Higashihiroshima car parts maker produces medical gown 14:06 on May 21 due to the new corona effect
Amid the spread of new coronavirus infections, demand for cars fell, and a parts manufacturer in Hiroshima set out to produce medical gowns.
HRE, an auto parts manufacturer in Higashihiroshima, produces elbow-mounted covers for seats.
However, the production volume of the company last month decreased by about 70% compared to the same month last year due to the influence of major automobile manufacturer Mazda's adjustment of production at domestic and overseas plants from the end of March.
The operation of the factory was reduced to about one day every three days, and in order to supplement the sales even a little, the company began to produce disposable medical gowns in cooperation with hospitals from the end of last month.
The material is made of polyethylene, which is low in cost and easy to put on and take off. After being cut and die-cut by the machine that is usually used for processing automobile parts, the pieces were hand-stitched together and finished.
Medical gowns are in short supply at medical sites, and demand is increasing in a wide range of fields such as fire departments nationwide that carry patients suspected of being infected.
Kinji Horie, president of HRE, said, "I thought the company would collapse as it was, so I started producing gowns. I hope it will be useful for society as much as possible while protecting employees."