HAVERHILL, Mass./BURLINGTON, Mass.— March 25, 2020 — Baril Corp. and ViruDefense Inc. today announced that the two companies have been collaborating over the past six weeks to develop high-capacity, U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities of surgical N95-F respirator masks combining the filtration capabilities of N95 masks with the fluid resistance of surgical masks. This aggressive effort is in response to the market’s increased need and significant supply chain disruptions brought on by the surge of COVID-19 in China, causing China to shift from the largest exporter to the largest importer of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

The new dual-function, advanced N95-F masks will be manufactured at Baril Corp.’s Massachusetts facility and are regulated by the NIOSH division of the CDC. They meet both NIOSH requirements for filtration and FDA requirements for fluid resistance, biocompatibility, and flammability. Subject to NIOSH approval, the respirator will be launched by ViruDefense under the mark VDI-100 Surgical N95-F Respirator Mask.

Baril has secured materials to manufacture in excess of 10 million respirator masks with commercial production by June 2020. The initial capacity is expected to be in excess of 250,000 per week. Subject to the availability of capital to increase production capacity, this number is expected to rapidly grow to 1 million respirators per week by Q3.

“Manufacturing this advanced surgical N95-F respirator mask using a high capacity manufacturing process aligns well with our core capabilities at Baril Corporation,” said Dan Baril, CEO, Baril Corp. “Our adaptive engineering team and by-design reserve capacity allowed us to start on this project immediately, while our US-based supply chain relationships allowed us to decrease lead times dramatically. We are putting our 40+ years of experience to work to bring a high-quality product to the market as rapidly as possible to address this very important, unmet need.”

“As nurses and other caregivers on the frontlines of this pandemic continue to struggle to care for patients without access to desperately needed personal protective equipment, respirators and other vital supplies, the Massachusetts Nurses Association has been calling for all sectors of our society, including state and local governments, as well as the private sector, to do whatever is necessary to mobilize all resources to protect the public,” said Donna Kelly-Williams, RN, President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA).  “This is a powerful, local example of that effort in action, and we look forward to working with all parties in the months ahead to address this public health crisis.”

“When we started working on this project in early February, most believed we were unnecessarily panicking — that this was a temporary China issue, not a devastating global problem,” said Dr. Pieter Muntendam, founder of ViruDefense. “The team at Baril fully engaged immediately, and we now find ourselves in a leading position with additional capacity for the manufacturing of an advanced N95-F surgical respirator.”

ViruDefense has reached out to the State of Massachusetts, Partners Healthcare Inc. and other organizations in Massachusetts to collaborate and provide funding that will enhance manufacturing capacity and allow an adequate supply of N95-F respirator masks to medical personnel, first responders, law enforcement, retail workers, and other essential personnel across Massachusetts.

Posted March 25, 2020

Source: ViruDefense/Baril Corp.

HYANNIS, Mass. — March 25, 2020 — Sencorp Thermoforming, a division of SencorpWhite and a manufacturer of thermoforming equipment for more than 50 years, announced today that it can modify its thermoforming machines to form face masks for the medical professionals combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the Cape Cod, Massachusetts company successfully modified two machines; each one has the capability to produce about three million face masks per week.

Medical workers and first responders in the United States are short on the supply of N95 protective face masks and shields. These essential components of personal protective equipment (PPE) help safeguard clinicians from accidental droplets containing coronavirus as they tend to patients, work in labs, and assist at drive-through testing facilities. The coronavirus is more contagious than the flu, and it is critical that these first responders get the medical supplies they desperately deserve.

“We received a call from a large PPE manufacturer of face masks to see if we could respond quickly to the unprecedented global demand,” said Brian Golden, vice president for Sencorp. “We converted two 2500 style machines typically used for consumer products in the plastic industry to run the material used in the production of the N95 masks. Our talented staff of machine builders stepped up to the challenge. With necessary modifications two machines were prepped for shipment in less than a week. Each machine is capable of producing about 3 million masks per week.”

Brian Urban, Sencorp’s president and CEO, also credited the company’s skilled workforce for their dedication during this national emergency.

“Despite concern for themselves and their families, our dedicated employees are working in staggered shifts to meet this unprecedented demand,” Urban said. “These sophisticated thermoforming machines require a large skilled workforce that SencorpWhite has in place. In addition, unlike others, we are self-sufficient, manufacturing parts in-house so we can quickly respond in urgent situations like this. Our machines are proudly Made in America right here on Cape Cod.”

SencorpWhite has several product lines that are critical in the supply chain across America, including vertical carousels used within hospital pharmacies, medical supplies distribution, and grocery pickup. Medical pouch and tray sealing machines protect medical devices, consumables, and clinical supplies and our software drives efficiency in the distribution and manufacturing supply chain.

“We are happy to do our part,” Keith Blackwell, Thermoforming Supervisor at Sencorp said. “It is not without its challenges, but we are here to help. There is nothing more important than keeping our healthcare workers safe. They are the most important resource in this crisis.”

Posted March 25, 2020

Source: SencorpWhite

TROISDORF, Germany — March 23, 2020 — The German machinery and plant manufacturer Reifenhäuser Reicofil has temporarily converted two of its test plants due to the corona pandemic: The lines installed in the nonwovens technology center, which are otherwise exclusively used for research and development as well as customer trials, have been producing meltblown material for the production of urgently needed face masks for one week. This is the company’s response to the current emergency in the supply of medical protective material.

Dr. Bernd Kunze, CEO of Reifenhäuser Reicofil, explains the decision as follows: “We have considered what contribution we can make in this crisis. This is of course mainly the fast delivery of meltblown lines to build up additional capacities. We have drastically reduced our delivery times here. But we also wanted to provide support at shorter notice. Until the currently lacking capacities are built up, we are therefore stepping in with the test plants in our pilot plant station. Not using this capacity now would be irresponsible in our view.”

Until further notice, the meltblown lines will be operated in 4-shift operation 24/7. The daily output is sufficient for up to one million face masks. Trial operations will be almost completely suspended during this period. For Michael Maas, who is responsible for the test plant, this is not a problem: “Due to the corona pandemic, the customer visits and tests that were actually planned have increasingly been cancelled, so that plant capacities and personnel capacities have been freed up anyway. Switching the plant from test to production operation therefore makes double sense”.

The meltblown material from the nonwoven technology center is already sold out for the next five weeks. As no German or European producer for further processing could be found so far, the nonwoven fabric is going to a Vietnamese manufacturer of face masks. However, Reifenhäuser continues to look for opportunities to strengthen the local supply during this crisis. The company is in close contact with associations, authorities and other companies.

Kunze explains that material for other medical protective clothing could also be produced at short notice: “We assume that protective suits, hoods, etc. will also become scarce. We are happy to offer our help here as well. One of our pilot lines can produce the corresponding material, an SMS nonwoven, in the highest quality at short notice. In the medium term, however, we should also expand the real production capacities in Germany or Europe with new plants here as well”.

If you are a German or European company looking for meltblown material for the production of face masks or SMS nonwovens for other medical protective clothing, please contact Reifenhäuser Reicofil: schutzvlies@reifenhauser.com

Posted March 24, 2020

Source: Reifenhauser Reicofil

ST. PAUL, Minn. — March 24, 2020 — 3M and Ford Motor Company are partnering to increase the production of 3M’s powered air purifying respirators, or PAPRs.

3M and Ford are collaborating on specific ways the companies can rapidly combine complementary capabilities and resources to help meet a surge in demand for personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

3M’s powered air purifying respirators use a waist-mounted, battery-powered blower that sends filtered air into a hood that helps provide respiratory protection for workers, including those in healthcare. 3M’s PAPR systems can offer a more comfortable user experience for wearers who need respiratory protection for an extended period of time.

“We’re exploring all available opportunities to further expand 3M’s capacity and get healthcare supplies as quickly as possible to where they’re needed most — which includes partnering with other great companies like Ford,” said Mike Roman, 3M chairman of the board and CEO. “It’s crucial that we mobilize all resources to protect lives and defeat this disease, and I’m incredibly grateful to Ford and their employees for this partnership.”

“3M is providing vital personal protective equipment for medical workers and we’ve empowered our engineers and designers to move as quickly as possible to help 3M grow PAPR production using common parts to speed this up. We are also volunteering our facilities for additional production,” said Jim Hackett, Ford’s president and CEO.

Overall, 3M has doubled its global output of N95 respirators to a rate of more than 1.1 billion per year, or nearly 100 million per month. In the United States 3M is producing 35 million respirators per month; of these, more than 90 percent are now designated for healthcare workers, with the remaining deployed to other industries also critical in this pandemic, including energy, food and pharmaceutical companies.

Posted March 24, 2020

Source: 3M