Command's support to the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This installment is focused on the Army’s Organic Industrial Base.
(REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.) - Without losing focus on readiness and support to the warfighter, several of the Army’s Organic Industrial Base facilities are producing, repairing and repurposing equipment to augment the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other potentially life-saving medical equipment to support the whole-of-government response to COVID-19, at the request of Army senior leaders.
Managed by Army Materiel Command, the OIB consists of 26 depots, arsenals and ammunition plants that manufacture and reset Army equipment, generating readiness and operational capability throughout Army formations.
By nature of the production lines and facilities within the OIB, much of the artisan workforce is already working within the recommended social distancing guidelines, allowing them to continue their critical operations while taking the necessary steps to maintain a healthy working environment. Some facilities have implemented additional steps to maintain a healthy working environment such as utilizing telework to the maximum extent possible, added or staggered shifts, installing Plexiglas barriers to work stations, and issuing PPE to the workforce.
In addition to maintaining mission requirements, several OIB facilities have modified existing production capabilities and processes to meet Army needs for PPE and other essential items in response to the pandemic.
U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command’s Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania has taken steps to protect its workforce while maintaining its current workload providing repair and modernization of essential air, missile and space systems. Additionally, LEAD produced medical isolation gowns for a Pennsylvania-based health care system as part of a public-private partnership.
“As part of the Army’s Organic Industrial Base, Letterkenny is prepared to respond when the nation calls,” said Col. Gregory Gibbons, LEAD commander. “Part of that response is flexibility, and we’re honored to provide a solution for our local community.”
Joint Munitions Command facilities have produced over 70,000 cloth face coverings and 2,300 gallons of hand sanitizer for Army personnel to continue their mission-essential work. The face coverings were developed and produced at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas, while the hand sanitizer was produced at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Oklahoma, and Crane Army Ammunition Activity, Indiana.
U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command personnel at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania collaborated with U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command medical maintenance technicians to establish the design requirements for producing the initial prototypes, and then sourced the electronic components, to build 52 power supplies for ventilators.
Jack Rosarius, director of U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency’s Medical Maintenance Management Directorate, said in a May interview that he was impressed with the quality and turn-around time of the power supply units.
“Depot engineers visited the facility to examine a couple samples and in very short order, produced what we needed,” said Rosarius.
The new ventilator power supply design is slightly smaller than the original and it’s made with commercial off-the-shelf components. Tobyhanna was able to procure the components, fabricate and test the units in less than 11 days.
In addition to using existing OIB facilities and equipment, AMC is using additive manufacturing processes to design and 3D print essential parts and equipment. The Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence will produce more than one million testing swabs on two printers by year’s end for use by DoD personnel, reducing the demand on commercially available swabs that can now be used for the general public.
Col. Jimi Hendrix, RIA-JMTC commander, said he is impressed by what his team has accomplished and the external support they have received.
“Organizations across the AMC enterprise, the U.S. Government, and private industry have partnered with us to provide designs and seek FDA approval for the production of nasal swabs to support COVID-19 testing,” said Hendrix. “Processes that usually take years are falling into place within weeks.”
RIA-JMTC has also produced 55 power supply assembly covers for ventilators, and 300 ear savers designed to extend the life of a mask and provide more comfort for the wearer.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2020 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 375773 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 138 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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