Lear has Produced Four Million Face Masks

FPInnovations Creates a Biodegradable Mask

Autefa Solutions has a New Automated Face Mask Line

Mitsui Chemical Sells Tianjin Subsidiary to Foshan Nanhai

Berry Providing Face Mask Media on Multiple Continents

Mitsui Expanding Meltblown Capacity for Masks

Kuraray will Switch Filter Line to Face Masks

Sinopec is a Major Meltblown Supplier

Daddybaby will Focus on High Quality Masks to Meet July 2020 Standards

Piana Offers Antiviral Treated Fibers

Mann + Hummel Expands in the U.S. with Purchase of Pamlico Air

Texas Medical will Manufacture Masks for My Protect Kit LLC

It will Take More Than Four Years for the World to Reach Herd Immunity

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Lear has Produced Four Million Face Masks

Lear Corporation, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, today announced that it has manufactured and distributed more than four million face masks from its Pine Grove, Pa., facility since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lear installed mask-making equipment at the facility in 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with capacity available to make 600,000 units per week. From Pine Grove, Lear has distributed masks to distributors, schools, hospitals, civic departments, non-profits and company employees.

Given the aims of the recent Executive Order on Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain to build long-term capability in the United States to manufacture medical supplies for health care crises, the Pine Grove facility continues to be ready to supply domestic customers with locally made face masks.

"We continue to make available our manufacturing and technology resources to help address this health care crisis," said Ray Scott, Lear President and CEO. "It's important that we work together to help protect our communities, families and coworkers, and keep businesses operating."

Using innovative cloth and fabric solutions from Lear's Guilford Performance Textiles business, employees at the Pine Grove facility completed training to operate the mask-making machines and practice health protocols from Lear's Safe Work Playbook.

 

FPInnovations Creates a Biodegradable Mask

 

FPInnovations, a Canadian research and development centre, has successfully developed a biodegradable mask ready to be manufactured in Canada and ready for public use. The biodegradable mask is now ready for commercialization by Canadian manufacturers. The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources of Canada, announced the successful results of the $3.3 million mask project that was entrusted to FPInnovations.

The collaborative research and scientific innovation between FPInnovations and its partners allowed for the successful development of a fully biodegradable mask using its unique pilot-scale paper-machine. In addition of the mask filtering materials, FPInnovations has identified and successfully incorporated elastic ear loops and nose pieces that are biodegradable. An important part of the success is also that the mask components can be assembled readily on existing commercial mask-converting machines.

The green personal protective equipment (PPE) mask has been assessed by external labs according to international norms and would set the standard for non-medical masks in terms of filtration, breathability, and biodegradability. With its unique product design, FPInnovations has also recently attained the more demanding ASTM norms of filtration efficiency and breathability that are required for procedure masks.

“The development of a biodegradable mask clearly shows that stimulating the bioeconomy can contribute to a cleaner environment in Canada. The outstanding collective scientific and technological expertise of the forest sector has been key to the success and speed of this project, and is proof that together, we are capable of bringing eco-friendly bio-sourced products through the pipeline from research to market within just months!” says Stéphane Renou, president and chief executive officer of FPInnovations.

“Biodegradable masks made from Canada’s sustainably managed forests: what a great example of the ingenuity of Canada’s forest sector. Keeping Canadians safe, and protecting our environment,” says Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources of Canada.

 

Autefa Solutions has a New Automated Face Mask Line

Autefa Solutions, a leading manufacturer of nonwoven machines and automation solutions has developed HiPerMask, a fully automated production line for the production of protective face masks. HiPerMask produces protective masks in accordance with the EU FFP2 and FFP3 standards as well as the U.S. N95 and N98 standards. The first machines were put into operation in Germany and Switzerland in May 2020. The first customers were Univent in Germany and Flawa in Switzerland, the market leaders in mask production in their respective countries. Both companies were also among the first to be able to handle the corresponding federal orders in Switzerland and Germany. Autefa Solutions has already sold a double-digit number of the machines. All the machines stand out due to their high process reliability and high level of productivity.

The mechanical and electrical design, production and assembly, software programming and in-house tests take place in Friedberg, Bavaria and Frauenfeld, Switzerland. All parts and components used in the machines are from well-known German and European manufacturers. This means that all production processes are subject to the ISO 9001-2015 certified quality standards of the machine manufacturer. Autefa Solutions Germany will be the supplier of the additional machines and production lines. In addition to the DACH region, the target countries for sales are all of Europe and the USA.

Christian Egger, CEO Autefa Solutions Germany GmbH, says: “The unique combination of knowledge at Autefa in mechanical engineering, nonwovens technology and automation has enabled us to provide customers with a complete solution that leaves nothing to be desired.

We provide customers not only with mask production line, but also with access to premium material, camera-based quality control and a fully automated packaging solution for the final product. These added values offered by Autefa allow an economic mask production.”

The new fully automated HiPerMask production line offers numerous advantages for successful FFP/N protective mask production, for which Autefa Solutions stands as a leading machine manufacturer with the requisite expertise and know-how. Particularly noteworthy is the high process reliability with reproducible product quality and a production output of over 50,000 masks/day.

The HiPerMask production line consists of a material feed, nose clip feed and positioning, ultrasonic welding units, ear loops or headband stations, mask folding, punching, and dispensing of the masks into a collection container. Numerous state-of-the-art individual units are joined together into a unique machine solution in the HiPerMask. Among other things, an unwinder with six stations ensures a warp-free synchronized material feed. The respirator/mask shape welding is done with Emerson Branson ultrasonic assembly technology. Other units include a nose clip unit with precise feeding of the nose clips, a printing unit for affixing the labeling on both sides, including individual numbering and the company logo, and a mask folding unit that is equipped with automatic centering by means of a vision sensor and linear unit. As an option, the mask strip welding can be carried out as an ear loop station or as a headband station with band length adjustment. Another outstanding feature is the shaping and welding of the protective mask contour for different mask sizes and protective mask shapes. The automation continues on the HiPerMask up to the integration of the packaging machines.

In this way, the masks can also be automatically packaged in individual bags. The entire process is monitored by an integrated quality control, which is controlled by cameras and carried out with the help of artificial intelligence.

The production line is topped off with comprehensive full-service packages for starting production and procuring consumables for meltblown and spunbond nonwovens as well as other accessories. Autefa also offers companies assistance with certification. The resulting short delivery times and the fast "time-to-market" guarantee a successful entry into manufacturing FFP2 and FFP3 masks.

One of the first development partners and now a completely satisfied customer for the fully automated HiPerMask production line is Univent Medical GmbH in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. Managing director Thomas Vosseler is very satisfied with the system and the collaboration: “Mask production is a new business in Europe, and we spoke to various machine manufacturers who wanted to build the machines. In the end, Autefa convinced me as a global acting specialist for nonwoven machines and lines. That has already created a lot of trust. In addition, everything that we had in our future plans, such as automated packaging, automated control and head loop stations, children's masks, i.e., everything we wanted having to do with producing masks, was never a problem for Autefa, which always said that it was doable. The message was that we can manage to do everything together, and it is working really well now..] That's why I would definitely choose Autefa again.”

Thanks to the extensive know-how that Autefa Solutions has in the area of mask production, many FFP / N mask machines from other manufacturers that are available on the market can also be expanded and modernized. Examples of such upgrades are the upgrading around ear loop and head band welding stations, mask shape stamping (for different mask shapes) and mask folding (here the centering is sensor-controlled), and of course quality control of the processes and the entire production. André Imhof, CEO Autefa Solutions Switzerland has this to say: “The production of FFP / N protective masks is about quality, efficiency and output. At Autefa Solutions, we are happy to help wherever possible to improve production quickly and sustainably with our know-how and flexible solutions in order to be able to produce more masks faster and better.”

Mitsui Chemical Sells Tianjin Subsidiary to Foshan Nanhai

Mitsui Chemicals has agreed to transfer its 100% ownership of Mitsui Chemicals Nonwovens (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (MCNT), a Chinese subsidiary for the production and sales of nonwovens, to Foshan Nanhai Beautiful Nonwoven Co., Ltd.

This share transfer will see the Mitsui Chemicals Group concentrate its resources on two bases in Japan and Thailand. In doing so, the group will look to further bolster its presence in the sanitary nonwovens markets of Japan and the ASEAN region.

BTF is a prominent manufacturer of medical and sanitary nonwovens with production facilities not only in China but also in the U.S. Mitsui Chemicals has had a relationship with BTF for more than 15 years – including through outsourced manufacturing of high-performance medical nonwovens – and continues to see the company as an important partner for cooperation purposes moving forward.

 

Berry Providing Face Mask Media on Multiple Continents

Berry Global, the world’s largest manufacturer of nonwovens, took a multi-continent approach to expanding its face mask material production. The company already had a new meltblown asset, purchased prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, in Asia and soon expanded its meltblown business to include new lines in the U.S., France, South America and Germany, making its proprietary Meltex meltblown material for both surgical masks and N95 and N99 respirators. This added capacity will allow the company to make materials for 200 million masks annually and sources close to the company says further investment is planned for the near term.

In addition to new meltblown lines, the company has removed spunbond capabilities from its new Reicofil 5 line in China to make straight meltblown for face masks. And, Berry added nine mask machines including one in China, one in Europe, five in the U.S. and two in the Latin American region. The combined capacity is capable of making more than 20 million masks per month.

Along with these investments, Berry has extended its Synergex range of products, developing Synergex ONE, new media design for face mask applications. Engineered to initially meet the new face mask categories for general population, the aim is to quickly bring the media up to EN 14683:2019 standards for surgical masks. The newly introduced Synergex ONE provides a multilayer nonwoven composite product in a single sheet, as an alternative to traditional face mask layer structures.

 

Mitsui Expanding Meltblown Capacity for Masks

Japan Mitsui Chemicals announced last March it would expand production of meltblown nonwovens at wholly owned subsidiary Sunrex Industry Co., Ltd., starting operations at the new facilities in January. The investment increased the Mitsui Chemicals Group’s overall production capacity for these materials by 50%.

These materials will help fuel Mitsui’s mask business. The company has been working on the development of a new, reusable 3D-printed mask with Professor Hori Katsutoshi of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University and Friend Microbe Inc., a spinoff venture from Nagoya University.

The key feature of the mask design is that it can filter out viral particles but can also be reused. It consists of a reusable body and a disposable filter. Mitsui Chemicals will provide the nonwoven disposable filter, which removes viral particles. Professor Hori has produced the mask body using a 3D printer and is investigating enzyme preparations and various other antiviral agents that could be applied. Plans are to produce a mask with consideration of design and comfort while also ensuring that it provides outstanding protection against viruses. In working together with a university, a university startup and a materials manufacturer, Mitsui Chemicals aims to offer socially beneficial solutions and tie this into the development of novel products that will help shape the next generation.

 

Kuraray will Switch Filter Line to Face Masks

Kuraray Co., Ltd. will modify the production output  of its meltblown nonwoven fabric production facility, which is located on the premises of the Okayama Factory. This facility is run by nonwoven fabric production and sales subsidiary Kuraray Kuraflex Co., Ltd. that is currently undergoing expansion. This move will allow a line that normally targets filter materials to exclusively focus on face masks. The technology’s fine structure, consisting solely of extremely thin polymer fibers that are firmly intertwined without the use of binders, make them ideal for face masks.

Against this backdrop, the group decided to modify the production item lineup of this meltblown nonwoven fabric production facility currently undergoing expansion to enable it to produce face mask filters. This move is expected to empower the group to produce enough sheets of meltblown nonwoven fabric for approximately 300 million face masks per year. In this way, the Kuraray Group will contribute to nationwide efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

 

Sinopec is a Major Meltblown Supplier

In China, the country’s leading energy and chemical company, Sinopec, put its first meltblown nonwovens  line into operation at its Yanshan factory in Beijing. The Yanshan factory is a converted 3600-square-meter old warehouse that has found new life as a global production base following the challenges brought by the coronavirus outbreak.

The 14,400-ton capacity Yanshan facility is one of Sinopec’s two meltblown nonwoven fabric assembly bases and is co-managed with China National Machinery Industry Corporation. The base has two nonwoven production lines and three spunbond production lines and can produce up to four tons of meltblown fabric for 1.2 million N95 disposable masks or six tons for six disposable masks per day.

The new facility also takes advantage of Sinopec’s integrated upstream supply-chain by sourcing local materials from Yanshan and support from the on-site synthetic resin production line. 
“It normally takes about half a year to complete the construction of a 10,000-ton meltblown fabric factory. We have done it in 12 days, 48 hours ahead of schedule. In a challenging time like this, saving 48 hours means that we can produce an extra 12 million disposable masks,” says Lv Dapeng, spokesperson of Sinopec Corp.

The largest medical material supplier in China, Sinopec is a significant supplier of polypropylene, a key component in the production of disposable masks for medical use. The new assembly line will ensure a stable supply of medical supplies, such as masks and clothing, that can be distributed across the nation and worldwide. 

 

Daddybaby will Focus on High Quality Masks to Meet July 2020 Standards

Daddybaby, a Fujian-based diaper manufacturer, like many other Chinese enterprises, has responded to the call by the Chinese government to adjust some of its production lines for protective materials in a very short period of time. The quality of the products satisfies the production standard for China’s civilian-use protective face masks. Over the past few months, Daddybaby has provided over 30 million civilian-use face masks to the people in China and has donated over 2 million civilian-use face masks to other people in need in many countries around the world. In the future, Daddybaby will actively provide high-quality face masks that satisfy the quality standards of different countries and regions.

China began applying a new testing national standard on face masks (GB2626-2019), in July 2020. This new standard is to be helpful for countries to unify testing standards on protective materials further. As the Covid-19 epidemic continues to spread globally, the demands for protective materials are increasing in many countries around the world. China has earned experiences in controlling the outbreak rather successfully and has become a country with the highest capacity in producing protective materials in the world. Thanks to many enterprises in China that have adjusted their production lines to manufacture protective gear, including face masks and protective gowns since the beginning of the outbreak, China’s protective materials exports have provided strong support for other countries in this fight against the virus.

 

Piana Offers Antiviral Treated Fibers

Piana Group, the 439-year-old textile company known for breakthrough chemical treatment innovations for fiber and nonwoven textiles in automotive, appliance and bedding markets, has turned their resources towards Covid-19 protection.

The innovative new Piana Protection technology enables any textile or porous surface to be protected with an antiviral and antibacterial treatment with fibers that are treated throughout and highly durable. The Piana Group's solution relies upon advanced silver chemistry and patented Piana fiber treatment processes that ensure efficacy within minutes of contact. Independent laboratory tests have shown a 99.8% reduction in viral activity in the first 30 minutes and 99.995% viral reduction after one hour.

Piana Protection fiber technology is currently specified for use in face masks which are pending final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and will be available in the market in Spring 2021. This new technology is highly versatile and will soon be integrated into a host of other consumer products including pillows, mattress toppers, filtration and seating applications. The proprietary antiviral and antimicrobial solution is pending approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cushioning articles treated with Piana Protection will feature patent pending V-Smart nonwoven fiber construction. V-Smart materials are lightweight, highly resilient, moldable and have extremely high airflow to help maintain a cool, dry environment. The addition of Piana Protection antiviral and antimicrobial treatments will further elevate the numerous distinctive attributes of this adaptable foam replacement material.

Piana Group products are manufactured using patented, ecologically sound manufacturing processes and are 100% recyclable, minimizing and reusing waste through its highly transparent, eco-friendly operations in Cartersville, GA, and San Luis, AZ.

 

Mann + Hummel Expands in the U.S. with Purchase of Pamlico Air

The Mann+Hummel Group announced its strategic investment in Pamlico Air, a U.S. manufacturer and provider of high-quality air filter products, mainly for retail and wholesale applications. Pamlico Air will be part of the Mann+Hummel Group and complement the existing air filtration portfolio of its subsidiary Tri-Dim, which focuses primarily on the commercial and industrial air filtration aftermarket.

Kurk Wilks, president & CEO of the Mann+Hummel Group, believes Pamlico Air will be an ideal partner to propel the North American air filtration business. “By investing in Pamlico Air, we see a tremendous opportunity to accelerate the growth of our Life Sciences & Environment business unit. We highly value Pamlico Air’s expertise and leadership in the area of retail and wholesale air filtration. As part of the Mann+Hummel Group, Pamlico Air will strengthen our filtration offering in the Aftermarket business as well as open up opportunities in the planning and specification phase of new installments.”

“This strategic partnership with Mann+Hummel enhances Pamlico Air’s operational capabilities and gives us a significant stake in one of the most exciting segments of filtration,” says Harry Smith, CEO of Pamlico Air. “We see significant opportunities to drive value for Mann+Hummel’s air filtration business in the region.”

“We look forward to joining forces with the Pamlico Air team to expand our existing product portfolio in North America, and accelerate efforts in strategic business areas," says Mark King, president at Tri-Dim Filter Corporation. “Both companies share the same market understanding and value for our customers, which is why we see great growth opportunities ahead.”

The North American retail and wholesale air filtration market is one of the largest and fastest growing filtration segments. Pamlico Air, with its product superiority and distribution excellence, will be a strong addition to Mann+Hummel's portfolio in the field of air filtration.

Pamlico Air will continue to be led by Harry Smith and his management team. Mark King remains president of the Mann+Hummel subsidiary Tri-Dim Filter Corporation and will work closely with the Pamlico Air leadership team as one organization. 

 

Texas Medical will Manufacture Masks for My Protect Kit LLC

 

Texas Medical Technology, a supplier and distributor of medical equipment, announces a partnership with My Protect Kit, LLC, a provider of premium personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. As part of the collaboration, Texas Medical Technology will manufacture the protective masks, gloves, wipes, and sanitizing gel, which make up the PPE items within the “My Protect Kit.”

To safeguard populations across the globe against the novel coronavirus and its ever-evolving nature, the ample provision of protective equipment became a necessity that existing infrastructure wasn’t able to sustain. Supply hasn’t been the only challenge, as the procurement of PPE worldwide has often become entangled in complexity, red tape, and at times greed.

Through the partnership, Texas Medical Technology will leverage its production infrastructure to supply and manufacture the items that make-up My Protect Kit and boost PPE quality and convenience. The My Protect Kit consists of a pair of nitrile gloves that allow you to maintain Covid-19-free hands, a sturdy triple-ply mask that keeps airborne germs from entering a respiratory system, a sanitizing gel, and a sanitizing wipe that allows users to quickly sanitize surfaces that they are about to touch. The disposable PPE premium kit is separately packed,

resealable, lightweight, and compact, fitting easily in a customer’s purse or glove compartment.

Texas Medical Technology was originally established as a provider and distributor of medical equipment. As the Covid-19 pandemic ramped up, the company seized the opportunity to empower institutions, including non-medical, to self-manage employee safety. From monitoring employees to maintaining medical supplies and sanitizers, adherence to safety guidelines has become an increasingly straining task for business owners protecting the wellbeing of their employees, particularly under the dark cloud of a pandemic that continues to cripple their ability to operate. As part of its mission to provide quality solutions, the company recently partnered with Proguardeum, allowing it to utilize environmentally sustainable, pharmaceutical-grade disinfectants and sanitizing solutions for its applications, boosting safety and sustainability.

As the world needed protection during the early stages of 2020, a team of entrepreneurs, designers, and suppliers, realized that the world needed a solution to the PPE crisis, this is where the My Protect Kit vision was born. The team set its mission out to provide as much protection as possible for everyday users into the smallest, most convenient, resealable bag or kit. The company’s value has increasingly caught the attention of well-known individuals.

“It’s exciting to join forces with a company that shares the same vision of normalizing protective solutions in our daily lives,” says Darin Milman, CEO and co-founder of My Protect Kit, LLC. “The collaboration for us is an opportunity to marry our convenience with the quality assurance of Texas Medical Technology.”

“My Protect Kit’s goal is to be the ultimate brand of protection throughout the world, and we know that our partnership with Texas Medical Technology will help us to achieve this,” says Doron Katz, co-founder of My Protect Kit.

My Protect Kit is an emerging force in the PPE arena, and we’re committed to making it available,” says Omri Shafran, founder & CEO of Texas Medical Technology. “This partnership brings not only shared values, but a dynamic solution to the capacity challenges PPE faces today

 

It will Take More Than Four Years for the World to Reach Herd Immunity

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. More than 273 million doses have been administered across 108 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 6.39 million doses a day.

In the U.S., more Americans have now received at least one dose than have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. So far, 82.6 million doses have been given. In the last week, an average of 2.04 million doses per day were administered.

Across the U.S., 24.9 doses have been administered for every 100 people, and 75% of the shots delivered to states have been administered

Globally, the latest vaccination rate is 6,392,423 doses per day, on average. At this rate, it will take an estimated 4.8 years to cover 75% of the population with a two-dose vaccine.

With the start of the global vaccination campaign, countries have experienced unequal access to vaccines and varying degrees of efficiency in getting shots into people’s arms. Israel’s rate of inoculations dwarfs the efforts of other nations, with 92.5 doses administered for every 100 people. Most countries haven’t yet given their first shots.

Delivering billions of vaccines to stop the spread of Covid-19 worldwide will be one of the greatest logistical challenges ever undertaken.