Personal protective equipment: ramping up medical mask production to 50,000 pieces per day

Necessity is the mother of invention: While many companies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, some were able to find the hidden business opportunities the unique situation has created. One example of how companies can benefit from the Covid-19 crisis is the production of medical protective gear. Three business partners have teamed up and moved at lightning speed to set up a production facility to make coveted medical face masks.

In this MEDICA-tradefair.com interview, Philip Jongebloed and Patrick Scholz talk about the consortium composed of Moss GmbH, IBF Automation GmbH, and the Fraunhofer IPT, discuss the challenges of the project and explain how the partners plan to improve and expand production in the near future.

Mr. Jongebloed, Mr. Scholz, since mid-April your consortium has quickly built a production facility that makes surgical face masks to meet the rise in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic. What is the current status of the project?

Philip Jongebloed: The prototype build has been completed. Since May 25, the production facility has produced the projected 50,000 surgical masks per day thanks to a three-shift operation.

What prompted this collaborative partnership?

Patrick Scholz: Moss GmbH is the contracting entity and the initiator of the project. Moss is a premier provider of tensioned fabric solutions to the exhibit, event and retail interiors industries. The company abruptly lost a large percentage of its core business due to the coronavirus crisis. Yet it also has a large sewing facility, allowing the company to take advantage of its expertise to process fabrics. Initially, Moss used the freed-up capacities to make non-medical fabric face masks (or 'community' masks). The next step was to start producing surgical masks that meet the stringent standards in Germany.

Moss authorized IBF Automation GmbH, an expert in the field of special machine construction and automation to build the facility based on construction plans from China. This presented an enormous challenge for IBF Automation because the company was unable to precisely replicate the Chinese facility as it had to be modified to meet European standards and required a new control system. Power unit components had to be replaced, necessitating an entirely new control system. The Fraunhofer IPT subsequently managed process development, plant improvement and optimization, handled design modifications to meet European standards, and supported Moss in the certification process and supply chain management.

What was a particularly challenging aspect of the project?

Jongebloed: The ambitious time schedule was the biggest challenge. We scheduled four weeks and ultimately managed for Moss to produce the first surgical masks within five weeks. Many processes had to run in parallel. This requires a large project team with a changing composition because we had to define some tasks as we went along in the project.

Scholz: During the first weeks of the project, physical presence and in-person collaboration were not an option as most of us worked from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. All meetings had to be digital events.

It was also very difficult to procure the raw materials, especially the melt blown filter material to create the middle layer. Due to the increased demand, there is a global shortage of the material. Moss GmbH currently sources the nonwoven fabric from the United States, but we are also checking with suppliers from Europe. The short-term procurement of all turned or milled components and parts also proves to be a difficult endeavor because many manufacturers have temporarily reduced the regular working time to short-time work for the time being.

How long will it take for your production process to be certified?

Scholz: A CE marking is required before Moss can introduce its surgical masks onto the market. Surgical masks must meet DIN EN 14683, which must be checked and approved by an outside testing laboratory. The laboratory tests whether the masks have sufficient bacterial filtration capacity and whether they have been produced in a bacteria-free and particle-free environment. The facility should also have a CE marking. It is set up by IBF Automation.

Jongebloed: The company and the actual production process do not have to be certified. However, some standards must be met to ensure CE compliance of the masks to be subsequently approved for marketing. This involves continuous risk management, which must be documented. The fundamental goal is that the raw materials and the surgical masks do not cause any adverse health effects and to avoid contamination due to abrasion from the plant, for example. Employees also wear protective gear to prevent contamination. Even though the production process does not require a cleanroom or sterilization, you must maintain a clean environment.

What are your next steps?

Scholz: IBF Automation is building all the systems, which are subsequently transported to Moss GmbH. Right now, we are setting up four additional systems of this type with plans to build another eight facilities on top of that. Another goal is to increase the production volume per unit and continue to automate several production processes.