Finding Textile Solutions for Better Personal Protection Equipment
When businesses adapt from one industry to another in times of need
Coronavirus Variations and PPE Supplies
In 2020, when medical supplies (PPE) became scarce, various non-medical industries with available resources, creatively changed from their normal production line to make PPE products for the medical industry. Manufacturing companies figured out ways to accomplish that production to meet demands for whatever was needed to help others.
Burton Snowboards (Burlington, Vermont) and Cascade (LaCrosse helmet maker based in New York and Liverpool) repurposed their manufacturing facilities to building and distributing sorely needed face shields. Other companies followed along by making gloves, gowns, different types of masks according to job role demand. Ventilators became a big item as many of those patients hospitalized with COVID-19 needed intubation to assist with breathing problems.
Individuals, stuck at home during the lockdown, began sewing hundreds of cloth masks, while others came up with patterns for creating designer masks, gowns, and any other wearable product needed for both medical staff and patients. Even hand sanitizer recipes were devised when inventory was at an all-time low. Textile industries also began looking at different way to use new combinations of materials, especially if deliveries in chain supply solutions were disrupted.
Textile Resource Solution
Synthetic Resources, Inc. is a company providing textile resources for many needs in the manufacturing and distribution supply chain. One example of what Synthetic Resources offers is procurement information on available professional textiles for disposable medical gowns, similar to the one shown in the link. This gown’s material, crafted by one of the four desired standards of regulated protection in the medical industry, is rated by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) at level 3 of Moderate, for low risk environments of exposure.
According to Salusen.com, the disposable isolation gown is protected from fluid contamination, manufactured with four layers of heavy but breathable reinforced materials, and can be used in moderate risk scenarios.
The PP materials used for these gowns are comprised of a nonwoven textile called spunbond meltdown (SMMS), incorporating 2 beam of spunbonded and 2 beams of melt blown. The material is designed to be have superior filtration property while preventing liquid penetration meeting specification set up under AAMI PB 70 level 3 gown material.
While not recommended for surgical procedures, the gown’s material is certified for arterial blood draws, intravenous (IV) line insertions, and is approved for emergency room and trauma events. This SMMS disposable PPE gown is suitable for healthcare workers and first responders working on the front line.
Innovation, Resources, and Looking Ahead
If you have a related product you wish to manufacture but do not know where to start with reliable textile information for what you need, then contact Synthetic Resources to see how we can help you get started. Innovation, creating and manufacturing new designs that assist the medical manufacturing industry with essential products, are key to overcoming the pandemic.
Contact us at (949) 458-3888 or visit our contact page to fill out your information on what you are looking for. Our team will quickly contact you to provide assistance.