Private sector ingenuity is helping not only to supply badly needed personal protective equipment to help combat spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, but also to help keep individuals employed and the economy buoyed in the midst of the economic shutdown.
Faced with the prospect of laying off the overwhelming majority of its work force, and with a desire to help any way possible in the fight against coronavirus, World Class Plastics in Huntsville has begun producing face shields and masks to help prevent the spread of germs, and to remind people not to touch their face — which health professionals have also said is a major contributing factor in the spread of the virus.
Owner Steve Buchenroth said it was a segment on Fox News Sunday night with a doctor who emphasized strongly the importance of not touching your face as a way to combat the spread. The doctor used the phrase “hand Nazi” to describe the importance of not touching your face, Buchenroth said.
A team of engineers set to work almost immediately on a face shield prototype that would both help against the spread of germs, as well to remind people to refrain from touching their face without promptly washing their hands.
“Like so many other businesses we have just been devastated by this coronavirus and we want to help out in the cause, and also to help ourselves to get back to work,”
Buchenroth said. “Due to the virus, our sales dropped substantially and we now have many associates on unemployment.”
Now, in the face of a global pandemic, the leading-class manufacturer of thermoplastics and injection molding products for automakers and other clients is setting its focus on production of PPE items to keep people healthy and potentially save lives.
Company leaders secured the website, www.heydonttouchyourface.com, and have begun marketing and distribution of their product across the country to areas his hardest by the pandemic. A shipment of 1,000 shields is already destined for New York state, Buchenroth said.
World Class Plastics has the capacity to produce 55,000 masks per month by Friday, Buchenroth said.
Additionally, World Class Plastics has begun designing and is in the initial production phase of a face mask that utilizes only one-sixth of the cloth found on the standard, 3M N95 masks that are in such short supply. Similar to the face field, prototypes for the mask were created on a 3D printer.
Buchenroth estimates 50,000 of the masks can be produced monthly, and because “we are able to use one 3M mask for six of our masks, it’s the equivalent of producing 300,000 masks per month for the health industry,” he said.
Buchenroth was quick to credit his engineering team for their work in development and pre-production: Nick, Scott and David Wisniewski, WC Wagoner, Travy McCloud and company president, Terry Ochi.
“We have a really bright team that made it happen,” Buchenroth said.
Though many employees are currently laid off, the company continues to offer health coverage. As production ramps up on the PPE products, the hope is to bring as many employees as possible back to work, company officials related in a Facebook post.