Coronavirus Technology Solutions

April 24, 2020

 

Safe and Cost Effective Food Processing in the COVID-19 Era

APC Filtration has New Mask Media

Cummins will Make Respirator Filters At One of its Diesel Filter Plants

AquiSense Launches UV-C LED Surface Disinfection System

 

Axalta Powder Coatings Kill Viruses in Thirty Minutes

Use the Air Vent Above Each Airline Passenger and Plastic Curtains to Provide Laminar Downward HEPA Filter Air Flow

ExxonMobil has New Filtration Fabric and Mask Design

ExxonMobil is Increasing Isopropyl Alcohol Production and Also Producing Medical Grade Sanitizer

Porvair Filtration Group’s Segensworth Division to Supply Fully Assembled Face Shields to the British National Health Service

 

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Safe and Cost Effective Food Processing in the COVID-19 Era

The food processing industry is facing a huge problem with plants deemed essential experiencing virus outbreaks. There is the opportunity to take advantage of new products and mitigation technologies and not only create safe working conditions for employees but to reduce risk of product contamination. An additional benefit is to improve product quality. Studies have shown that cleaner environments can result in extension of pork shelf life by 12 days. Here are some of the mitigation technologies which can be employed.

Plant  Entrance

 

Text Box: •	Foot Sanitizer
•	Mask decontamination unit 
•	Temperature sensing
•	Mask exchange
•	N95 masks with valve for symptom free
N95 Masks without valve for the untested

 

Text Box:

Image: Thermal imaging

 

Plant

 

Text Box: •	Appropriate masks, gloves, gowns
•	Upgraded HVAC systems with HEPA filters
•	UV robots
•	Local air purifiers
•	Wearable intelligence
•	Expanded decontamination
•	monitoring
Meat processing plant UK, Stock Photo, Picture And Rights Managed ...

 

 

Text Box:                 

 

 

 

      

 

Offices, Lunch and Locker Rooms

Text Box:

Text Box: •	Foot sanitizer
•	Safe zones
•	Automation 
•	Upgraded HVAC with HEPA filters and UV
•	Local air purifiers in bathrooms and other spaces
•	Monitoring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many new technologies which will  find widespread use.  It is now well established that virus clouds are airborne and travel long distances. Therefore efficient masks will be necessary. Nanofiber membranes offer higher efficiency and comfort in masks.  Robots can monitor conditions as they move throughout the plant. Viruses have been proven to be transmitted by shoe soles.  So there are now foot sanitizers. HEPA filters can remove viruses in HVAC and local room purifier systems.

APC Filtration has New Mask Media

Due to ​a call from the federal government​,​ APC Filtration understands the timely importance of protecting our communities by producing these vital materials in Canada.
 

With over 35 years in the air filter industry, APC Filtration is devoted to increasing supplies, and investing​ ​in product innovation to respond to these growing demands. In collaboration with several research leaders such as ​McMaster, Ryerson, Woodbridge Group and private manufacturers​, ​APC Filtration is tackling this critical shortage by producing a variety of face masks, and ventilator filters that will help protect residential and commercial spaces with quality air. Production and manufacturing is 100% proudly Canadian.

In efforts with ​McMaster Engineers helping frontline workers​, APC has ​provided in-house pressure drop and aerosol rejection testing for L3 surgical and N95 masks. In addition, APC has developed a new filter media for mask production, which samples were to be ready for ASTM testing on April 17th.

Cummins will Make Respirator Filters At One of its Diesel Filter Plants

Cummins will convert one of its diesel filter plants to produce particulate filters used in respirators for health care professionals in the fight against COVID-19.

Cummins reached an agreement with 3M to manufacture high efficiency particulate filters for use in the latter’s powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs).

Cummins will use existing manpower and equipment at its Neillsville, Wisconsin facility to pleat the media, assemble it into cartridge housings and do final testing before shipping the filters to Valley, Nebraska, where 3M’s PAPRs are manufactured.

Production of the filters at Cummins’ Neillsville location is expected to begin by the end of April.

“Cummins has been striving to find ways to help during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Tom Linebarger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cummins. “Working with 3M, we discovered our technologies and manufacturing expertise could be relevant as we partner in new ways to help protect healthcare professionals.”

PAPRs are used by front-line healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. PAPRs use a battery-powered blower that sends filtered air into a hood or head top that covers the wearer’s head or face; and can provide increased levels of respiratory protection, especially for critical healthcare situations such as aerosol generating procedures.

The partnership has the potential to more than double the current production of filters for 3M’s PAPRs. The additional filters are needed as 3M has ramped up production of PAPRs to meet a surge in demand for personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

 “3M continues to work around the clock to get personal protective equipment, including PAPRs, to the heroic healthcare workers and first responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight,” said Mike Roman, 3M Chairman of the Board and CEO. “Our partnership with Cummins will help us produce more of this critical equipment in the coming months.”

Cummins’ filtration business line designs, manufactures and sells air, fuel, hydraulic and lube filtration, as well as chemical technology products for diesel and gas-powered equipment around the world.

AquiSense Launches UV-C LED Surface Disinfection System

PearlSurface 24G9 is designed for health care applications such as reuse of N95 face mask and other PPE.

AquiSense Technologies, a US-based maker of ultraviolet (UV) LED disinfection technology, has launched the PearlSurface 24G9, one of the first UV-C LED surface disinfection products designed for health care applications such as reuse of N95 face mask and other PPE.


News

 

The PearlSurface 24G9 offers advanced benefits specific to LEDs, including mercury-free lamps, instant-on operation and low cost of ownership, while providing high-power density, homogeneous disinfection of target objects.

According to the company, the PearlSurface 24G9 offers simple operation, integrated timer, low voltage power supply and compact footprint, making it suitable for point-of-use hospital settings, care homes, ambulances, police/fire departments, factories, food preparation, etc.

AquiSense says it will offer this product under the current US FDA enforcement relief to deal with immediate COVDI19 emergency use and will simultaneously submit a premarket approval application.

“We accelerated our product development pipeline in response to immediate global needs for reliable reuse disinfection products,” said Oliver Lawal, CEO at AquiSense Technologies. “We are fortunate to be able to leverage an existing high-output UV-C LED module from our water treatment products and draw on our experience in rapid hardware design and optical modeling to ensure a high-level disinfection efficacy.” concluded Lawal. AquiSense Technologies is interested in talking to potential partners and distributors for the PearlSurface 24G9.

Axalta Powder Coatings Kill Viruses in Thirty Minutes

Axalta will supply E&R Powder Coating with more than 7,000 pounds of its Alesta AM powder coatings for bed frames at a temporary hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, which is being used for coronavirus patients.

Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, today announced that it will supply E&R Powder Coating with more than 7,000 pounds of its Alesta AM powder coatings for bed frames at a temporary hospital at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, which is being used for coronavirus patients.

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"Axalta's Alesta AM is being applied to these new beds to ensure that the surfaces are protected with silver zinc zeolite antimicrobial technology that is known to inhibit the growth of microbes on powder coated surfaces," said Michael Bollan, Americas Business Director for Axalta Powder Coatings. "We are proud to be a significant producer of antimicrobial powder coatings and are actively exploring new applications for this important part of Axalta's product portfolio, including for potential use in automotive interiors."

"Axalta cares about our communities around the world," continued Bollan. "We appreciate being a part of the solution to provide a high-quality coated surface for hospital patients in this time of critical need."

Alesta AM powder coatings provide protection that is ideal for hospitals, public transit, medical equipment, water treatment plants, food service packaging equipment, pharmaceutical labs,

Use the Air Vent Above Each Airline Passenger and Plastic Curtains to Provide Laminar Downward HEPA Filter Air Flow

The air vent above each passenger seat can be the means by which HEPA filtered air flows downward around the passenger and then is exhausted at floor level thereby protecting the passenger.  McIlvaine Company speculates that  short retractable plastic curtains could separate passengers.  Since each would have their own air flow source this arrangement would be just as safe as having just one passenger per row. The cost of the curtains would be minuscule and the ability to fly with a full load of passengers would be very remunerative. Each seat could be viewed as a personal shower area except it would be air not water.

Amazon.com: Shower Nozzle 3D Print Waterproof Thickening Polyester ...

Some research uncovered the following insights. Travel + Leisure spoke to Dr. Mark Gendreau — the medical director and vice chair of emergency medicine at Lahey Medical Center-Peabody, and an expert on the spread of infectious diseases associated with air travel — to learn how it works and how travelers can best utilize the air vents.

As a rule of thumb, the air that you’re typically breathing and exposed to is usually anywhere from two to five rows surrounding your seat,” he added.

Here's how the ventilation systems work.

Each of these sections (known as temperature control zones), receives air from overhead distribution nozzles that flows through the length of the cabin. The air exits the plane through a grill that's often located beneath the windows, or where the side walls meet the floor of the plane.

This air then combines with the air outside before going through a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) to clear away dust and microbes before re-entering the plane.

The number of these ventilation zones varies depending on the aircraft, but each zone typically goes through this filtration process 15 to 30 times within the hour, with 50 percent of the air getting re-circulated and 50 percent of the air coming from outside, according to Gendreau.

The systems were primarily designed during the time when smoking was permitted on flights, Gendreau said, meaning airlines had to come up with an efficient and regular filtration system for their ventilation to clear the smoke from the cabins.

For this reason, HEPA filters can remove more than 99 percent of dust and microbes in the air, Gendreau said, though there are times where you'll want to turn to your personal vent.

 “For airborne viruses, it is incredibly important to ventilate, since ventilation becomes your main means of control besides isolating the affected person,” Gendreau said.

Airborne viruses, like tuberculosis and measles, are transmitted by tiny droplet nuclei that can hang in the air for up to five hours, Gendreau said.

While viruses associated with the common cold and upper respiratory tract infections tend to be larger in size and heavier (consequently falling to the floor rather quickly), these particles linger. Which is where your vent comes in.

By using the vent and turning it on medium or low, you can create an invisible air barrier around you that creates turbulence — simultaneously blocking these particles and forcing them to the ground faster.

ExxonMobil has New Filtration Fabric and Mask Design

In response to the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, ExxonMobil is applying its deep knowledge and experience with polymer-based technologies in combination with GCMI to facilitate development and expedite third-party production of innovative safety equipment that can be sterilized and worn multiple times.

A new industrial-style mask is being fast-tracked for production. The design improves coverage of a health care worker’s nose and mouth and will use a replaceable cartridge system that includes a filtration fabric to prevent contact spread of the virus from the saturated filter. In this design, the filters are disposable while the main component of the mask can withstand repeated sterilization, thus prolonging the life-cycle of the product and addressing shortages of N95 masks.

Prototypes are currently being tested and reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. When approved, production will begin immediately, with ExxonMobil supporting the identification of manufacturers familiar with the materials and process to quickly deliver the masks to doctors, nurses and health care providers. Once approved, manufacturers indicate they will be able to produce as many as 40,000 ready-to-use masks and filter cartridges per hour.

"Expediting advanced technologies to help those who are combatting this global pandemic is absolutely critical for society," said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. "We’re proud to do our part by sharing our expertise and experience in material technologies, and energy supplies needed to support our health care workers. It’s just one example of ExxonMobil employees working around the clock to help keep our communities safe and limiting the spread of COVID-19."

"Scaling solutions rapidly to address the global crisis requires significant investment, innovation and collaboration," said Tiffany Wilson, CEO of Global Center for Medical Innovation. "By partnering with ExxonMobil, we’re harnessing the expertise and capabilities of the world’s largest energy companies to accelerate our ability to realize that vision."

Another product developed by GCMI is a face shield made from high-grade polymers that can withstand the harsh conditions of sterilization to enable reuse, while meeting the visibility and safety requirements of current designs. The technology complies with existing safety standards, reducing the time from design to front-line use. More than 50,000 units have already been produced and are being distributed to hospitals in New York and Atlanta. Production facilities are ramping up to manufacture more than 170,000 shields per hour in the coming days.

GCMI verifies, validates and accelerates the development and commercialization of new medical technologies that save lives and improve patient care. GCMI has worked collaboratively during COVID-19 to design, develop, prototype, validate and execute the need for protection to frontline healthcare workers, with an efficient, quick process intended to save lives.

ExxonMobil, which invented filtration fabric technology in the 1960s, is making its experts available to provide technical expertise and delivering polypropylene from its manufacturing sites in Baytown, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The raw materials will be expedited, if needed, for face mask assembly. The company will also facilitate supply chain interfaces to expedite deployment.

The initiative is a collaboration between GCMI; Dr. Joanna Newton, Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist, Aflac Center and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center; and a team of scientists and researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and its Invention Studio.

Justin Sink, a digital transformation and innovation advisor at ExxonMobil, answered questions about the masks. The masks are made of a material that Exxon invented in the 1970s. It looks and feels like rigid cloth, but it’s actually a melt-blown polymer that enables air to flow in and out easily. What most people don’t know is that before the fabric is shaped into masks, it’s given an electrostatic charge. That charge is what captures viruses or bacteria.

Over time and with extended use and contamination, that charge diminishes and, along with it, the protective ability of the mask. So, these masks often have to be thrown away after a single use. And the problem is there’s only so much of the fabric being produced around the world.

With the N95 mask, the technology that’s required to produce each unit is quite complex. It’s difficult to build a new supply chain for N95 masks in a week – it usually takes months. And the virus spreads exponentially.

For context, says Sink “ we still produce the raw materials for the fabric at our Baytown, Texas, production facility, which is currently working at maximum capacity. But most of the N95 microfiber is manufactured in Asia, and they need masks there as much as we need them here. So, the supply chain is stretched too thin, meaning mask material that’s made in Asia is staying in Asia right now.

Fortunately, ExxonMobil understands materials science, manufacturing and supply chains, so we’re working to use that expertise and our connections in these areas to help. That means looking at similar designs and materials and talking to academics and manufacturers who can divert their resources and retool their machinery quickly.

In terms of materials for the masks, we have two new sources. One is from a company that makes the dust-repelling fabric for speakers for sound systems. That material, when charged, gets to a similar level of protection as an N95 mask and, if used properly, can protect a health care worker for an entire shift. A team at North Carolina State University, which is the premier fabric institute for polymers, has a production line operating 10 hours per day. We’re helping to get them going 24/7.

Of course, there’s only so much filtering material that can be produced. So, we need to use every centimeter of fabric effectively, which means rethinking the mask itself.

So instead of the traditional N95 disposable mask, we’re working on a composite rubber facemask with small, replaceable filter cartridges. This mask looks like the ones painters wear. The filter fabric in the cartridges will have the electrostatic charge, and at the end of a shift, the doctor or nurse can simply remove the mask, clean it and replace the cartridges with new ones, enabling them to use the same mask again the next day.

Would the masks’ replaceable filter cartridges contain similar material to that of an N95 mask? Essentially, yes. The main advantage is that we will use far less filter material than we would with a disposable mask, so no filter material goes to waste.

Best of all, we’re not putting health care workers in a position where they feel they have to wash or heat sterilize an N95 mask, which just reduces the effectiveness of the masks they’ve been forced to reuse up to this point.

So how do we get from concept to rapid production, given the current supply chain constraints?  We used 3D printing for prototypes and molds. After working with the medical community and the team at the Global Center for Medical Innovation in Atlanta to make sure the mask is up to standards, our medical-grade plastics experts started working with private and government manufacturers to create an injection mold.

Once the mold is built in the shape of the mask, thousands of them can be produced per hour. We’re collaborating with NASA, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, GE, Delta Airlines, the National Organization for Technology Exploration and Delivery, Boeing and the U.S. Army Futures Command to decide which materials can be scaled up.

ExxonMobil is Increasing Isopropyl Alcohol Production and Also Producing Medical Grade Sanitizer

ExxonMobil has reconfigured manufacturing operations in Louisiana to produce medical-grade hand sanitizer for donation to COVID-19 response efforts in Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Initial production of 160,000 gallons of medical grade sanitizer – enough to fill nearly 5 million 4-ounce bottles – is being distributed to medical providers and first responders. Additional donation locations are planned.

“The ingenuity and dedication of our employees to develop a consumer-ready product in record time demonstrates ExxonMobil’s commitment to help those in need during the global pandemic,” said Darren Woods, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. “We’re focused on keeping our people and communities safe while supporting frontline responders and meeting customer needs.”

ExxonMobil has increased monthly production of isopropyl alcohol -- a key ingredient in sanitizer – by about 3,000 tonnes at its chemical manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To produce, package and distribute hand sanitizer, the company purchased additional ingredients and modified equipment in Baton Rouge and at a lubricants plant in nearby Port Allen, Louisiana.

“To stand up an entirely new process and supply chain in a matter of weeks, while maintaining ExxonMobil’s high standards for safety and quality and in compliance with FDA requirements is truly remarkable,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company.

Earlier this month, ExxonMobil announced the increased production of isopropyl alcohol, which is enough to enable monthly production of up to 50 million 4-ounce bottles of sanitizer. The company also increased its capability to manufacture specialized polypropylene, used in medical masks and gowns, by about 1,000 tonnes per month, which is enough to enable production of up to 200 million medical masks or 20 million gowns.

Porvair Filtration Group’s Segensworth Division to Supply Fully Assembled Face Shields to the British National Health Service

As part of project “The Big Print”, Porvair has been manufacturing face shield components using a 3D printer, which is normally used to produce tooling and prototypes destined for the Aerospace, Defense and Nuclear industries.

These face shields will be donated to help protect front-line medical staff in the NHS.

3D printers create physical objects by extruding thin layers of plastic or other materials to slowly build up components based on a computer generated model. Whilst slow to manufacture, the process allows production of components without the associated cost and time for complex tooling.

The company’s UK Head Office is targeting an initial supply of 50 face shields to the project and is currently able to manufacture 36 sets per week. Further work is being done to improve production rates. Each set of 3D printed components takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to manufacture, however, as with many British manufacturers, all hands have turned to support in the fight against the Coronavirus.

Some of Porvairs key suppliers have offered their support in donating additional face shield components (screens and elastic). This will enable Porvair to provide fully assembled face shields to local health workers.

Louis Moult, Manufacturing Engineering Manager stated “With support from our senior management and procurement team, we have been able to source critical 3D printer parts from Germany overnight which has allowed us to start manufacture of the face shield component.