Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
October 13, 2020
Can Antimicrobials Penetrate Droplets and
Inactivate Virus?
Nextera, Sciessent, and Foss Partner to Produce
Antimicrobial Masks
Sciessent Antimicrobial in Nextera Mask
Spectrashield Meets Efficiency Requirements
Meltblown Line Being Installed in East Africa
An Outbreak of Covid-19 has Occurred at Karro
Food in U.K
Meat Processors Replacing People with Robots in
the COVID Battle
_________________________________________________________________________
Can Antimicrobials Penetrate Droplets and
Inactivate Virus?
The evidence that much of the virus transmission
is from aerosols which are initially larger
droplets which impinge on the mask or filter
media.
Smaller droplets are subsequently formed.
they either stick and evaporate, rebound, or
penetrate the media as smaller droplets.
Ultimately the moisture evaporates leaving salts
which contain the virus. The question is whether
antimicrobials can act on the initial droplets
to inactivate the virus.
Foss, a division of Aten Johnson indicated some
degree of droplet penetration. They say “silver
and copper active elements are released at a
steady rate as they interact with humidity in
the environment, producing an
antibacterial/antifungal/antiviral surface. The
moisture in the environment causes a controlled
release of the copper and silver through a
proprietary ionic exchange”.
The larger the initial droplet the less the
proximity of the average virus to the media
surface. So can the antimicrobial be effective
on a large droplet? Or does it only become
effective when the large droplet forms small
droplets?
This is an important question for which
McIlvaine will pursue answers.
Nextera, Sciessent, and Foss Partner to Produce
Antimicrobial Masks
The technology behind the SpectraShield™ Series
of respirator masks is an amalgamation of
proprietary and patented technologies resulting
in an effective antimicrobial respirator mask.
Nextera says the technology is long lasting and
highly effective. Nextera makes the masks
which contain polyester media from Foss.
The fibers are impregnated with antimicrobials
provided by Sciessent.
The antimicrobial agent is an optimal blend of
naturally existing silver and copper that are
organic, yet very powerful. For centuries,
silver has been used in purification and
medicinal purposes. Today, the same
antimicrobial agents have been used safely in
medical and industrial applications from
catheters, to ice machines, to food packaging.
Thorough testing has shown the silver-copper
antimicrobial compounds to be nontoxic and
effective, making the agents perfectly suited
for antimicrobial respirator masks. These same
antimicrobial agents are National Science
Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) listed and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
registered. They are also listed with the
Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association as
a cosmetic preservative and have the standard
approval in Europe under the Biocidal Products
Directive.
The cornerstone of the technology is silver
(Ag), a naturally occurring, safe, and effective
antimicrobial agent in its ionic form. The
delivery system is a zeolite carrier that allows
a controlled and effective release of the silver
ions, on demand, thus killing and inhibiting the
growth of bacteria, viruses, mold and fungus
over long periods of time. This stable ion
exchange process is non-reactive and allows the
compound to be used in virtually every
imaginable manufacturing process.
Silver and copper active elements are released
at a steady rate as they interact with humidity
in the environment, producing an
antibacterial/antifungal/antiviral surface. The
moisture in the environment causes a controlled
release of the copper and silver through a
proprietary ionic exchange.
The silver-copper zeolite antimicrobial agent is
embedded throughout the fabric of the mask. As
humidity in the environment naturally interacts
with the silver-copper zeolites, an ion is
omitted which interacts with the cells of the
microorganism and interrupts its ability to
function or reproduce. This safe and nontoxic
release of the ions are continuous and remain
active over long periods of time.
In many applications, the antimicrobial compound
has been shown to provide antimicrobial efficacy
in just a few minutes while maintaining optimal
killing and inhibitory performance for months.
Through a proprietary patented process, the
antimicrobial silver-copper zeolites are
permanently embedded into the fibers at the
origin of the manufacturing process which had
been proven through extensive laboratory testing
to eliminate any gassing or leaching off of the
antimicrobial agent. This ensures the mask to be
completely safe for an individual's extended
wear.
Sciessent Antimicrobial in Nextera Mask
Agion Antimicrobial (AM) by Sciessent,
a U.S.-based
provider of antimicrobial (AM) solutions based
on naturally occurring elements, is incorporated
into FDA cleared N95 respirator masks, the type
most in-demand in the fight against the COVID-19
pandemic. As of March 31, 2020, over three
million Nexera SpectraShield 9500 masks
incorporating the Agion AM have been
delivered to healthcare facilities worldwide.
The Nexera SpectraShield surgical respirator was
cleared by NIOSH and received an updated 510(k)
from the Food and Drug Administration in 2015
with approved claims to inactivate viruses by
99.99% in five minutes and kill 99.99% of
bacteria in one hour. It has also been cleared
in Canada and the European Union.
"Following the viral outbreaks of the early
2000s, Sciessent engaged with university
researchers, industry partners and government
organizations to investigate the ability of
Agion to inactivate viruses," says Paul Ford,
CEO, Sciessent. "Once Agion AM's anti-viral
efficacy was proven, Sciessent worked with Foss
Performance Materials to develop a polyester
fiber, named FossShield, with Agion AM embedded
into the FPM fiber itself. The FPM media was
then manufactured into N95 respirator masks sold
by Nexera Medical."
Spectrashield Meets Efficiency Requirements
The filtration technology in the SpectraShield™
Series of antimicrobial respirator masks
formally passed penetration and resistance in
multiple testing at numerous independent testing
laboratories in the European Union. These tests
require the SpectraShield™ masks to be subject
to exposure of a quantity of particulate
aerosols at .3 micron in size at a specific
velocity rate. Upon the exposure of the
aerosols, the amount of droplets that penetrate
the mask are measured. In the European Union,
for the masks to be rated a FFP2 it must meet a
minimum of a 97% filtration rate, and for a
FFP3, it must meet a minimum 99% filtration
rate.
In addition to conventional testing for a
disposable respirator mask, the SpectraShield™
mask was also subjected to rigorous testing for
reusability in which each mask was tested for
filtration performance, inhalation and
exhalation minimum tolerances after the masks
had been subjected to severe clogging in a
dolomite dust test. Two of the SpectraShield
masks passed this rigorous reusability testing
to earn a classification of FFP2 RD and FFP3 RD.
The tests
conducted at these various independent
laboratories were conducted according to
national and international testing standard for
filtration and safety. All the independent
testing laboratories used in testing the
SpectraShield™ masks are recognized by the
applicable regulatory agencies in the European
Union.
Extensive toxicology testing has been performed
regarding the silver-copper zeolite
antimicrobial agent. Independent tests results
indicate the antimicrobial agent to be safe and
non-toxic causing no negative side effects,
conditions, or consequences.
Meltblown Line Being Installed in East Africa
Mask machines of varying capacity are being
installed in East Africa n to meet the new
demand for face masks. There are also plans to
install a new meltblown line in Ethiopia in the
next few months. There are not many nonwovens
raw material lines outside Africa’s key hubs of
Egypt and South Africa. Egypt, South Africa and
Nigeria are of course key nonwovens markets and
as a result the key players namely P&G, Kimberly
Clark (the global number one and two makers of
diapers) and in the case of Egypt, also Unicharm
and Hayat Group (the global third and fifth
largest manufacturers in diapers respectively).
Big nonwoven raw material suppliers like PF
Nonwovens, have production plants in both these
key markets. Fibertex and Spunchem both have
production plants in South Africa. Spunchem is
the only one that manufactures meltblown, but
its output is largely targeted at the automotive
and industrial markets—not masks. Despite the
market size, there is no raw materials supplier
in Nigeria that manufactures locally. BASF, a
global giant in chemical innovations and a
supplier to manufacturers of nonwovens, is
present and very active in Nigeria and West
Africa, but more for other categories like
skincare and cosmetic formulations, in a very
successful follow the customer strategy.
But there is a new player in the market. TKBD
Medical Supplies is at very advanced stages of
installing a meltblown line for the production
of masks in Ethiopia. The same company has just
produced their first batch of face masks but
found how difficult it was to find meltblown, So
Captain Elias Ketema, joint Managing Director of
TKBD Medical Supplies, decided that he should
manufacture meltblown locally
Their current businesses employ about 1,800
people. So, when lockdown happened the business
was obviously heavily affected. Captain Ketema
said, “I realised that the three options being
advocated to fight this invisible threat was
face masks, hand sanitisers and social
distancing. There was a major shortage of masks
of course. My wife and I started looking into
what we could do to help. Then TKBD was born.
And when we realised the acute shortage of the
raw material, the nonwovens agenda kept growing
and here we are, a few months away from
installing East Africa’s first meltblown
line. And last week the first face masks came
off our own production line. In fact, we will
be able to absorb between 5-10% of our own
meltblown at full production.” TKBD Medical
Supplies has plans to export to the rest of the
continent and further afield. He went to say,
“We are aware that the pandemic is a global
threat, therefore we are ensuring that our
manufacturing standards meet the key global
market standards such as the EU, U.S. and of
course local standards, which have been
harmonised in line with EU and U.S. standards.”
Ethiopia is a key African market. With 110
million of Africa’s 1.3 billion population,
growing at double digits GDP leaps and bounds
for the better part of the last two decades,
Ethiopia is a good market to launch a meltblown
line. Indications from global players that have
ventured into the nonwovens space in Ethiopia in
2017 such as Ontex, clearly the brave move has
paid off. Ontex is the first global
manufacturer to open a diaper factory in
Ethiopia.
This move by TKBD Medical Supplies will greatly
help with Africa’s preparedness to fight
COVID-19 and also the near-sourcing strategy
that will ease the supply chain bottlenecks and
shorten the lead times. It will be interesting
to watch how Africa’s nonwoven sector will react
to the pandemic in the short and medium
term. Also, interesting to note is that Wemy
Industries, one of Africa’s oldest nonwoven
manufacturers, have just commissioned their
first face mask machine.
An Outbreak of Covid-19 has Occurred at Karro
Food in U.K
A number of workers at the Karro Food plant in Scunthorpe are self-isolating after testing positive, and a mobile testing unit has been brought in. The firm said it was working closely with North Lincolnshire Council, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. It is not known how many of the 434 workers at the bacon and gammon slicing factory have been infected.
A spokesperson for the company said: "Karro has always, and will continue to, follow government advice and guidelines which do everything possible to protect its people, including allowing its employees to choose to wear face coverings if it is deemed safe to do so.
"Those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and those identified as working near to a colleague or having extended close contact have been sent home to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution and preventative measure."
North Lincolnshire Council, which is responsible for public health in the area, said people who had come into contact with infected workers would be notified through the NHS test and trace system.
"Karro had stringent Covid-19 measures in place,
including social distancing, cleaning regimes
and even automatically checking the temperature
of every employee before entry to the factory,"
the council said.
"Despite this there have been a number of
employees test positive for Covid-19.
"A site visit was carried out by environmental health and public health officers on Friday. Overall the procedures were found to be sound but a few improvements were suggested. Karro implemented these on Monday."
The latest NHS figures show there are 1,109
cases of Covid-19 in North Lincolnshire, a rise
of 36 from last week's total.
Meat Processors Replacing People with Robots in
the COVID Battle
According to an in-depth analysis in Reuters,
meat processing companies are installing robotic
arms and other automation devices to maintain
production levels and allow workers to socially
distance while on the factory floor – marking a
notable change from the pre-pandemic business
model that saw employees working elbow-to-elbow
on a daily basis.
Reuters notes
that the United States, Canada and Brazil, all
major meat producers and exporters, have adopted
technology at a slower pace than Northern Europe
or Japan and lagged other industrial factories
in automating their operations.
Accelerating the move to automation would
increase food security and improve plant safety.
But such plans come with costs that some find
unaffordable during tough economic times, and
workers fear they are being replaced, not
protected.
Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS SA ,
several of the world's largest packers, all have
automation plans under way, their
representatives said.
Meat plants account for just $1 billion in
global annual sales of automation supplies and
services, distributor Cantrell Gainco said, a
sliver of the estimated $215 billion business of
industrial automation, according to advisory
firm ROBO Global. But North American packer
interest is climbing.
Georgia-based Cantrell Gainco, which sells
Japanese manufacturer Mayekawa's chicken
deboning equipment, has fielded twice the usual
number of inquiries since the pandemic spread to
North America, said Russ Stroner, vice president
of global sales.
Mayekawa said in a statement that global sales
of its chicken deboning robot parts are set to
rise from $32 million in 2019 to $45 million
this year and $60 million in 2021, including
North American sales this summer to Tyson,
Sanderson Farms and Peco Foods.
In Brazil, the country's fourth-largest pork
processor, Frimesa, intensified efforts to
automate as the pandemic spread.
Plans called for spending 20 million reais
($3.53 million) annually on automation, but that
programme may now get a 5 percent annual bump,
not including one-off pricey equipment purchases
like robots, said Claudecir dos Santos,
Frimesa's research and innovation manager. The
goal is to automate areas where employees
cluster together, he said.
Frimesa's Assis Chateaubriand plant under
construction in the state of Parana will include
five robots, costing some €500,000 ($586,000)
each. They will perform tasks including cutting
open the pig's chest, eviscerating it and
slicing the animal in half.
Olymel LP, one of Canada's
biggest pork and poultry processors, had an
automation plan before the pandemic forced it to
temporarily close a Quebec plant for more than
two weeks.
It decided then to accelerate
the plan, and intends to use robots to sort meat
cuts, pick and pack shipments and stack boxes,
said Vice President of Engineering and Project
Management Marco Dufresne.
Tyson, the highest-selling US
meat company, is making a bigger automation push
because of the pandemic, said director of
engineering Doug Foreman.
Greater automation raises
suspicions, however, among labor groups.
"It's taking away people's
jobs," said BJ Motley, president of the United
Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) branch
that represents Smithfield workers in Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, where more than 1,000
workers contracted the coronavirus.
Smithfield automated the work
of splitting hogs at the plant a few years ago,
eliminating eight positions, he said.
JBS USA uses the threat of
replacing workers with automation as a
negotiating tactic, said Kim Cordova, president
of the UFCW local union that represents JBS beef
plant employees in Greeley, Colorado.
"We're threatened with
automation all of the time, like, 'If you speak
up, we'll just use automation,'" Cordova said. A
JBS spokesman said the allegation was
"completely untrue
https://www.thepigsite.com/news/2020/10/covid-19-crisis-spurs-automation-at-abattoirs
