Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
Lear has
Produced Four
Million Face
Masks
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.
"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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
resealable,
lightweight, and
compact, fitting
easily in a
customer’s purse
or glove
compartment.
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
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.
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