3M continues to collaborate with other companies to help provide front line workers with the health care supplies they need to fight COVID-19.

One recent effort came together quickly. Dow reached out to 3M in late April to inquire if the company could provide tape to seal the seams of medical isolation gowns. The reason: Dow planned to manufacture thousands of gowns and donate them to frontline health care workers. The medical gowns are a critical piece of personal protective equipment in the fight against COVID-19.

It turns out that a 3M product, multi-use white duct tape, was just what Dow needed to provide a strong seal over the seams in the medical gown.

To help with the effort, 3M’s Construction and Home Improvement Markets Division donated 3,150 rolls of duct tape to Dow – that’s more than 107 miles of tape.

Dow worked with a total of nine companies, including 3M, to design, manufacture, test, and package the gowns. On May 18, Dow announced it was ready to ship 100,000 gowns to frontline medical workers in Texas, Louisiana and Mexico.

In addition to Dow, 3M is working with other companies on ways to rapidly combine capabilities and resources to help meet a surge in demand for personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In late March, Ford designed a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) in close collaboration with 3M. The PAPRs are now being shipped to health care workers fighting COVID-19. 

3M is also partnering with engine manufacturer Cummins to increase production of the high efficiency particulate filters for use in 3M’s PAPRs.