As the COVID-19 crisis continues to trudge on, a growing number of companies are shifting their attention and resources away from regular production and pivoting to begin producing items to help combat the pandemic. And joining this growing legion of outfits is Nike, which has announced its aim to assist in the ongoing global event by providing powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses and face shield to medical workers treating and fighting the spread of the virus.
This new endeavor is a joint effort between Nike ‘s innovation, manufacturing and product teams, and Oregon Health & Science University. Nike was also able to hugely streamline the production of these pieces of personal protective equipment by repurposing a number of materials it uses in its shoes and clothing, including collar padding, cords, and the thermoplastic polyurethane used in Nike’s Air soles, which is now used to make the face mask. A well-thought-out nine-step manufacturing process also helps to eliminate inefficiencies and overhead costs, while also enabling the production team to churn out products at lightning speeds so they can get into the hands (and onto the faces) of medical workers fighting the virus on the front lines.
