Installation of two of the machines at the company’s Rotherham factory will enable the team to produce 100 tonnes of meltblown each month and provide the country with a constant and reliable source of surgical face masks.
Following its move to manufacture face masks, Bluetree Group is undertaking a recruitment drive to fill 400 new roles. 12 of these jobs will be created as a direct result of the two new meltblown machines.
Meltblown is the middle layer of the surgical face mask which filters out harmful particles. This material is also an important component for the production of gowns and respirators.
As the COVID-19 outbreak has progressed, meltblown has become one of the scarcest materials in the world, with many countries banning its export. Before the pandemic, the average cost of meltblown was £2,000 per tonne, this soared to £150,000 at the peak of the pandemic.
Given that meltblown plays such an essential part of the manufacturing process of Bluetree Group’s masks, the company decided to bring the manufacturing of this material in-house to ensure it can not only control the production but also ensure it meets the high demand for the face masks.
Following an appeal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March for industry to help increase face mask production by 40%, the Rotherham-based printing business diversified its manufacturing capabilities to help with the response to Covid-19 and keep the UK protected during the pandemic.
For a face mask to be certified as a type IIR mask, it must achieve a Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) equal to or in excess of 98% and Bluetree Group’s machine meets these high standards.
Bluetree Group offers a face mask subscription service where professionals, organisations and individuals can purchase type IIR surgical face masks. Having secured contracts to supply face masks to the NHS and Daily Mail’s charity, Mail Force, Bluetree Group will, at peak capacity produce 1.7 million masks a day.
