Coronavirus Technology Solutions
October 29, 2020

Respro® UK Ltd has been Making Masks for 23 Years

idMask has Sold 50,000 Masks

Cambridge has Warehouses in UK and U.S.

RZ Mask Focuses on Masks for Workers

Saginaw Public Schools will Install 400 Air Purifiers

Valmet to Build Filter Fabric Plant in India

Lydall Sales up Slightly in Third Quarter

Hollingsworth & Vose Expanding the Capacity of  Technostat

The Fallon Company and Shawmut Corporation Investing in Manufacturing Operation to Produce N95 Respirators

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Respro® UK Ltd has been Making Masks for 23 Years

The company says Viral protection is best attended to by using  a respiratory mask that incorporates an Activated Charcoal Cloth layer together with a sub-micron particle filter layer (combination filter) as it has the ability to adsorb viral matter in both the micro and the nano range of sizes by means of entrapment and adsorption. Whilst a P2/P3 industry face mask will trap particulates which may well carry viral matter, they generally come in one size. This increases the chance of a misfit by the user, especially if used by children or if they are not shown how to fit a mask properly or undergo a fit test. This means that a percentage of unfiltered air will bypass the filter completely. So whether that rated mask is P1/2 or 3, is not a significant factor. The correct fit and the seal are!

The combination of HEPA-type filter layer and DACC in one single filter provides sub-micron (smaller than PM2.5) dust filtering capability, together with DACC capability for filtering gases (VOCs/Acid gases), vapors and viral matter in the nano range of sizes by means of adsorption.

The following valved mask sells for £47.

You can view past articles on Respro through the following links

1. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Canada has Efficient Mask with Insertable Filters Totobobo has Reusable Mask with Electrostatically Enhanced Filters Respro® Mask has High Efficiency Valved Masks and Lower Efficiency Scarves ____ The Coronavirus ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 21  -  30 Jun 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-06-29/Alert_20200629.html

2. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Vogmask performed fairly well, capturing 95% of pollutants. Big-name masks like the Respro and Totobobo masks both captured less than 85% of pollutants. It's important to ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 11  -  16 Oct 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-10-15/Alert_20201015.html

3. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... the market with its brightly colored designs. And abroad, companies like Airpop and Respro are entering the fold, hoping to provide an attractive alternative to the standard white ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 6  -  27 Oct 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.c

idMask has Sold 50,000 Masks

The company has sold 50,000 masks since 2013 when it was founded in Shanghai.

 The price is $60.  A replacement pack of three filters is $20.

 idMASK 2.0 is designed to be 99.99% airtight, eliminating the leakage of contaminated air while filtering over 90% of dangerous particles such as viruses and smoke.

The company says “We spared no expense on the use of premium material. Typical N95 masks have a paper layer sandwiched in the filter that slows down breathing so their thinner layer of expensive electrostatic material can do its job. We don't have this. With idMASK 2.0 we just used more of the good stuff so you can breathe normally during workouts and as you go about your day.”

Cambridge has Warehouses in UK and U.S.

Soon after its founding, Cambridge  gained early investment from Y Combinator (YC) via their Fellowship program . It is also backed by the Martlet Fund.
 

Cambridge Mask Co® has grown fast, and now has offices in the UK and Hong Kong and a client list that includes schools, hospitals and embassies worldwide.

Together with investors, the company is working on technological developments to change the way we think about clean air.

The company has two warehouses: one in Northampton, UK, and one in Ohio, USA.

It retails masks in over 100 countries globally. It sells online via the main site : cambridgemask.com and us.cambridgemask.com.

Cambridge Mask Co also sells on other e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and has distributors across North and South East Asia, Europe, US, Australia, and Canada.

Cambridge Mask Co controls every aspect of the manufacturing process, which means it is  able to create custom designed masks with client branding. The minimum order quantity the PRO Mask with custom designed patterns is 512 units.
Cambridge Mask Co sells in over 70 countries and partners with corporations such as Deliveroo, British Airways and Aviva.

It has also supplied the German, Swedish and Australian foreign services as well as the Nepal Police and the Dutch Army. On the medical side, Cambridge Masks are offered in Mayo Clinic in the USA as well as United Family Hospitals.

DELIVEROO United Kingdom: Half of all Deliveroo’s 25,000 UK self-employed riders use bicycles to make deliveries and the company is determined to play its part in tackling the challenges of pollution and poor air quality in areas where they operate. Deliveroo’s eponymous logo looks fantastic on the masks and will help their riders tackle air pollution.

AVIVA AIRRUN Poland: Cambridge Mask Co partnered with Aviva to support their 5km AirRun campaign for the fight for clean air in Poland! This was a great initiative that gathered thousands of people in the center of Krakow to increase awareness of air pollution!

Here are links to additional articles on Cambridge Mask in CTS

1. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... on June 18 to Launch Debate on Protecting Wearer as Well as Those at Risk Cambridge has an Efficient and Comfortable Mask but with Valve Armbrust American Gearing Up to Manufacture ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 26  -  27 May 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-05-26/Alert_202005026.html

2. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Develop Nanofibers for Masks O2 Nano Mask is Low Pressure Drop, Efficient and Reusable Cambridge has an Efficient and Comfortable Mask but with Valve Masks are Part of a Combined ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 22  -  10 Jun 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-06-10/Alert_20200610.html

6. Coronavirus Alerts Table of Contents

... Develop Nanofibers for Masks O2 Nano Mask is Low Pressure Drop, Efficient and Reusable Cambridge has an Efficient and Comfortable Mask but with Valve Masks are Part of a Combined ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 8  -  29 Oct 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/TofC.html

7. 

8. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... Nexera N95 polyester With Agion anti-microbial Kuban state U N95 nanofiber Developed by Russian researchers Cambridge N95 spunbond Small carbon fibers IQ Air N99 microglass Originally designed for air pollution Moden ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 5  -  4 Aug 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-08-03/Alert_20200803.html

9. McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Alert

... trying Vogmask is that the mask is very light. It is lighter than the Cambridge Pro Mask that I Brooke usually uses, and it also feels significantly lighter than ...

Terms matched: 1  -  Score: 5  -  16 Oct 2020  -  URL: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/coronavirus/subscriber/Alerts/2020-10-15/Alert_20201015.html

RZ Mask Focuses on Masks for Workers

The company was founded in 2010. This year it made the Inc. 5000 list for 2020! This list features the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US.  RZ Industries® ranked #831 overall, and #74 in the category Consumer Products and Services.

Uses include woodworking, power sports, agriculture, construction, landscaping and public safety. Any given day on the farm can expose  lungs to dangerous dust, mold, chemicals and more.  With  the RZ agriculture respirator mask in a  pocket it can be quickly donned to protect from dust, mold, chemicals, animal hair and more.

KEY RZ MASK FEATURES:

·         Filtration rate of 99.9% (according to the latex particle challenge performed by world renowned Nelson Laboratories)

·         Adjustable metal Nose Clip

·         Four options of comfortable, facial contouring fabric

·         Adjustable stretch bands for comfort and ease

·         Reusable outer shell design to decrease cost and waste

·         One-way exhalation valves to keep you cool and dry. Valve cap is now available

·         Low profile shape to fit seamlessly with other personal protective gear

Partners include Ace Hardware, Lowes, and Northern Tool.

This mask is $37.

The three filter pack is $9.

Saginaw Public Schools will Install 400 Air Purifiers

Saginaw Public Schools will install 400 air purifiers throughout the district as part of an effort to keep classrooms as safe as possible when students return to hybrid learning in November.

At a special Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the board voted unanimously to accept a bid from Goodyear HVAC Sales for 400 air purifiers and 400 filter replacements at a total cost of $274,000. The district will pay for the equipment with Cares Act coronavirus relief funds, according to the purchase recommendation from Superintendent Ramont Roberts read during the meeting.

The purifiers have a five-year warranty and the filter replacements should allow them to last for another five, said Tamara Johnson, the district’s executive director for fiscal services. The company will deliver the equipment directly to each site and they can be installed almost immediately, she said.

Valmet to Build Filter Fabric Plant in India

Valmet has decided to invest in filter fabric manufacturing in Pune, India, in order to better serve its customers and improve delivery times of filter fabrics to the Asia Pacific and Middle East areas.

The investment includes manufacturing equipment for filter fabric production. The new unit will start operation in the second quarter of 2021.

“This investment gives us the necessary assets to further develop our services close to customers and strengthen our position in the market. It also ensures our capacity for the coming years to deliver filter fabrics that respond to customer needs for maximized reliability and optimized performance of their production process,” says Tero Kokko, vice president, Fabrics Business Unit, Valmet.

Valmet is one of the leading suppliers of filter fabrics and industrial textiles globally. Valmet’s filtration offering covers filter fabrics and felts for the mining and chemical, pulp and paper, dry filtration and laundry industries.

Lydall Sales up Slightly in Third Quarter

Lydall’s net sales of $207.1 million increased by $1.8 million, or 0.9% compared to the third quarter of 2019. Organically, sales were up 0.3%, led by 11.4% organic growth in Performance Materials (PM), offset by softer demand in the Technical Nonwovens (TNW) segment and a modest year over year decline in Thermal Acoustical Solutions (TAS).

“Robust demand for specialty filtration products continued, with sales in Performance Materials’ Filtration sub-segment up 38% compared to prior year, driving an adjusted EBITDA margin of almost 21% in the segment,” says Sara A. Greenstein, president and chief executive officer. “Our global meltblown assets are at full capacity, and we are on schedule to be fully operational early next year on the first of two new domestic meltblown assets. This is expected to be a strong and immediate contributor to 2021 EBITDA as its capacity has been fully committed under long term contracts.”

Greenstein also reports that global auto demand rebounded sharply in the third quarter driving a surge in Lydall’s Thermal Acoustical Solutions business, which more than doubled sales from the second quarter. “Volumes in North America were up over 150% sequentially as a result of Lydall’s exposure to light truck and SUV platforms,” she says.

At the same time, she added, the company began to experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, particularly at its North American operation, resulting in workforce shortages and other operational inefficiencies causing higher overtime, outsourcing costs, and logistics costs, some of which will continue through the fourth quarter. “We continue to be vigilant in protecting the health, safety and well-being of our entire workforce while balancing the increasing demands of our automotive customers,” Greenstein says.

Hollingsworth & Vose Expanding the Capacity of  Technostat

Hollingsworth & Vose is significantly expanding the capacity of its Technostat electret filtration media products. This new capacity will be installed at the company's Hatzfeld Germany location and will begin operation in the second half of 2021. Technostat is the highest performing electret filter media for cabin air, HVAC, air purifier and other indoor air quality (IAQ) applications requiring high filtration efficiency and low pressure drop according to the company.

H&V’s unique and proprietary Technostat products play a direct role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in ventilator, respirator and other critical medical applications. With the latest Hatzfeld investment, H&V is further improving its global Technostat manufacturing footprint, which already includes Kentmere, U.K. and Floyd, VA.


“This expansion will allow H&V to further support the growth of our key customers and strategic growth markets, globally. We are especially proud of the impact Technostat® has made in the fight against COVID-19,” says Patrick Demchko, global director of product line management at H&V.

“People are really starting to pay attention to indoor air quality, and how that air quality impacts their health. Whether in your home, your car, or within any commercial building, including schools and hospitals, Technostat® offers a unique solution to the market in that it has the highest efficiency at the lowest air flow resistance available."

The Fallon Company and Shawmut Corporation Investing in Manufacturing Operation to Produce N95 Respirators

The Fallon Company and Shawmut Corporation announced the creation of a new domestic manufacturing operation to produce N95 respirators. State of the art manufacturing equipment installed in an expanded facility based in West Bridgewater, MA, will enable end-to-end production of up to 180 million masks per year. Additionally, the operation is expected to create as many as 300 new jobs in Massachusetts.

The new effort will also be supported with a $2.7 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (MERT), a state-led initiative that has facilitated the production of more than 11 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical items by manufacturers that pivoted operations to address Covid-19 at the onset of the public health crisis. Announced on Oct. 15, this is one of 13 grants totaling $6.5 million being distributed to multiple organizations during October, or “Manufacturing Month,” to support the production of PPE in Massachusetts.

“The MERT program continues to identify and support successful ‘Made in Massachusetts’ manufacturers like the Fallon Company and Shawmut Corporation, that will produce N95 masks and other PPE equipment locally, for Massachusetts front-line responders, business owners, and residents,” says Governor Charlie Baker. “We are pleased to welcome the expansion of this manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and appreciate the role these companies are playing in the Commonwealth’s fight against Covid-19.”

The operation brings together two well-established, successful family businesses to serve as one of only a handful of high-quality mask manufacturers in the U.S. The West Bridgewater facility will extend existing Shawmut manufacturing capabilities, which include medical gowns, to add polypropylene meltblown extrusion and mask conversion capabilities to create respirators, shoring up the U.S. healthcare supply chain with domestic production. The 60 tons of machinery was fast-tracked from Reifenhauser REICOFIL GmbH & Co of Germany on an expedited timeline and, last week, landed in the Port of Boston.

In addition to a financial investment by Joseph Fallon, CEO of the Fallon Company, the effort will be supported by President Michael Fallon and the company’s development, legal, and construction teams. Funds will support infrastructure upgrades, utility improvements, and capital investment to Shawmut Corporation’s manufacturing facility in West Bridgewater. Widely recognized as the leader in meltblown polypropylene production equipment, the Reifenhauser production line will enable the conversion of nonwoven materials into N95 respirators in Massachusetts.

“With all that’s at stake right now, we must shore up domestic manufacturing of lifesaving personal protective equipment for the people whose lives are at risk,” says Joe Fallon, the initial investor in the new facilities. “So this isn’t just about making masks here in the U.S., it’s about ensuring we have the equipment needed to keep our frontline workers safe and in a position to take care of people over the long term.” 

In addition to having full control of the manufacturing process to ensure ongoing quality and safety and eliminate potential price gouging, domestic production will allow first responders and medical personnel to conduct fit testing in the factory, as well as allow for rapid prototyping and testing of future PPE products.

Shawmut, which has decades of experience in the healthcare sector, is currently producing isolation gowns and surgical barrier fabrics, and will now be producing high-quality FDA- and NIOSH-approved N95 masks made of meltblown nano fiber material. The company plans to start with an initial run rate of 5 million masks per month, gradually building up to producing 15 million masks per month.

“These health risks are not going away. We need to plan ahead to ensure our state and country never run out of N95 masks again,” says Shawmut CEO James Wyner. “Shawmut is proud to be partnered with Joe and others at the Fallon Company to bring this advanced PPE manufacturing investment to Massachusetts."

“We have a 104-year history of manufacturing in the state,” adds Shawmut’s 95-year-old chairman Justin Wyner. “We are honored to have been chosen for this important grant from MERT, and grateful for the opportunity to bring these vital manufacturing capabilities home to the Commonwealth.”

A fourth-generation, family-run company with locations across the country and around the world, specializing in high performance materials for automotive and medical applications, Shawmut has been working with Massachusetts MERT and federal officials, including members of FEMA, to support the production of as many as 4M isolation gowns per month.

The Fallon Company is rooted in family values, sustaining strong partnerships and helping others, which is fundamental to the Fallon Company’s identity. With a long history of “quiet generosity,” the family has received notable recognition for helping those in need, including military families and single parents, along with children’s healthcare and youth enrichment organizations, among others.