NEWS
Shifting production to clinical waste sacks
Cleanable film for masks
KraussMaffei’s extrusion division, at its Hanover site in Germany, has respond- ed to the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) by producing reusable facial visors. The visors are designed to be used by medical and healthcare professionals, as well people working in jobs with a high degree of personal contact. The main visor component is a stable, transparent film that can be cleaned with common disinfectants, is impermeable to droplets and keeps hands away from the face. So far, the company has supplied the visors to several hospitals in Hanover.
“Our visors are not
certified, but we do not intend to supply bulk buyers – rather small next-door institutions that are in desperate need of masks but finding it difficult to get them,” said Matthias Sieverding, president of KraussMaffei’s extrusion technology division. �
www.kraussmaffei.com
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UK-based Berry BPI recently made an urgent delivery of clinical waste sacks to a new temporary hospital in London. The NHS Nightingale Hos- pital is situated in the Excel exhibition centre – which has been converted into a hospital with the capacity to treat up to 4,000 patients affected by Covid-19. BPI’s Heanor factory
received a call from the National Health Service (NHS) to urgently despatch
150,000 clinical waste bags directly to the hospital. Production was resched- uled, and the following morning a delivery was arranged with its logistics partner. “We have been working closely with the NHS to ensure that we meet the increased demand for clinical waste bags,” said Lorcan Mekitarian, sales director at Berry BPI. “However, given the speed of development of the Nightingale Hospital, we
were asked to deliver these sacks in less than 24 hours.” The Heanor factory is a major supplier to the NHS and has recently turned over a large of part of its capacity to meet increased demand for clinical waste sacks, from hospitals across the country.
Clinical waste sacks are vital in the fight against infection and in keeping hospitals functioning, said the company. �
www.berryglobal.com
Pilot plant for protective clothing
Austrian plastics machinery manufacturer SML has set up a pilot plant to produce laminates for protective clothing, in answer to the call from the Federal Government, Production can be carried out on an industrial scale on a modern extrusion line at the company’s site in Redlham. This plant is otherwise only made available to customers as a demonstration line and for product development. SML’s new company headquarters, including its development department and production facilities in Redlham, opened just one year ago. “Normally our business is to develop and manufacture machines, and not the production of materials – however these extenuating circumstances require extraordinary measures,” said Karl Stöger, managing
FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | May 2020
A pilot plant at SML’s headquarters is making materials for protective equipment
director of SML. The line used to make
materials for protective clothing is an extrusion line for coatings and laminates. It is equipped with SML’s patented DoubleCoat process. This process is typically applied to the production of thin laminates and membranes. Materials produced using Double- Coat also have high
breathability and elasticity. “The materials we are now
producing are laminates combined with what are known as ‘monolithic membranes’,” said Mario Höllnsteiner, product manager at SML. “In contrast to many of the other laminates used, these form an extremely effective barrier against viruses and bacteria.” �
www.sml.at
www.filmandsheet.com
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