1. Introduction to Ambulance Manufacturing Industry
Ambulance Manufacturing Companies; Ambulance manufacturing industry doesn’t require any introduction to anyone; its importance is far beyond explaining with words. An ambulance, as little as it seems, is the only means which rebels death. Handicapped persons always look for the nearest hospital with a prayer on their lips for the sound of a siren. Despite the car running at full speed, the siren, with its transition, becomes a sign of hope in hours of death. Day or night, rain, snow or sun, functioning eyes always look out for ambulances. In brief, if the army, solar energy, nuclear science & technology protect humans from foreign national invasions, natural disasters, and genetic influences, ambulances & medicines protect humans from threats. In the rapid development of urbanization, agriculture & communication, the responsibility to provide quick transit to dependent, diseased, and injured persons of society due to road accidents, heart attacks, kidney failure, liver problems, and paralysis lies with the ambulances only.
For any reason, an ambulance should come to the destination point quickly to save human life. A person will die, especially in the case of a heart attack, within three minutes if the ambulance does not reach the patient. The ambulance exists to carry patients to the nearest hospital resulting from work-related accidents. The main aim of the paper is to make a general evaluation of relevant literature on ambulance manufacturing companies. The study mainly focuses on what an ambulance is, the definition of an ambulance, ambulance services, vehicle design, production and development of ambulances, ambulance manufacturing companies, some general firms manufacturing ambulances, and a comprehensive study on the subject. All ambulances should transport patients and provide first-degree services, but the existing differences in the time of development of ambulance design, service design, and time, cost, file, and expectation should never be neglected. It should have been the national policy to set national decisions on the issue of not establishing production. The research is done in English.
2. Key Players in the Ambulance Manufacturing Sector
Ambulances were introduced to rapidly transport sick and injured people, for the initial treatment of patients, and to meet the demand for car transport. An ambulance is a type of vehicle used to transport sick or injured people to or from hospitals and specialized clinics. In general, the ambulance is equipped with a display that measures different physiological parameters such as an ECG monitor, a ventilator, a defibrillator, and other diagnostic equipment, along with drugs and other life-saving equipment. Over time, the types of ambulance vehicles have changed, especially in terms of ambulances for the transportation of injured war soldiers, and it has become a significant sector with different types today. In particular, companies producing ready-made and customized ambulances transport patients within countries as well as providing services worldwide. With the increase in the aging population and the rise in daily traffic accidents, ambulances, which can be considered as a means of health transport, are becoming essential day by day. In this study, market and production information about key players and their activities in the growing ambulance manufacturing sector will be examined and evaluated. At the end of the study, the aim is to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive information about global ambulance producers and to contribute to local and international marketing scores.
In general, manufacturers, actors, and suppliers with operations related to a particular product provide mutual benefits to exist in an industry or market. The activities and problems of manufacturing companies, especially in the after-sales process, have become a profusion in popular research topics. Companies that are able to manufacture under crowded competition have experienced significant changes and developments. Large, medium, and small businesses make significant contributions to economic, social, and cultural structures, technological and environmental developments, and lead design, branding, advertising, and engineering projects. They are economically beneficial and make social contributions, offering new proposal-based outsourcing strategy practices and improving new organizational strategies. Companies must be aware of new business risks and approach their future plans with precision in scheduled activities. For a new business that uses innovative technologies and design capabilities, it must have flexibility and capability. The studies propose methods, research, designs, methods, locations, and activities to be used in many fields. This situation is also true for ambulance manufacturing companies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the most important businesses in the world and to present an opportunity to bring them together. This is called the “force multiplier”. Each company in this study will gain power and increase their sphere of influence. This study will help customers who are planning to engage in a new business relationship; it will help existing manufacturers to develop the strategies they want to apply when providing products and services. This will help new producers in determining innovative ideas that they have not previously thought of.
2.1. Global Leaders
Owners and manufacturers are at the top of the market. It is presumed in global leadership that they have several authorized service dealerships in the area, offer a wide variety of vehicles with complete features and accessories. They are exquisitely aware of their broad-based technology. This can supply vehicles at a moment’s notice. They have unique customer service, first-class quality of goods, and excellent after-sales service. In addition to creating an audioit model and comprehensive support and conditioning method, they need to adapt and replicate their technology through global alliances for effective use and ability.
Mercedes Benz: The Mercedes-Benz range of factory-fitted ambulances includes vehicles in the E-Class, or the V-Class, or the Sprinter series configurations. The importance of a consistent, special individual package is that customers need not modify the vehicle, while firefighters, emergency workers, etc., are equipped with the equipment and facilities they need. An excellent product knowledge base for emergency services suppliers and uncomplicated technical assistance with emergency services vehicles is the result of their significant market presence with a worldwide network and experienced international suppliers. Its extensive, modular range of main, transport, and over-registration conversion parts help to fulfill almost every client request.
Fiat, Ambulance, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have, however, warned the emergency services against buying rivals because their vehicles do not represent the need. This is the fairest price for this safety solution that the OEM guarantees the OEM anti-lock braking system.
2.2. Emerging Companies
As modern life is busy, it has been very important to have an ambulance around to take a sick or injured person to a hospital. As one of the leading companies in China, Medro thinks highly of production and guarantees production quality and personnel delivering plan in good quality. Because of government procurement, The Traverse has been very important in 2015. It has exported 372 ambulances to Ethiopia, 103 ambulances to South Sudan, 516 ambulances to Nigeria. In 2016, we exported 20 Bestums to Thailand successfully and exported 25 Traverse to Thailand.
The driving of an emergency vehicle with extraordinary driving behavior, in particular, an enormous speed away from the established rules of road, bears the risk of life and limb. Special requirements for the operational suitability of the vehicles used arise from the direct function of ambulance vehicles during acute life-threatening emergencies. However, there are noticeable differences between the countries. These differences result from regional peculiarities, the actual form of the emergency and rescue services, and the financing system, as well as the existing legal framework.
3. Technological Advancements in Ambulance Design and Manufacturing
Ambulance Manufacturing Companies; Until a few decades ago, the process of reaching injured persons and transporting them to the hospital was a critical job. Today, fortunately, the injured get an ambulance usually in time, receive first aid, and are driven to the nearest hospital. The ambulance provides first aid for the injured on the way itself. The advanced life support ambulance has more facilities and medicines. The development of the field of medical science and technology, and the design of ambulance facilities according to these developments, are a certain necessity of our day. As in other areas, technological advancements have made great progress in the ambulance manufacturing field. Today, both typical land vehicles called ambulances and ships and aircraft called flight ambulances (airport ambulances) are manufactured.
The technology applied in the construction of cars and the equipment of ambulances has a wide variety. It is now possible to manufacture every kind of ambulance according to the needs of patients. With these features, the trip in an ambulance is also more comfortable and safer. Because of the great role of technology, the companies manufacturing ambulances and vehicles, as well as the manufacturers of apparatus, equipment, materials, and medicine in ambulances, are increasing in number. The following advanced structures are possible to obtain according to the increasing needs of road ambulances and advanced facilities. The company applies the EN ISO 9001:2000 quality control system. The interior temperature and air inside ambulances are controlled by means of a 380 V compressor cooling and 12 V battery cooling. The different areas are separately conditioned upon request. These units are produced in a sound-protected room.
4. Quality Standards and Regulations in Ambulance Production
Ambulance manufacturers have to adhere to the quality standards and regulations of the destination countries when making ambulance vehicles for the clients. A few of the regulations and other important certifications are given below. For example, the details of Directive 2015/559 of the European Parliament and of the Council, ISO 60601-1 (medical-electrical), ISO 6185 (Inflatable Boats), EN 950 (Ambulances), Grampian Health Board General Nursing Procedures, etc. are presented in this chapter. Some of the specialized emergency vehicles, such as mobile surgical units, mobile stroke unit, mobile breast milk bank unit, neonatal ambulances, K-9 and horse ambulances, mobile command post units and decontamination and cleansing ambulances have their own standard requirements as well. Japan Ambulance Association certification, Suzuki Ambulance Safety Standard, and some companies that produce ambulances worldwide are shown as to the standards of those companies.
4.1. Quality Standards of the Manufacturing Companies Several International Standards are applied to the Ambulances and each of its component parts to check the quality and safety. The companies produce Ambulance, convert the vehicle chassis purchased from different vehicle chassis manufacturers, as per the specifications and requirements such as patient capacity, structured boxes, fittings and fixtures and other facilities raised by the client. These companies have to adhere to quality standards and regulations of the destination countries to deliver the Ambulances to the clients. They have acquired ISO 9001 and 14001 in order to manufacture the designs and products in a controlled quality and systems. The ambulances should adhere to the conditions of the approval when a statement of approval as per the provisions of ECE regulations No 106 is available for the components (seats, M1 whole vehicles, etc) that are part of the ambulance vehicle. Then only the assembler will be responsible for the design as it concerns those functional conditions. All ambulances must comply with the Type I, II, III or IV vehicle ambulance standards and must produce to the profile view in the standards. These vehicle standards have confirmed the crashworthiness seats, side structures, specific headroom, width, doors, seat belts, patient loaded, gurneys, CPR devices and cots. When the assembler and component manufacturer have their own transportation authorization, the ambulance can be marked with the “e6” mark after the approval of the vehicle by the relevant transporter, specific Ministry of the Interiors or another governmental body. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has considered the above standards named as codes, regulations, directives. National and municipal regulations depend on the individual states’ legislation and are not going to be discussed in this study. Such standards are available from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems. The details of Directive 2015/559 of the European Parliament and of the Council, ISO 60601-1 (Medical-electrical), ISO 6185 (inflatable boats), EN 950 (ambulances), Grampian Health Board General Nursing Procedures, etc. available.
5. Future Trends and Innovations in Ambulance Manufacturing
The trend with respect to the usage of electronic aids is increasing continuously with varying complexities in all equipment depending upon EMS network presence of real-time driving route optimization, parallel substitute route suggestions, and updated road map features. Blind spot detection support; distance sensor-based parking support; and camera-dependent clear viewing of the patient’s position by the driver are included in electronic aids, making EMS more powerful. In the future, a wide variety of hybrid vehicles, mild hybrid and full hybrid automobile engine power plants are used through the rescuer’s vehicle energy by means of the rescuer’s vehicle data and washing functions.
At present, the phenomenon of ambulance design is a multi-disciplinary perspective from patient transporting efficient vehicle till the next level of hospital care infotainment services. The objective of future ambulance manufacturing services is widely categorized, reserving the road, patient blockage level minimization, normal patrolling frequency minimization of forward services oriented personnel equipped rescue vehicle route congestion situation by means of vehicle speed control along with various communication level traffic control methodologies. Previous bi-level traffic control normally is not in a real-time situation and without electronic contact. Time and spatial control algorithms are implemented today to automatically control various parameters like EMS-oriented GPS optimum route, wireless communication channels, and vehicle position through various communication methodologies to achieve real-time patient rescue information.
The trend towards the infotainment age is clearly visible with very powerful real-time GIS-based infotainment, digital signage platform, and Wi-Fi-based Bluetooth and high data rate-based infotainment (information and entertainment) services. For infotainment provision, crowdsourcing, open-source platforms, ontology-based data analysis, and Google Transit or Nokia Here Maps are used. Crowdsourcing also aids as an audit vehicle details against the taxi medical agreement. Various levels of automated and electromechanical rescue vehicle management functions are used to control various medical and non-emergency level rescue special purpose ambulance features. Auto body stylist level complaint actions are predicted using vehicle signal data, vehicle accelerometer due to road condition, and severity.
