As one of the world’s leading technology companies, Xerox has been at the forefront of many technological advances over the years. It is only natural to think that Xerox would also be able to bring its experience to help in the battle against COVID-19.

Indeed, Xerox is actively engaged is helping to fill the need for materials that are in short supply. The company is working to mass-produce GO2Vent disposable ventilators and related Airway Pressure Monitors (APM-Plus) with Vortran Medical Technology. The companies reported they will be scaling up production from approximately 40,000 ventilators in April to between 150,000 and 200,000 ventilators a month by June.

Xerox is also partnering with Hickey-Freeman to design and produce 10,000 medical-grade face masks for the healthcare professionals at Rochester Regional Health, and producing its own hand sanitizers.

Xerox is also using its resources and expertise to produce approximately 140,000 gallons of hand sanitizer by June 2020.

“From the beginning of this global health crisis, we said Xerox is committed to doing whatever we can to help in this fight against the pandemic,” Mary Fromm, VP of manufacturing at Xerox, noted. “Our charge has led to several initiatives that have leveraged our talents and resources.

“For example, we partnered with Hickey Freeman to begin sewing face masks made from repurposed iGen 5 filters,” Fromm added. “We also announced Xerox would begin mass-producing disposable ventilators. R&D and materials formulations is another core strength of ours. This guided us to consider hand sanitizer as another viable way Xerox could make a difference.”

Xerox makes its own inks and toners, so developing hand sanitizers was natural. The company is producing the sanitizers at plants in Toronto and near Rochester, NY.

“This is a time for every company, every person, to look at what they can do to help society,” said John Visentin, vice chairman and chief executive of Xerox. “Essentials like hand sanitizer will continue to be in high demand. The team moved fast, figured out how to get over the hurdles and are starting to deliver product – all in under a month.”

“Talented minds across the company came together to design a production process that would operate in two countries simultaneously,” said Fromm. “From mixing, batching and bottling, both processes had to be identical and comply with federal health and safety regulations. Each team member brought unique industry expertise and collectively applied it in a new way. Their teamwork carried this initiative from concept to product in less than 30 days.”

Xerox has partnered with resellers, who will be distributing the product to vendors supplying hand sanitizer to frontline organizations, and will continue to produce hand sanitizers for local organizations.

“The company plans to make hand sanitizer for as long as there is demand in the U.S. and/or Canada,” Fromm noted.