One Auto Parts Supplier's Shift to Ventilators: Now Making 1000s of Parts per Week on Die Delivered in Days

A recent episode of the NPR podcast “Planet Money” reported on emergency manufacturing efforts to make ventilator components in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The report described how Michigan die maker Die-Tech & Engineering confronted a die cast part that would typically entail a 12-week lead time, and instead delivered the die fast enough to allow part production to begin within days of receiving the order.

The die went to Twin City Die Castings of Minnesota. The die was for pistons to be used in ventilators by Seattle-area medical device maker Ventec Life Systems.

General Motors (GM) facilitated this. The auto maker partnered with Ventec to multiply ventilator production. Making ventilators needed to remain with Ventec (we explain why here), but GM was able to aid the company through its power in supply chain management. Ventec ventilators use 700 component from 80 suppliers. The “Planet Money” report describes how GM’s 80-member supply chain team met to extend and accelerate the sourcing of all 700 parts. Twin City Die Castings, whose typical work is largely automotive, is an example of a supplier the auto maker brought in.

Ventec CEO Chris Kiple is quoted regarding a delay with a supplier in India. “GM had people on the ground in India that night” to fix the problem, he said.

Die-Tech & Engineering is the die maker Twin City enlisted for help with the work. The completed die, with cavities for six pistons per shot, was delivered in five days. Twin City is now producing Ventec pistons at the rate of 20,000 per month.