face mask manufacturing business plan pdf

Face Mask Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » Manufacturing Sector

Do you want to start a face mask company and need to write a plan? If YES, here is a sample face mask production business plan template & feasibility report.

If there is any product that has been in high demand in Pharmacies and Supermarkets since the advent of the corona virus, then it must be face mask. The fact that wearing of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic received varying recommendations from different public health agencies and governments means that the product is bound to sell well.

Starting a business whose products are used on a daily basis in a season like this is a sure way to go if indeed you want to spend less effort in convincing people to buy from you. In essence, starting a face mask production company is a business you should consider as an aspiring entrepreneur.

If you are convinced that you have the techniques and materials, then you should consider launching your own face mask production company. This business that is still open for investors to come and compete for the available market.

A Sample Face Mask Production Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Face mask production business is part of the Surgical Apparel manufacturing industry and players in this industry manufacture sterile surgical apparel such as surgical gowns, drapes, shoe covers and face masks. Surgical apparel is used to reduce the transfer of bacteria from surgical staff to the patient, while also protecting the staff from blood, urine, saline or other chemicals and bodily fluids during surgical procedures.

Research conducted by IBIS World shows that in the united states of America, over the five years to 2019, the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry experienced healthy growth, with total industry revenue expected to rise. This growth can largely be attributed to heightened consumer health consciousness over the past five years leading to a rise in total health expenditure.

Additionally, a renewed focus on product marketing from operators has contributed to revenue growth during the five-year period. However, this heightened interest in face mask has paved the way for increased competition among industry players.

Operators that leveraged distribution relationships often outperformed their peers during the five-year period, since these players were able to distribute their product across the country with low up-front costs. Over the five years to 2024, the industry is projected to continue its upward trend, as consumers continue to focus on healthy lifestyles and become more aware and concerned with the outbreak and spreading of infectious diseases.

The Surgical Apparel manufacturing industry is a thriving sector of the economy of the United States of America and they generate over 1 million annually from more than 57 registered and licensed surgical apparel manufacturing companies.

The industry is responsible for the employment of over 2,531 people. Experts project the surgical apparel manufacturing industry to grow at a 1.7 percent annual rate. Cardinal Health Inc. and Medline Industries Inc. are the leaders in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry, they have the lion market share in the United States of America and in most countries of the world.

Due to the high cost of manufacturing, marketing and distribution of surgical apparels, large corporations dominate the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry and despite the fact that there are big corporations who are into the production of different types of face masks, the fact remains that starting a small – scale face mask production business has minimal barriers to entry, with low startup capital.

During this corona virus pandemic, most new entrants into the face mask production line of business are small to medium – sized establishments that cater to the local community. Some of the factors that encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to venture into starting a face mask production company is the fact that the market for face masks and similar products is pretty huge, even though it is seasonal.

That makes it easier for entrepreneur who are interested in the business to come into the industry at any time they desire; the entry barriers are quite affordable and any serious – minded entrepreneur can comfortably raise the startup capital without collecting loans from the bank.

2. Executive Summary

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is a licensed face mask production company that will be located in Rochester – New York.

We have been able to secure a long – term lease for a facility in a strategic location with an option of renewal on terms and conditions that are favorable to us. The facility has government approval for the kind of production business we want to run and the facility is easily accessible.

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry to produce widely accepted face masks such as cloth face masks, medical (non-surgical) masks, surgical masks, and filtering facepiece respirators such as N95 masks and FFP masks.

In future, we will also start the production of face shields and medical goggles and other types of protective equipment often used together with face masks. We are also in business to make profits and at the same to give our customers value for their money.

We are aware that there are several surgical apparel and face mask production companies scattered all around the United States and China whose products can be found in every nooks and crannies of the United States of America, which is why we spent time and resources to conduct our feasibility studies and market survey so as to enable us locate the business in an area that can easily accept our products and brand.

We ensured that our facility is easy to locate and we have mapped out plans to develop a far – reaching distribution network for wholesalers of face masks all around Rochester – New York and throughout the United States of America.

Beyond producing quality face masks, our customer care is going to be second to none. We know that our customers are the reason why we are in business which is why we will go the extra mile to get them satisfied when they purchase our face masks.

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC will ensure that all our customers (wholesale distributors) are given first class treatment whenever they visit our factory. We have a CRM software that will enable us manage a one on one relationship with our customers (wholesale distributors) no matter how large they may grow to.

We will ensure that we get our customers involved when making some business decisions that will directly or indirectly affect them. Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is a family business that will be owned by Mrs. Jade Johnson and her immediate family members.

Mrs. Jade Johnson who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company is a Graduate of Chemical Engineering and she holds a Master’s Degree in Business Management (MBA).  She has over 10 years ‘ experience working in related industry as a senior manager prior to starting Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC.

3. Our Products and Services

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is going to run a standard and licensed face mask production company whose products will not only be sold in Rochester – New York but also throughout the United States of America.

We are in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry to make profits and also to give our customers value for their money. These are some of the products that we will be offering;

• Manufacturing of different types of face masks such as cloth face masks, medical (non-surgical) masks, surgical masks, and filtering facepiece respirators such as N95 masks and FFP masks.
• The production of face shields and medical goggles and other types of protective equipment often used together with face masks.

4. Our Mission & Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish standard face mask production company whose products will be not only be sold in Rochester – New York, but also throughout the United States of America and Canada.
• Our mission is to establish a standard and world class face mask production company / brand that in our own capacity will favorably compete with leaders in the industry.
• We want to build a business that will be listed amongst the top 3 face mask production brands in the United States of America.

Our Business Structure

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is established with the aim of competing favorably with other leading face mask brands in the industry. This is why we will ensure that we put the right structures in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business.

We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)

Factory Manager

Human Resources and Admin Manager

Merchandize Manager

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Tailors/Sewing Machine Operators
• Accountants/Cashiers

Distribution Truck Drivers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO (Owner):

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization.
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the face mask production factory
• Part of the team that determines the types, quantities and quality of face masks that are to be produced.
• Maps out strategies that will lead to efficiency amongst workers in the plant
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of factory workers
• Ensures that the steady flow of both raw materials and other packaging materials to the factory and easy flow of finished products through wholesale distributors to the market
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Ensures that the factory meets the expected safety and health standard at all times.
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office and factory activities.
• Manages vendor relations, market visits, and the ongoing education and development of the organizations’ buying teams
• Responsible for the purchase of raw materials and packaging materials
• Responsible for planning sales, monitoring inventory, selecting the merchandise, and writing and pricing orders to vendors
• Manages external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Models demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the company

Accountant/Cashier

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the organization
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive

• Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
• Receives parcels / documents for the company
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager

Factory Workers/Sewing Machine Operators:

• Operates machines used in cutting and sewing clothe face masks and surgical face masks and also operate machines used in the production of N95 mask
• Assists in packaging and loading face masks into distribution trucks
• Assists in loading and unloading face masks meant for distribution
• Maintains a logbook of their driving activities to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the rest and work periods for operators.
• Keeps a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment
• Assists the transport and logistics manager in planning their route according to a delivery schedule.
• Local-delivery drivers may be required to sell products to stores and businesses on their route, obtain signatures from recipients and collect cash.
• Transports finished goods and raw materials over land to and from manufacturing plants or retail and distribution centers
• Inspects vehicles for mechanical items and safety issues and perform preventative maintenance
• Comply with truck driving rules and regulations (size, weight, route designations, parking, break periods etc.) as well as with company policies and procedures
• Collects and verifies delivery instructions
• Reports defects, accidents or violations

6. SWOT Analysis

We are quite aware that there are several face mask manufacturing companies in the United States of America which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business so as to compete favorable with them.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be welled equipped to confront our threats.

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in startup businesses to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives.

This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC;

Part of what is going to count as positives for Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is the vast experience of our management team, we have people on board who are highly experienced on how to grow business from the scratch to becoming a national phenomenon.

So also, our closeness to leading hospitals, large national distribution network and of course our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for the business.

A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new face mask production company and we don’t have the financial capacity to engage in the kind of publicity that we intend giving the business especially when big companies holding the largest market share in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry include Cardinal Health Inc. and Medline Industries Inc. are already determining the direction of the market both in the United States and in the global market.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities available to face masks manufacturing companies with a wide range of products are enormous. This is due to the fact that face masks have been a subject of shortages, and have also been made compulsory in some countries especially in a period where COVID – 19 (novel coronavirus) is a global pandemic.

As a result of that, we were able to conduct a thorough market survey and feasibility studies so as to position our business to take advantage of the existing market for face masks and also to create our own new market. We know that it is going to require hard work, and we are determined to achieve it.

We are quite aware that just like any other seasonal business, once the corona virus is over sales might drop sharply. Revenue for the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry is anticipated to decline slightly, since revenue started out at an artificially inflated level due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Operators will likely spend more on marketing efforts due increased market saturation and that is part of the threat we are likely going to face. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new face mask production company in same location where ours is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

According to the latest trends as released by IBISWorld, their analysts constantly monitor industry impacts of current events in real-time – here is an update of how this industry is likely to be impacted as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic:

Revenue growth for the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry has been adjusted from 1.9 percent to 16.6 percent in 2023 due to rapidly surging demand. Since a huge percentage of face masks are currently manufactured in China, the industry’s purchase costs are expected to fluctuate, leading to unsteady profit margins.

Surgical Apparel imports from China, the fourth largest importer of industry products into the United States in 2023, are expected to decline significantly. Large manufacturers in this industry, such as Cardinal Health Inc. and Medline Industries Inc., have announced plans to increase production in response to rapidly increasing demand.

Manufacturers are likely to prioritize supplies for institutional customers, particularly healthcare providers, over retail locations. Lastly, the FDA is working with manufacturers of surgical masks and gowns to increase or speed production to prevent shortages in the U.S. during the COVID-19 outbreak.

8. Our Target Market

When it comes to selling different types of face masks, there is indeed a wide range of available customers. In essence, our target market can’t be restricted to just the healthcare industry, but all those who reside in our target market locations. We are in business to retail our face masks to the following groups of people;

• Pharmacies and Supermarkets
• Hospitals and Medical Facilities
• Laboratories
• Corporate Organizations
• Government Offices
• Business Premises
• Laundries and Laundromats
• Public Facility Operators
• Everybody in our target market location

Our competitive advantage

A quick of the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry reveals that the market has become much more intensely competitive in recent time. As a matter of fact, you have to be highly creative, customer centric and proactive if you must survive in this industry especially after this current novel coronavirus pandemic in the world.

We are aware of the stiff competition and we are prepared to compete favorably with other surgical apparel and face mask production companies in Rochester – New York and throughout the United States.

Part of what is going to count as competitive advantage for Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is the vast experience of our management team, we have people on board who are highly experienced and understand how to grow business from the scratch to becoming a national phenomenon.

So also, closeness to some of the largest raw materials producers, our large and far reaching national distribution network and of course our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for the business.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry, meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

We will also give good working conditions and commissions to freelance sales agents that we will recruit from time to time.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry in the United States of America and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to generate income from;

• Sale of different types of face masks such as cloth face masks, medical (non-surgical) masks, surgical masks, and filtering facepiece respirators such as N95 masks and FFP masks.
• Sale of face shields and medical goggles and other types of protective equipment often used together with face masks.

10. Sales Forecast

When it comes to face mask production, if your products are well – packaged and branded and if your factory is centrally positioned and easily accessible, you will always attract customers cum sales and that will sure translate to increase in revenue.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Rochester – New York and every city where our face masks will be sold and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base.

We have been able to critically examine the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.

Below are the sales projections for Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to small and medium scale face mask production startups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year (FY1): $450,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $350,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $250,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same products as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Before choosing a location to start Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC and also the types of face mask to produce, we conducted a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to be able to penetrate the available market in our target market locations.

We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the number of customers we want to attract per time and also for our products to favorable compete with other leading face mask brands in the United States of America.

We hired experts who have good understanding of the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry to help us develop marketing strategies that will help us achieve our business goal of winning a larger percentage of the available market in Rochester – New York.

In summary, Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to sell our face masks;

• Introduce our face mask brand by sending introductory letters to hospitals, residents, merchants, retailers and other stakeholders in Rochester – New York.
• Engage in roadshow in targeted communities from time to time to sell our products
• Advertise our products in community – based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
• List our business and products on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
• Leverage on the internet to promote our face mask brands
• Engage in direct marketing and sales
• Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC has a long – term plan of distributing our face masks in various locations all around the United States of America and Canada which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted first in Rochester – New York before venturing out.

As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for selling our products but to also effectively communicate our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC;

• Place adverts on both print (community – based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, et al to promote our face mask brand
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around major cities in the United States of America and Canada
• Engage in roadshow from time to time in targeted communities
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Position our Flexi Banners at strategic positions in the location where we intend getting customers to start patronizing our products.
• Ensure that our products are well branded and that all our staff members wear our branded face mask, customized clothes, and all our official cars and distribution vans are customized and well branded.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

We are aware of the pricing trend in the Surgical Apparel Manufacturing industry which is why we have decided to produce various types of face masks.

In view of that, our prices will conform to what is obtainable in the industry but will ensure that within the first 6 to 12 months our products are sold a little bit below the average prices in the United States of America. We have put in place business strategies that will help us run on low profits for a period of 6 months; it is a way of encouraging people to buy into our face mask brands.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards/Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for the purchase of face mask without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

These are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital;

• The Total Fee for Registering the Business in the United States of America – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $1,300.
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of – $3,580.
• The cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500.
• The cost for insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
• The cost for payment of rent for 12 months at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $55,000.
• The cost for construction of a standard face mask production factory (purchase and installation of industrial sewing machines and cutting machines et al) – $50,000.
• Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $40,000
• The cost for Start-up inventory (raw materials such as textiles, threads, elastic and packaging materials) – $8,000
• The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
• The cost of purchase of distribution vans – $20,000
• The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, Fax Machines, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
• The cost of launching a website – $600
• The cost for our opening party – $2,000
• Miscellaneous – $1,000

We would need an estimate of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) to successfully set up our face mask production plant in Rochester – New York.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is owned and financed by Jade Johnson and her immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any other business partner which is why she has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.

• Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sell of stocks
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $80,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of any business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to retail our face masks a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Jade Johnson™ Face Mask Production Company, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check : Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Leasing of facility and construction of standard face mask production factory: In Progress
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members and friends: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of the Company’s Logo: Completed
• Printing of Packaging Marketing and Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed sewing machines, cutting machines, furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesalers, raw materials production companies, suppliers and merchants: In Progress

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Starting PPE Kit Manufacturing – Business Plan Sample

The importance of PPE kits has never been felt more necessary than in this time of pandemic. Earlier, the use of PPE kit was limited to a very small section of professionals who were involved in serious medical professions. 

But since the Covid-19 pandemic has been unleashed on the humanity, importance of Personal Protection Equipment or PPE kits has risen to a new level. Many countries like France, Germany, Italy, United States and India felt the shortage of PPE kit and thus took it as a challenge to manufacture their own kits and the result is that it has been manufacturing enough kits for domestic usage as well as export.

PPE kits include the headgear, the gloves, facemask, Scrub, gowns, apron, pants, tops, surgical masks, and surgical bodywear. PPE kits that were only limited to very professional work like medicine now have expanded its scope during the times of pandemic. 

Recently, one has seen however barbers are using PPE kits while trimming hairs of people. Similarly, those involved in handling and taking swab samples of potential Covid-19 patients are also using PPE kits in order to remain safe from the virus. 

The government had few months back issued guidelines regarding the use of PPE kits for various purposes. This includes the medical professionals, to people handling passengers, customers, sanitation workers, administrators, ambulance drivers, swab sample collectors, etc. 

Now, not all of them need to wear the overall dress of the PPE kit but can wear any of them that is necessary as per the government order. For most of us, a N95 mask or a triple layered mask is sufficient and for some, a mask and gloves is sufficient. Those who are directly dealing with potential Covid-19 patients or other patients may also be required to wear headgear, face mask and shield, shoe cover, gown along with an apron.

Thus, it can be said that in the times of Covid-19 pandemic, it has become essential for almost all of us to wear at least one of the particulars of PPE kit and it can also be concluded that usage of PPE kit is skyrocketing and has huge demand for at least a year or so. 

Thus, it can also be concluded that manufacturing and selling of standard PPE kits has tremendous scope for making profit as well as contributing to society in this time of gloomy condition. 

PPE Kit Manufacturing Business:

When the pandemic hit India, India was manufacturing zero PPE kits and it had relied solely on imports to fulfil the demand of kits. It has a reserve of 2.75 lakh kits but the situation prevailing at that time demanded huge stock of PPE kits. Then the Ministry of Textile jumped in which led to a fast track formation of units that started manufacturing the kit. 

Within a few months, lakhs of PPE kits were being manufactured per day with an aim of delivering 2 crore kits by July end. Just by September, India had started manufacturing more than 4.5 lakh kits on a daily basis. Thus, it can be said that our domestic entrepreneurs and manufacturing units came to rescue when they were needed the most.

It can also be said that the PPE kit market has huge scope and anyone who aims to enter this business can make quick returns within a short span of time.

The PPE Kit Manufacturing Business Plan:

In order to start a PPE manufacturing unit it is obvious that one has to maintain certain standards. The kit needs to satisfy the basic test of quality. Also, there are formalities that are required to be fulfilled in order to start your unit. Here are the steps to go for it.

Registration as PPE Kit Manufacturer:

Since most of the articles that are included in the PPE kit are more or less medical instruments, therefore, manufacturing and selling of such articles require higher standards. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization or the CDSCO controls and regulates manufacturing of such articles and therefore it is mandatory to register for those who are private players. 

Within 18 months of registration, the authorities will inspect the quality and standard of products so made and will then certify whether it can be sold in the market or not. The BIS also regulates the standard of products and therefore one needs to apply there as well. Bureau of Indian Standards gives certification for a material to be sold in the market.

One can also refer to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of textile that is managing the fabric involved in manufacturing these articles. Some fall under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act while others are covered under textile.

Raw Materials required:

It is obvious that anyone who is interested to manufacture PPE kits can select as per their convenience the type of product they want to manufacture. It can be just masks or glass shields or the gown.

Thus, one will have to use raw materials that are required to manufacture such products.

N95 Masks: Melt blown non-woven fabric that is produced by extruding plastic, rubber, silicon and plastic along with thread to stitch it. There is a process involved that first gives shape to the mask and then it is fitted with materials that allow breathing. It also gets tested for security standards. Non-woven polypropylene is the commonly used raw material.

Face Shields: Face shields consist of visor, a glass shield with a metal or so for the frame. Mostly made from glass that is mostly made from plastic polycarbonate, acetate, polyvinyl chloride, propionate and PETG.

Goggles: They are also made from the same set of raw materials used in making face shields. Most commonly used material is polycarbonate.

Gowns: Gowns are made from a variety of raw materials depending upon the use. For critical purposes, standard materials are used to avoid the penetration of viruses. Some of the raw materials are synthetic, polyester, polypropylene, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, etc. Reusable gowns can be made from cotton and synthetic but are not recommended for critical medical operations.

Gloves: Gloves are generally made from rubber, plastics, latex rubber or nitrile, etc. General use gloves are mostly made from rubber and are mostly used in almost all kinds of medical usage.

Place of Manufacturing:

You don’t require much space, a rented area covered with shade made of PVC or Tin can compensate or if you can afford, you can go for a concrete building with basic amenities required to run a manufacturing unit. Some basics are obviously water supply, electricity supply, proper drainage, waste management, proper road connection, security, etc. 

Machines Required:

It depends on you whether you want to manufacture the basic items in order to give them shape into a PPE kit or you just want to assemble and make final products. The former requires lots of work while the later is quite easy. Thus, this will define the use of machines.

If you are going to manufacture shield glass material on your own, or manufacture the rubber used to manufacture gloves, or the gown material then you will require various machines. 

While the second option is to get the semi-processed raw materials and give it a final finish in the form of a PPE kit. It requires limited machinery and manpower.

Financial Aspects:

Many of those who have recently started this business have stated that not much investment is required in starting the business. The government also has given lots of incentives in order to promote such businesses.

The investment can range from 2 lakhs to 50 lakhs or more depending upon the scale of manufacturing and type of product you are manufacturing. It also depends on the additional cost like manpower, place of manufacturing, machines required, and other such expenses like marketing, transportation, etc.

One should consult people who are into this business or can read about them and their experience with regard to this business. 

Product Marketing and Market:

It is obvious that you will need a market where you will sell your product. There are promotion councils dealing with PPE kit manufacturing. The government also has initiated promotions related to the same and one can easily get in touch with these groups who will chalk out a market plan for you.

Depending upon the scale of your business, you can choose your market. It can be small towns targeting general masses that require masks or gloves, or you can target professionals who require glass shields, gowns, etc.

Another option is to hire a marketing agency that directly sells your products to the domestic market and retailers. It all depends upon the scale of your manufacturing and your target audience. Most of such things depend upon the financial investment you have made.

The initial stage businessman should obviously target the smaller market in order to capture them. Since there is no bigger brand that has made its place, selling your product is relatively easy as people are not much concerned about the company but the product and its pricing. 

Lastly, your PPE kit manufacturing depends upon the scale you have chosen. You can start it with a limited budget, resources, space and manpower and then grow or you can start from a higher pedestal. All depends on you.

A PPE Kit Manufacturing Business Plan is a comprehensive document outlining the costs, resources, objectives, and strategies for a business that specializes in producing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits.

To get started, you will need to create a comprehensive business plan to help set the direction for your business. This should include research into market needs, access to capital, and suppliers, as well as the cost of production and distribution.

PPE kits typically include face masks, gloves, gowns, and shoe covers. Depending on the intended use, a PPE kit may also include eye protection, safety goggles, and other items necessary to protect workers.

In addition to raw materials and equipment required for production, you will likely need access to capital to finance your initial costs, as well as a distribution network to get your products to the customer.

The amount will vary depending on the size of the business, but it is recommended to have enough capital to cover the setup costs associated with manufacturing, as well as inventory costs.

PPE kit manufacturing is subject to the same business laws, regulations, and taxes as any other business. It is important to ensure that your business is set up correctly for the legal and financial security of you and your business.

A successful marketing and promotion strategy is integral to any successful business. Consider creating a website and social media profiles, launching a digital advertising campaign, and networking with potential customers.

Quality is key when it comes to PPE kits. Strict quality control measures should be implemented throughout the manufacturing process and any non-compliant kits should be quarantined.

Depending on the country, region, and/or state in which your business operates, there may be certain industry certifications and requirements. It is important to research the industry certifications and requirements in your area.

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Niir Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) through its network of project consultants in a wide range of business and technological disciplines is engaged in providing services to its clients by way of preparation of project reports. We provide the pre-investment information and business plans required for promoters, business leaders, young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, investors, NRI (Non Resident India), startups, professionals looking to start their own venture. The comprehensive project profile reports cover all the aspects of business, from analyzing the market, confirming availability of various necessities such as plant & machinery, raw materials to forecasting the financial requirements. the scope of the report includes assessing market potential, negotiating with collaborators, investment decision making, corporate diversification planning etc. in a very planned manner by formulating detailed manufacturing techniques and forecasting financial aspects by estimating the cost of raw material, formulating the cash flow statement, projecting the balance sheet, break-even point, rate of return (ROR), etc. the DPR is formulated by highly accomplished and experienced consultants and the market research and analysis are supported by a panel of experts and  digitized  data bank.

A surgical mask, also referred to as a procedure mask, medical mask or just as a face mask, is meant to be worn by health professionals during surgery and through nursing to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. They not designed to guard the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or virus particles and are less effective than respirators, like N95 or FFP masks, which give better protection because of their material, shape and tight seal.

  Surgical masks are designed to keep operating rooms sterile, preventing germs from the mouth and nose of a wearer from contaminating a patient during surgery. Although they have seen a rise in popularity among consumers during outbreaks such as the corona virus, surgical masks are not designed to filter out viruses, which are smaller than germs. The India surgical mask market accounted for $58 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $95 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 6.1% from 2018 to 2025.

Surgical masks are made from natural Fibre, like cotton or disposable linen or synthetic materials, like polypropylene. They’re manufactured from different layers including a hydrophobic outer layer, a middle filtering layer, and an inner hydrophilic layer to soak up the fluid and moisture. They used as a barrier to avoid cross contamination by microorganisms and are used during surgical procedures. The surgical mask is used by surgeons during procedures and other medical professionals while interacting with the patients to avoid cross contamination of microorganisms.

  The India surgical mask market is driven by various factors, such as increase in elderly population, increase in adoption of surgical mask in the general population, and surge in prevalence of contagious and chronic diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma. Furthermore, rise in the number of medical device manufacturing companies is also anticipated to supplement the growth of the surgical masks industry. Entrepreneurs who invest in this project will be successful.

Few Indian major players are as under

3M India Ltd.

Good Health Insurance T P A Ltd.

Kimberly-Clark India Pvt. Ltd.

Mediklin Healthcare Ltd.

Surgeine Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd.

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Face Mask Manufacturing Plant Project Report

Face mask manufacturing plant project report 2024: industry trends, plant setup, machinery, raw materials, investment opportunities, cost and revenue.

• Report Description
• Table of Contents
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Report Overview:

IMARC Group’s report, titled “Face Mask Manufacturing Plant Project Report 2024: Industry Trends, Plant Setup, Machinery, Raw Materials, Investment Opportunities, Cost and Revenue” provides a complete roadmap for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant. It covers a comprehensive market overview to micro-level information such as unit operations involved, raw material requirements, utility requirements, infrastructure requirements, machinery and technology requirements, manpower requirements, packaging requirements, transportation requirements, etc. The report also provides detailed insights into project economics, including capital investments, project funding, operating expenses, income and expenditure projections, fixed costs vs. variable costs, direct and indirect costs, expected ROI and net present value (NPV), profit and loss account, financial analysis, etc.

A face mask refers to a protective covering for the mouth and nose that is designed to reduce the spread of infectious agents, such as bacteria and viruses. It is widely available as disposable and reusable and in different sizes, shapes, colors, designs, and textures. It is manufactured from various materials, such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyester, and cotton. It is convenient, cost-effective, and assists in lowering the risk of infection through speaking, coughing, or sneezing. Besides this, a face mask with filter aids in avoiding the inhalation of pollutants and other toxic particles through filtration. It is also utilized to prevent from various poisonous airborne substances entering the body of individuals.

At present, the increasing awareness among individuals about health and safety represents one of the key factors strengthening the growth of the market. Besides this, the growing demand for face masks among consumers to protect them from pollutants and harmful viruses around the world is positively influencing the market. In addition, governing agencies of various countries are encouraging the adoption of face masks by implementing stringent rules and regulations for mandatory usage of face masks in public areas. Apart from this, the rising utilization of face masks among individuals with specific allergies and respiratory problems is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors. Moreover, the wide availability of face masks through various distribution channels, such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience and online stores across the globe, is offering a positive market outlook. This, coupled with the increasing demand for disposable face masks to avoid any possible spread of infection, is impelling the growth of the market. In addition, the rising number of airborne diseases, such as influenza, anthrax, chicken pox, mumps, tuberculosis (TB), meningitis, and diphtheria around the world, is contributing to the growth of the market. Furthermore, the increasing demand for face masks due to the rising prevalence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) among individuals due to longer hospital stays is strengthening the market growth.   

The following aspects have been covered in the report on setting up a face mask manufacturing plant:

• Market Trends
• Market Breakup by Segment
• Market Breakup by Region
• Price Analysis
• Impact of COVID-19
• Market Forecast  

The report provides insights into the landscape of the face mask industry at the global level. The report also provides a segment-wise and region-wise breakup of the global face mask industry. Additionally, it also provides the price analysis of feedstocks used in the manufacturing of face mask, along with the industry profit margins.

• Product Overview
• Unit Operations Involved
• Mass Balance and Raw Material Requirements
• Quality Assurance Criteria
• Technical Tests  

The report also provides detailed information related to the process flow and various unit operations involved in a face mask manufacturing plant. Furthermore, information related to mass balance and raw material requirements has also been provided in the report with a list of necessary quality assurance criteria and technical tests.

• Land, Location and Site Development
• Plant Layout
• Machinery Requirements and Costs
• Raw Material Requirements and Costs
• Packaging Requirements and Costs
• Transportation Requirements and Costs
• Utility Requirements and Costs
• Human Resource Requirements and Costs  

The report provides a detailed location analysis covering insights into the land location, selection criteria, location significance, environmental impact, and expenditure for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant. Additionally, the report provides information related to plant layout and factors influencing the same. Furthermore, other requirements and expenditures related to machinery, raw materials, packaging, transportation, utilities, and human resources have also been covered in the report.

• Capital Investments
• Operating Costs
• Expenditure Projections
• Revenue Projections
•  Taxation and Depreciation
• Profit Projections
• Financial Analysis  

The report also covers a detailed analysis of the project economics for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant. This includes the analysis and detailed understanding of capital expenditure (CapEx), operating expenditure (OpEx), income projections, taxation, depreciation, liquidity analysis, profitability analysis, payback period, NPV, uncertainty analysis, and sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, the report also provides a detailed analysis of the regulatory procedures and approvals, information related to financial assistance, along with a comprehensive list of certifications required for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant.

Report Coverage:

Key questions answered in this report:.

• How has the face mask market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the market segmentation of the global face mask market?
• What is the regional breakup of the global face mask market?
• What are the price trends of various feedstocks in the face mask industry?
• What is the structure of the face mask industry and who are the key players?
• What are the various unit operations involved in a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What is the total size of land required for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What is the layout of a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the machinery requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the raw material requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the packaging requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the transportation requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the utility requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the human resource requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the infrastructure costs for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the capital costs for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the operating costs for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What should be the pricing mechanism of the final product?
• What will be the income and expenditures for a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What is the time required to break even?
• What are the profit projections for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the key success and risk factors in the face mask industry?
• What are the key regulatory procedures and requirements for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?
• What are the key certifications required for setting up a face mask manufacturing plant?

Report Customization

While we have aimed to create an all-encompassing report, we acknowledge that individual stakeholders may have unique demands. Thus, we offer customized report options that cater to your specific requirements. Our consultants are available to discuss your business requirements, and we can tailor the report's scope accordingly. Some of the common customizations that we are frequently requested to make by our clients include:

• The report can be customized based on the location (country/region) of your plant.
• The plant’s capacity can be customized based on your requirements.
• Plant machinery and costs can be customized based on your requirements.
• Any additions to the current scope can also be provided based on your requirements.

Why Buy IMARC Reports?

• The insights provided in our reports enable stakeholders to make informed business decisions by assessing the feasibility of a business venture.
• Our extensive network of consultants, raw material suppliers, machinery suppliers and subject matter experts spans over 100+ countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Africa, and the Middle East.
• Our cost modeling team can assist you in understanding the most complex materials. With domain experts across numerous categories, we can assist you in determining how sensitive each component of the cost model is and how it can affect the final cost and prices.
• We keep a constant track of land costs, construction costs, utility costs, and labor costs across 100+ countries and update them regularly.
• Our client base consists of over 3000 organizations, including prominent corporations, governments, and institutions, who rely on us as their trusted business partners. Our clientele varies from small and start-up businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
• Our strong in-house team of engineers, statisticians, modeling experts, chartered accountants, architects, etc. has played a crucial role in constructing, expanding, and optimizing sustainable manufacturing plants worldwide.

India Dairy Market Report Snapshots Source:

Statistics for the 2022 India Dairy market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. 

• India Dairy Market Size Source
• --> India Dairy Market Share Source
• India Dairy Market Trends Source
• India Dairy Companies Source

Need more help?

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• Include additional segments and countries to customize the report as per your requirement.
• Gain an unparalleled competitive advantage in your domain by understanding how to utilize the report and positively impacting your operations and revenue.
• For further assistance, please connect with our analysts.

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Factories that used to make perfume, T-shirts, and cars are now making supplies to fight the coronavirus

Manufacturers, fashion designers, and 3D printing companies are making face masks, ventilators, and hand sanitizer.

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In mid-March, amid mounting outcry over the critical shortages of masks, ventilators, and other medical supplies facing American hospitals fighting Covid-19 , Jonathan Schwartz was one of the countless entrepreneurs scrambling to answer one question: How can we help?

Schwartz is a co-founder of Voodoo Manufacturing, a 3D printing company with two factories in Brooklyn, New York, including one that makes clear orthodontic aligners for companies like Smile Direct Club.

Because of that, the team already had experience getting clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make medical devices — but it still wasn’t immediately clear where their resources were most urgently needed.

“There was just a lot of noise that we were trying to filter out,” says Schwartz, recalling the cacophony of engineers, makers, and megacorporations jumping into the fray all at once.

Voodoo is part of a private-sector push that in recent weeks has mobilized fashion designers, automakers, distilleries, perfume producers, and others to repurpose their manufacturing lines to make health care products that traditional supply chains can’t provide fast enough. A similar effort began in China in early February as the coronavirus swept through Wuhan and put hundreds of millions under lockdown: Factories that usually made sneakers and iPhones switched over to masks to meet the unprecedented demand.

These initiatives are ongoing and have been expedited by a mandate from the Communist Party, according to Stanley Chao, managing director at All In Consulting, which helps Western companies do business in China. “The government is saying, ‘Whatever you make, we will buy.’ So you don’t worry about the supply and demand issues,” he said.

Today, the virus has become a global pandemic, and the countries with the most urgent needs don’t have the manufacturing infrastructure or labor pool that has made China the “world’s factory.” Even in the US — where Detroit automakers famously churned out military aircraft, artillery, and tanks in World War II in their efforts to “outbuild Hitler” — companies have run into hurdles as they’ve tried to scale up.

For one, while state and local governments have welcomed the assistance — and President Donald Trump has begun attacking companies who don’t produce fast enough — most of the work is still being coordinated from the ground up. Absent any central resources for private companies to find out what’s most needed and what the government itself will commit to buying, many have resorted to researching online, cold-calling medical institutions, and tracking down personal protective equipment (PPE) through their own supplier networks abroad (in some cases inadvertently driving up prices by outbidding other offers).

While the US saw its first confirmed case of Covid-19 on January 21, and the WHO warned about global shortages of PPE in early February, the Trump administration dragged its heels in invoking a federal act that would compel American companies to manufacture more medical equipment to fill the gaps in the supply chain. The Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 can compel companies to prioritize orders from the federal government, and while Trump announced he had signed it on March 18, he said he only did so “should we need to invoke it in a worst-case scenario in the future.”

Apart from a somewhat confusing invocation just over a week later — ordering General Motors to go forward with a plan it had already announced — the administration’s first announcement that it would use these powers came on April 2 when it said it would work to procure 100,000 ventilators by the end of June along with tens of millions of PPE units.

Throughout the third week of March, Voodoo talked to dozens of doctors, health care organizations, and hospital procurement teams, eventually settling on protective face shields as the device it could produce quickly and safely at scale.

Face shields are typically worn in conjunction with N95 respirators or surgical masks, and like other forms of PPE, inventories are so limited at some hospitals that doctors have been forced to fashion their own using office supplies.

For a company like Voodoo, though, the product is fairly simple: a 3D-printed headband, interchangeable plastic sheeting, a foam pad for comfort, and elastic to help secure it to the wearer’s head.

“We can go from just a design file to the first 500 units in a single day, and so we’re really here trying to just act as a stop-gap to get these urgently needed supplies to hospitals so they can start ramping up their care of patients,” says Schwartz, acknowledging that major medical equipment suppliers will ultimately need to step in to provide long-term scale. For now, the company is producing 2,500 units per week and has set up a Shopify site — CombatingCovid.com — to sell directly to health care institutions.

Typically, hospitals don’t shop for medical equipment the same way the rest of us shop for leggings or mattresses, but these are extraordinary times.

As the coronavirus crisis has progressed in the US, doctors and nurses across the country have raised alarms about dwindling supplies of PPE. The shortfall not only puts front-line workers at risk of infection , it may also limit testing capacity (because someone wearing PPE is generally required to administer the tests) and reduce the number of doctors attending to patients at the most critical moments.

Similarly urgent is the need for ventilators , the machines that help the sickest Covid-19 patients breathe when they can’t do so on their own; too few, and doctors could be faced with the same horrifying triage scenarios as in Italy, where doctors had to decide which of their patients would be hooked up to the lifesaving equipment based on their odds of survival.

To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus so hospitals don’t become even more overwhelmed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available. A ready supply is needed to protect essential workers like grocery store clerks, delivery drivers, and warehouse workers, but many have complained they don’t have access to it since it has been sold out almost everywhere since February.

With work slowing to a trickle across much of the economy due to store and restaurant closures, grounded flights, and supplier delays, American companies aren’t just motivated to help fight the virus — they also want to keep their teams employed if they can do so safely. Here’s how some are pitching in:

Fashion brands are sewing face masks and medical gowns

With the coronavirus battering the fashion capitals of Milan, New York, and Los Angeles, the industry has enlisted an army of seamstresses to come to their defense.

On March 20, designer Christian Siriano tweeted to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to offer the services of his 10-person atelier to make face masks for local health care workers. A week later, he delivered a box of 1,000 washable cotton-blend masks to front-line workers at a temporary medical center at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and the team has made thousands more in the days since.

View this post on Instagram Melanie in our office has us up to 600 masks a day and that will be 3,000 just this week! Thank you everyone for all your wonderful donations we so appreciate you. You can donate at ChristianSiriano.com A post shared by Christian Siriano (@csiriano) on Mar 31, 2020 at 10:41am PDT

Siriano’s masks aren’t medical-grade, but they can be worn by nonclinical workers to free up supplies or over tight-fitting medical-grade N95 masks to extend their life — a tactic some institutions have instructed doctors and nurses to use in order to help conserve supplies.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ own estimates , the US would need as many as 3.5 billion N95 face masks over the course of a year fighting a “full-blown” pandemic. At the outset of the coronavirus crisis, the country’s emergency stockpile held about 1 percent of that: 12 million N95 masks, which filter out at least 95 percent of all airborne particles when worn correctly, and 30 million surgical masks, which are looser-fitting and provide a physical barrier against large droplets, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar testified on March 3.

In part because of this scarcity , the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC for months advised that healthy people need only wear masks if they’re caring for someone infected with the virus, despite evidence of the effectiveness of even homemade masks at helping reduce the risk of transmission. Because even asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers are thought to be able to spread the coronavirus and the US has been plagued with months of testing delays, many people could well have put others at risk while believing that they themselves were healthy.

On April 3, the CDC updated its guidance with the recommendation that Americans wear “cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain,” such as grocery stores or pharmacies, particularly in areas with significant community transmission. It clarified that N95 respirators and surgical masks should not be worn so as to conserve supplies for health care workers. (In its guidance for health care workers, the CDC says coverings like scarves and bandanas should be considered a “last resort” after respirators, surgical masks, and non-FDA-regulated face masks.) At a press conference announcing the new guidance, President Trump made clear that it is voluntary and said that he would not be complying: “You can do it. You don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it.”

Initiatives like Siriano’s have sprung up throughout the industry: Fellow Project Runway alum Michael Costello has made more than 4,500 masks so far — some cotton-blend, some with HEPA filters, and some medical-grade, thanks to a fabric donation from a surgeon friend — funded by donations and mask purchases . For Days, a closed-loop T-shirt line, has dedicated its sewing capacity to making 10 masks for every purchase on its site. OESH Shoes, a Charlottesville, Virginia-based brand, is 3D printing flexible masks and mask adjusters based on insight from co-founder Casey Kerrigan’s experience as an MD.

Apparel companies with scalable US-based supply chains are a vanishingly rare group these days, but a coalition of them is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy to produce up to 10 million face masks per week in domestic and Central American plants.

The group includes Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and yarn manufacturer Parkdale Mills, which is supplying the raw material for the cotton masks. American Giant, a San Francisco-based brand that specializes in hoodies, T-shirts, and other casual apparel, has redirected its two North Carolina cut-and-sew plants to make masks full-time.

Separately, Brooks Brothers has committed to producing 150,000 masks a day as well as gowns for health care workers at its plants in New York, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. Nordstrom, the country’s largest employer of tailors, is working with its partner Kaas Tailored and health care network Providence Health & Services to sew more than 100,000 masks made from surplus surgical wrap.

View this post on Instagram We wanted to share a few clips of our new mask production process. 1) Todd works on cutting the fabric in bulk. 2) Aidee sews together a mask by hand. Please make sure to join us on IG live this morning, where our founder/CEO Bayard will be answering your questions about our mask production. If you miss it live, it will be shared to our stories after the fact. #ppeshortage #maskshortage #protectivemask #medicalpasks #coronamasks #covid19usa #covid_19 #americanmanufacturing A post shared by American Giant (@americangiant) on Mar 26, 2020 at 7:16am PDT

In Los Angeles, former American Apparel chief Dov Charney is hiring sewers , forklift operators, and other warehouse workers to help produce and distribute hundreds of thousands of masks and gowns for FEMA and other organizations. His new brand, Los Angeles Apparel, is selling three-packs of cotton-terry masks online for $30 to support the cost of labor, operations, and donations of masks to hospitals and first responders.

LA’s garment industry is focusing its efforts on non-medical masks through a program called L.A. Protects . Conducted by the mayor’s office in partnership with millennial-favorite brand Reformation and health care company Kaiser Permanente, it aims to provide 5 million masks to front-line workers like delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, and non-clinical health care staff.

Other countries are also seeing corporations and small brands work in tandem: In Italy, Prada and Gucci are manufacturing masks alongside family-owned facilities like the Everyn Calzaturificio factory, which produces shoes for luxury footwear brands like Nomasei.

The few American brands that have managed to procure medical-grade masks have done so mostly through their suppliers in China, where half of the world’s masks were produced before the crisis and where mask manufacturing has accelerated nearly twelvefold since, according to the New York Times . Even there, N95 masks account for less than 2 percent of daily mask production due to a shortage of melt-blown fabric , one of the key materials needed to make them. The ultra-fine particle-blocking material is made using expensive, highly specialized machines, so companies haven’t been able to simply pivot to producing it even as global demand has skyrocketed.

On March 21, luxury group LVMH announced plans to secure 40 million surgical masks and FFP2 respirators (the European equivalent of N95 masks) to help France fight Covid-19. Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault funded the first delivery of 10 million masks at a cost of 5 million euros ($5.4 million), while the government is expected to finance the remaining shipments over the coming weeks.

Eddie Bauer is importing 20,000 masks , including 5,000 N95s, for donation to the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, after some of the brand’s suppliers of technical outerwear pivoted to PPE.

Eugenia Kim , a New York-based designer of luxury hats and accessories, says she taught herself how to import masks in six days after seeing Cuomo’s call for aid and witnessing what her sister and father were experiencing as doctors on the front lines. Her hat factories in China, she says, “had previously been reaching out about mask production and I realized I could help the cause.” The facilities can produce between 10,000-50,000 units per day of N95 masks, surgical masks, and other PPE, and Kim is working with hospitals and government agencies to arrange direct shipments.

Booze, hemp, and perfume brands are getting into the hand sanitizer biz

The great Purell shortage of 2020 is still well underway, but other industries with access to hand sanitizer’s key ingredient — alcohol — are doing their best to fill in the gaps.

Morgan McLachlan, co-founder and chief product officer at LA distillery Amass, says she first started making the label’s “alcohol-based botanic hand wash” at the beginning of March when she couldn’t find any hand sanitizer in stores or online. Initially, it was just to protect herself and her friends and family, but as more and more people caught wind of the idea, it became something much bigger.

“We were going to have our people give it out to all of our accounts as a friendly thing to do to keep all of the service staff safe,” she recalls. “Well, bars and restaurants got shut down. But we’re getting orders from across the country now.”

The craft-distillery price tag — $38 for a 16 ounce bottle, with 10 percent going to the US Bartenders Guild Emergency Assistance Program, compared with $2.50 for a 10 ounce bottle of Purell, pre-price-gouging — hasn’t deterred customers, nor has the 10- to 14-day wait for shipping (a result, in part, of delays from packaging suppliers). On top of its direct-to-consumer sales, the distillery is also working with public health agencies to distribute the sanitizer more broadly.

“I think we all have our desert island skills,” she says. “As distillers, we’re usually creating little quotidian pleasures to help people get through the day — but now we’re keeping people safe.”

Some of the biggest liquor companies in the world have since taken a similar attitude: Diageo, whose brands include Smirnoff and Tanqueray, is donating up to 2 million liters of ethyl alcohol to hand sanitizer manufacturers, while the vodka maker Tito’s said it would produce 24 tons of its own hand sanitizer to give away to first responders and other front-line workers. (Initially, the Texas brand was forced to caution the public that its vodka didn’t meet the 60 percent alcohol threshold required by the CDC to make hand sanitizer after frustrated shoppers began formulating their own at home.)

View this post on Instagram #LVMHjoinsforces Given the risk of a shortage of hydroalcoholic gel in France, Bernard Arnault instructed the LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics business to manufacture within their production sites as much gel as needed to support the public authorities. Since Monday, the gel has been delivered free of charge daily to the French health authorities and as a priority to the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris. The LVMH Group would like to express a special THANK YOU to all those who made it possible, in particular to our exceptional production teams from @guerlain, @diorparfums and @givenchybeauty who have shown great solidarity and engagement in a spirit of collective effort for the common good. The Group and its Maisons are extremely proud and humbled to do their part in the fight against COVID-19 and to help those whose mission is to protect and care for others. As such, we will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities. #Coronavirus #COVID19 #APHP #staysafe #StayAtHome #COVID2019france #LVMH #LVMHtalents #Guerlain #ParfumsChristianDior #DiorParfums #Dior #GivenchyBeauty #Givenchy A post shared by LVMH (@lvmh) on Mar 19, 2020 at 10:13am PDT

Uncle Bud’s, a hemp-based personal care line, was already in the process of creating its hand sanitizer when the coronavirus outbreak arrived on its doorstep. The shortage convinced the team to push the October launch date up to March, which meant sidelining other projects and shifting manufacturing lines to make millions of units of hand sanitizer, all while scaling up the company’s online business as more and more of its retail partners closed stores.

“Being a smaller company, we were able to pivot quickly and fast-track finalizing formulation and production,” says co-founder Bruno Schiavi. The sanitizer launched online on March 23, selling for $9.99 per 8 ounce bottle.

Perfume producers, another major alcohol consumer, have also joined the fight: On March 16, LVMH began producing and delivering free hand sanitizer to French health authorities and hospitals, using the production lines that typically manufacture fragrance for Dior, Givenchy, and Guerlain. The luxury conglomerate pulled from its reserves of purified water, ethanol, and glycerine to create the sanitizing gel and bottled it in the same plastic dispensers used for Dior hand soap, getting the initiative up and running within 72 hours .

L’Oréal is distributing millions of bottles of hand sanitizer throughout Europe through two of its brands: La Roche-Posay is heading the initiative for hospitals, nursing homes, and partner pharmacies, and Garnier is doing the same for its food distribution clients so grocery workers can be protected on the job.

Stateside, the Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has pledged to reopen a factory in Long Island, New York, to manufacture and donate 10,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to its home state every week. Coty Inc. — which makes fragrances for brands like Marc Jacobs and Gucci — likewise said it plans to donate tens of thousands of units per week, including through a partnership with Kris and Kylie Jenner. Coty, which recently bought a majority stake in Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, plans to distribute the hand sanitizer to health care workers and first responders in Southern California.

As companies have rushed to get sanitizing products out the door, US agencies have eased some of the regulations around them: On March 27, the FDA updated its policies to allow producers of fuel ethanol to sell the product to hand sanitizer manufacturers provided it meets certain standards of purity. Prices of the ingredients typically used in hand sanitizer — either isopropyl alcohol or ethanol for food and drug manufacturing — shot up in March due to the surge in demand.

The Trump administration’s $2 trillion stimulus package also includes a temporary exemption for excise taxes on alcohol used to produce hand sanitizer during the course of the Covid-19 crisis.

Car companies are shifting production to ventilators

Even before Covid-19 was declared a national emergency in the US on March 13, ventilator manufacturers around the world were ramping up production to meet the escalating demand. Even at maximum capacity, though, they haven’t been able to keep up with health care needs caused by the rapidly spreading respiratory illness.

To help move the needle, American automakers have stepped in to offer their support. General Motors is working with Ventec Life Systems, a Seattle-area manufacturer that typically makes about 200 ventilators per month. On its own, Ventec expected to be able to increase production to 1,000 units per month, but with the help of GM, it has been able to source enough of the 700 components that go into the device to increase its capacity tenfold, according to the New York Times .

Ford, too, announced on March 30 that it is partnering with General Electric’s health care division to produce ventilators based on a “simplified” design licensed from Florida-based Airon Corp. The car company will reopen one of its plants in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to produce the devices beginning the week of April 20.

Even working around the clock, both of these initiatives will take time, however. Ford expects to be able to deliver 1,500 new ventilators by the end of April, 12,000 by the end of May, and 50,000 by July, ramping up to a capacity of 30,000 per month. Once they’ve finished overhauling a GM electrical components facility in Kokomo, Indiana, and training 1,000 workers, Ventec and GM expect to produce more than 10,000 units per month, with “hundreds” shipping by the end of April, according to The Verge .

Prior to the coronavirus crisis, the US had around 170,000 ventilators available for patient use spread among hospitals, smaller health care facilities, and the national emergency stockpile, according to a February report from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. While that number is normally more than enough to serve the population, the report’s authors found that “the need for ventilation services during a severe pandemic could quickly overwhelm these day-to-day operational capabilities.”

Despite this, the federal government has waffled on its commitment to obtaining more ventilators, delaying the current production efforts.

As recently as March 26, President Trump questioned the need for more of the devices on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show. “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be,” he said. “I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.” (New York state, Gov. Cuomo has said, will need a minimum of 30,000 to deal with the crisis.)

The next day, Trump changed course, berating GM on Twitter for charging “top dollar” and not working fast enough to produce the ventilators, though the company had announced its partnership with Ventec just hours earlier and said it would sell the items at cost.

The administration said it would invoke the DPA to require the automaker to prioritize the government’s ventilator orders. As of March 30, the federal government still hadn’t indicated how many ventilators it planned to buy or what price it was willing to pay, according to the Times, though at a news conference the day prior, Trump changed his tune again. “General Motors is doing a fantastic job,” he said. “I don’t think we have to worry about General Motors now.”

Tesla, too, is chipping in, despite CEO Elon Musk’s tweets downplaying the severity of the pandemic. The company has donated more than 1,200 ventilators to the city of Los Angeles and hundreds more to New York City, shipping surplus stock from China while it works to establish production lines to manufacture more at several of its US plants.

3D printers and sportswear brands are manufacturing face shields

Schwartz and the Voodoo Manufacturing team aren’t the only ones that have latched onto the idea of face shields: Nike is prototyping a design in partnership with Oregon Health & Science University in the company’s home state, and according to a recent earnings call, its innovation and manufacturing teams are working on other PPE concepts for further down the road.

With the NHL season on hold, hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer has also shifted to face shields, effectively switching one type of protective gear for another. At its factories in upstate New York and Quebec, Canada, it began producing 20,000 to 25,000 units per week in late March , and it plans to rapidly scale up in order to fulfill orders for 2.5 million by the end of May.

It has also posted the product’s specs online, and so far, at least one other hockey company has joined in the effort. Bauer’s face shields cost about $3 each including shipping, which covers the cost of raw materials and overhead; it says it does not expect to make a profit on the sales.

At its own 3D printing and manufacturing facility in Nashville, Tennessee, Smile Direct Club has produced thousands of face shields for customers including St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center in Idaho and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. It’s also working to prototype respirator masks and nasopharyngeal testing swabs. The crisis has mobilized all corners of the 3D printing community, from the thousands of engineers and hobbyists organizing in private Slack groups to Carbon, the multibillion-dollar company that makes 3D printers for brands like Adidas and Johnson & Johnson.

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Processing and Quality Control of Masks: A Review

Sedigheh farzaneh.

1 P4Tech, 23 Rue du 8 Mai 1945, 94470 Paris, France; [email protected]

Mohammadali Shirinbayan

2 Arts et Metiers Institute of Technology, CNAM, PIMM, HESAM University, 75013 Paris, France

Associated Data

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

It is clear that viruses, especially COVID-19, can cause infection and injure the human body. These viruses can transfer in different ways, such as in air transfer, which face masks can prevent and reduce. Face masks can protect humans through their filtration function. They include different types and mechanisms of filtration whose performance depends on the texture of the fabric, the latter of which is strongly related to the manufacturing method. Thus, scientists should enrich the information on mask production and quality control by applying a wide variety of tests, such as leakage, dynamic respiratory resistance (DBR), etc. In addition, the primary manufacturing methods (meltblown, spunlaid, drylaid, wetlaid and airlaid) and new additive manufacturing (AM) methods (such as FDM) should be considered. These methods are covered in this study.

1. Introduction

Over the past decades, having a healthy body has been a critical need in which different facilities and personal protection devices were developed. These devices can protect people against micro-organisms and biological aerosols, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, which are recognized as a part of causing diseases. In addition, these days, a new virus called COVID-19 has been detected that has caused many deaths worldwide [ 1 ] and has been associated with other biological effects [ 2 , 3 ]. Regarding this disease, more demands for adopting personal protection equipment (PPE) is required. There is a wide variety of transmission ways of micro-organisms, such as airborne and direct/indirect contact, which is classified based on particle diameters. For example, airborne transmission is defined for particle diameters of ≤5 µm. This form of transmission spreads without contact and raises demands for facial protection such as face masks. This transmission can happen either between healthcare workers and patients, or in different indoor areas [ 4 ].

For this fact, excellent protection by face masks in the atmosphere against particles and aerosols leads emphasis on research and development in processing and quality control of face masks [ 3 ]. For instance, the type of polymer for fabrication plays an important role both in the final performance of face masks and the environmental risks [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Besides basic, industrialized fabrication manners of face masks such as meltblown, spunlaid, drylaid, wetlaid and airlaid technologies, cutting-edge processes of additive manufacturing (AM) processes are applied to meet demands, which are discussed in the following subsections.

For quality control, different experiments have been performed on filtration, leakage, dynamic breathing resistance (DBR) performance, wearing comfort, etc. [ 9 ]. Each test has its related terms that should be understood and explained. For example, for the infiltration performance test, the mechanism of inertial impaction, interception, diffusion and electrostatic attraction have impacts, which are presented in this review paper.

2. Types of Applied Materials in Face Mask Production

Generally, in various investigations, it was explained that most starting materials for face mask fabrication include non-woven materials such as polypropylene, glass papers and woolen felt, which have been proven to have special characteristics such as high-temperature resistance in autoclaving while serving a stable structure and cost-effective final product [ 10 , 11 ]. Furthermore, disposable non-woven fabrics are another useful type of non-woven material that have gained attention due to the lower risk of contamination in comparison with other materials. In this regard, a comparison of some characteristics of this type with reusable materials was performed, as shown in Table 1 . Reusable fabrics could also be sterilized for secondary applications [ 12 ].

Comparison between disposable and reusable textiles characteristics [ 11 ].

However, generally speaking, usual applicable polymers in face mask production are polypropylene, polyethylene, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyphenylene oxide and trifluorochloroethylene. Besides, some materials are applied together for better achievement of properties such as using polypropylene that is treated with dimethyl-dioctadecyl-ammonium bromide to improve bacterial attraction in order to import positive electrical charges [ 1 ].

Characteristic of Non-Woven Fabrics

Based on previous explanations, most non-woven materials are disposable and single-use; however, the second group needs sterilization before reuse. Nevertheless, there are some advantages and limitations to the application of non-woven materials. The main characteristic of these materials is the low cost of the final product. Furthermore, their permeability to air and non-adherence to wounds makes them an excellent dressing material [ 13 , 14 ]. Nevertheless, the term “single-use” is a limitation regarding their low resistance and poor drape ability in consideration of disposable non-woven materials [ 15 ]. At this stage, non-woven materials consist of various characteristics, which are listed below, and affecting the mask structure:

Fiber bonding. Non-woven materials are usually fabricated by the addition of an external chemical binder. Mechanical bonding has a negligible effect on the absorbency of fibers since inherent characteristics are not involved in this type of bonding. Yet, mechanical bonding causes two changes in the entanglement of fibers. First, the entanglement could limit the natural ability of the whole structure to swell. Second, the structure may prevent collapse in presence of external pressure. Considering these changes, mechanical bonding influences the capillary absorption of fluid [ 15 , 16 ].

Web assemblage. The manner of fiber arrangement to form a structure has a significant influence on the web properties, including packing, capillary orientation, pore size, capillary dimensions, etc. The absorbency of non-woven fibers is considered to be affected by their arrangement as well. Localized rearrangement of fibers also fulfills web formation and increases the wicking abilities of fabric [ 15 , 16 ].

Web finishing. In the nonwoven method, the fibers are assembled into the final structure and bonded by chemical or physical means. The absorbency of the nonwoven compound increases by chemical finishing since it modifies the wetting performance of a fiber surface and, as a result, affects the capillary behavior. Mechanical softening treatments can affect web properties and absorbency characteristics since fiber crimp could have an influence on packing efficiency and the resulting structure [ 13 , 14 ].

Fiber finishing. Fiber finishing is used to improve fiber’s processing performance within the equipment utilized for the transformation of fibers into a web. Since the finishing is on the surface of the fibers, it can influence wetting and liquid wicking and can have a direct impact on absorbency. Other morphological features such as surface rugosity and core uniformity can, in some cases, affect absorbency. In addition, the performance requirements in the fabrication of non-woven materials involve an optimization of different properties: liquid interaction, fabric flexibility and air permeability, and tensile properties [ 16 ].

3. Classification of Face Masks

Here, different classifications of face masks based on the application, materials and methods of production are presented. However, Table 2 shows different types of face masks with respect to their categories and relative properties.

Introduction to types of face masks [ 1 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].

Due to the COVID-19 consequences and application of the SFMs in different departments, categories of these types are discussed more. According to the ASTM F2100-11 standard, SFMs are generally categorized into three main groups: Level 1 (low) barrier, Level 2 (medium) barrier, and Level 3 (high) barrier. Level 1 has the lowest barrier of protection, while Level 3 has the highest barrier of protection. There are different criteria that have been implemented into the classification of SFMs:

Bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) : This criterion is designed for measuring bacterial filtration efficiency of SFMs using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. Staphylococcus aureus is based on its clinical relevance as a leading cause of nosocomial infections. A higher bacterial filtration efficiency percentage indicates a better protection level for the patient and healthcare professionals against transmission diseases from the source of the patient and healthcare professionals.

Breathing resistance : This is used to determine the resistance of airflow through the masks. The SFM is subjected to a controlled flow of air. A lower breathing resistance illustrates a better comfort level to the end-user. The following sections will provide more information about this test.

Quality evaluation : This controls the quality evaluation to avoid transmission diseases, and the critical requirements are performed before the marketing of SFMs. For example, one of the important parts of the quality evaluation is the investigation of toxicity and biocompatibility of the masks. Sipahi et al. [ 23 ] studied the biocompatibility of eight marketed masks with different brands through their cytotoxicity and inflammation-inducing capacity. They showed that widely used disposable medical masks induced a surprisingly high rate of cytotoxicity and inflammation. In addition, they showed that evaluation of inflammation with cytotoxicity can be used to study the biocompatibility of medical devices such as with surgical masks.

Based on the mentioned classifications, there are three main levels of protection for SFMs that are indicated in Table 3 .

ASTM F2100-11 levels of protection in SFMs.

4. Primary Techniques of Processing

During the past several years, different technologies have been implemented in the fabrication of non-woven fabrics [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. As explained, the manufacturing of these materials are divided into two main steps: preparation of fibers in the web and bonding of fiber in the web. Presumably, there is related technology to the formation of a web that will be explained in this section. Repartition of worldwide production according to the technologies is shown in Figure 1 .

Repartition of worldwide production of nonwoven materials according to technologies [ 25 ].

4.1. Meltblown Process and Spunlaid Technology

The development of microfiber was first applied using a spray gun as a process to improve textile structures [ 27 ]. Following the expansion of microfibers, the technology was patented as a meltblown process [ 28 , 29 ]. In this process, numerous thermoplastic polymers such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polyesters, polyurethane, nylon, polyethylene low and high density (LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE), and polycarbonate (PC) are used, of which the most popular polymer is polypropylene. Due to its low-melt viscosity, there is a possibility of passage through the micron-size holes. As an example, almost all meltblown webs are layered between two spunbond fabrics as shown in Figure 2 [ 30 , 31 , 32 ].

Typical microscopic image of a web representing the large fibers as spunbond and small fibers as meltblown [ 33 ].

4.2. Meltblown Process

This process was first presented in the early 1950s by the United States Naval Research Laboratories and was applied to thermoplastics to produce microfibers of less than ten microns diameter [ 34 ]. In this process, there are four different factors: die assembly, the extruder, metering pump, and winding. The polymer resin is heated to melting point by feeding into the extruder, it then passes through the metering pump, turning into a homogenized polymer that feeds into the die assembly. As soon as the formation of a self-bonded web is performed, the microfibers are collected on a drum ( Figure 3 ).

Schematic of the melt blowing process [ 35 ].

The definition and characteristics of applied polymers are not usually available, and hence researchers tried to publish the related works in order to perform the correlation of different parameters. However, it comprises a number of parameters, including machine, process, and materials. The interaction of these parameters is an important issue in the process, and the most important parameters are summarized in Table 4 [ 35 ].

Definition of machine, process, and material parameters [ 31 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].

Spunlaid technology . This technology, also called spunbond, is a machinery system adopted with polymer extrusion that manufactures fiber structures from molten filaments. These systems were presented commercially for the first time by DuPont and Rhone-Poulenc in the US and France in the mid-1960s, respectively [ 34 ]. This technique provides the chance for mass, cost-effective nonwoven products. There are different steps in this process that are illustrated in Figure 4 .

Sequences in spunlaid process [ 36 ].

As can be seen in Figure 5 , the spunlaid process contains different parts and elements for production, including extruder, filter, metering pump, spinning block, quenching, drawing, web forming, bonding and winding.

Schematic spunlaid process [ 36 ].

4.3. Drylaid Technology

This technology was first designed for textile industries, of which the common applicable materials comprise different staple fibers such as polyester, polypropylene, and cotton. Normally, the chosen fibers are those capable of reaching the web properties. Drylaid webs processing generally consists of four steps: (i) staple fiber preparation, (ii) opening, cleaning, mixing, and blending, (iii) carding, and (iv) web laying [ 34 ]. Although it is necessary to cut the produced fibers into staple fibers, the fiber preparation process is affected by the manufacturing methods. As these procedures are successive, the opening, cleaning, and mixing should be without defects in the products in order not to apply negative effects on the final product. The carding step is then performed by a machine named “card”. This step is conveyed by passing the entangled fibers between the closely spaced cloth surfaces [ 37 ].

4.4. Wetlaid and Airlaid Technology

Wetlaid technologies. These technologies come directly from paper-making technologies that are designed to manipulate fibers suspended in fluid, defined as “wetlaid". They were primarily introduced in the 1930s by Dexter and was purchased by Ahlstrom in 2000, who is a leader in wetlaid products [ 34 ]. The green material comprises cellulosic fibers as wood pulp and a wide variety of other fibers. These fibers have a short length in the size range of 2 to 20 mm. The process consists of dispersion to be as homogeneous as possible, the blend of fibers in water to flow the fiber solution into a forming wire, and the extraction water through the forming wire to lay fibers into a web form. Regarding the size and fineness of the fibers, the webs will look extremely uniform and sometimes similar to paper.

Airlaid technologies. The arrival of this technique dates to the 1960s, with Karl Krøyer in Denmark, and was subsequently sold to the M&J Fibertech company in the 1980s. This technology applies the same type of raw materials as wetlaid and particularly short firers as wood fibers. This process comprises obtaining a homogenous suspension of fibers in the air and then filtering this suspension through a forming wire. Fibers held by the wire will form the web. As for the wetlaid, the webs will look exceptionally uniform [ 34 ].

5. Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Face Masks

Three-dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing (AM) technologies ( Figure 6 ) are known as the fourth industrial revolution in our scientific world, which was first presented in 1986 by Charles Hull through a manner of so-called stereolithography (SLA). This technology is expanding because of the wide variety of advantages such as minimum demands for postprocessing, less unusable wastes materials, and widely used applications, especially in polymers and face masks production [ 38 , 39 ]. AM technologies are replacing other technologies to become an accepted generic term for layer technology. Everyone is able to operate a 3D printing machine, even at home or inf an office, to print a 3D object [ 40 ]. Currently, AM machines play an important role in medical devices and biomaterial fabrication [ 41 ].

A review of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and related subsessions [ 38 ].

In polymeric materials, the critical limitation is the contaminations against viruses or bacteria in processing [ 41 , 42 ]. Currently, polylactic acid (PLA) is a common polymer in AM technologies produced from renewable sources [ 43 ].

Apparently, there is a problem of sterilizing of the 3D-printed parts due to the porous structure in the range of 6–8 µm [ 44 ], which could be a weak point of using these structures in medical objects. However, applying the specific settings in the extrusion of layers to the antimicrobial materials can reduce dimensions to around 0.0002 µm, which is smaller than the size of viruses, such as in COVID-19 [ 44 , 45 ]. For instance, the 3D-printing and industrial production of PLA is presented in Figure 7 .

A representation of the manufacturing process for an antimicrobial polymer [ 44 ].

Researchers are of the opinion that AM techniques could be used in the fabrication of medical devices to provide rapid production of final products such as ventilators, connectors, face masks, etc. [ 46 ]. As mentioned before, the importance of face masks for patients and health care workers is enticing because they categorize it as a critical medical device, especially against coronaviruses. There exists a limitation in full protection against viruses or bacteria due to the gap between the surfaces of the face masks and face (i.e., leakage) [ 47 ]. Despite the different efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fabrication of medical devices [ 48 , 49 , 50 ], most researchers tried to propose the application of AM machines in the production of face masks in an efficient time. In Figure 8 , general methodology workflow for face mask production is illustrated, which involves three main phases including: “Phase I”, “Phase II” and “Phase III” that are digitizing, modeling and fabrication, respectively.

Methodology in additive manufacturing of a face mask [ 51 ].

Swennen et al. [ 52 ] proposed a custom-made 3D printed face mask as a replacement against the lack of FFP2/3 SFMs. As shown in Figure 9 , reusable polyamide 11 (PA11) was supplied for the 3D-printed SFM, and polypropylene (PP) non-woven meltblown particles were implemented for the filter membrane. They found that the 3D-printed SFM in combination with the FFP2/3 filter membranes could be an alternative; however, they require to show more validation of the proposed method.

Typical representation of the 3D-printed face mask: ( a ) reusable 3D printed face mask, ( b ) filter membrane support, ( c ) polypropylene (PP) nonwoven meltblown particle filter, ( d ) 3D image of the prototype [ 52 ].

Consequently, Provenzano et al. [ 53 ] worked on the fabrication of reusable 3D-printed N95 face masks in different conditions by using many 3D-printing machines with PLA and ABS. Based on the outcomes, they found that PLA has better quality in comparison with ABS ( Figure 10 ).

Typical image of fabricated masks using PLA and ABS [ 53 ].

Finally, AM technology in the fabrication of face masks requires more developments in order to obtain high-quality products. However, recent efforts are appreciable to be applied in the medical industry for the appropriate applications.

6. Standards in Quality Controls of Face Masks

Currently, due to this unrecognized virus (COVID-19), companies have produced a vast variety of masks; furthermore, minding the standards are essential. For this, the required information about the most important standards should be covered. The standard of “EN 14683:2019+AC:2019” is attributed to medical face masks (i.e., requirements and test methods), with the scope of construction, design, performance requirements and test methods for medical face masks that aim to decline the transition of ineffective agents from staff to patients. Table 5 presents the needed terms of SFMs for acceptable performance.

Demands for the excepted performance of medical face masks (EN 14683:2019+AC:2019).

* not required. a Classified as bacterial filtration efficiency, which is “type I” and should only be used for patients and other persons to limit infections spreads. b This type is divided with respect to splash resistance “R”.

7. Filtration Performance (FP) Tests

The first step to perform quality control of a face mask is a filtration test, which plays an important role in mask quality evaluation. Different researchers consumed time for investigating this area, which introduced the mechanism of filtration in masks and respirators. In this protocol, four mechanisms work together: inertial impaction, interception, diffusion and electrostatic attraction. They are presented in Figure 11 [ 1 , 54 ].

Different mechanisms in the filtration process [ 1 ].

The activation of each mechanism depends on particle size, face velocity and density in the airflow atmosphere. Figure 12 shows the relation of particle size and mechanisms of activation.

( a ) Different collision of particles based on the four main filtering mechanisms. ( b ) The relationship between particle size distribution and type of filtering mechanisms [ 54 , 55 ].

The mechanism of inertial impaction occurs when the size of the particle is more than 1 µm, which causes an increase of inertia in each particle, altering the direction of the particle in the atmosphere. The interception mechanism takes place when the particle size lowers to around 0.6 µm, which is not dependent on the face velocity of the particle, and no deviation is observed during the progress in comparison with former mechanisms. Besides, the most productive mechanism in the filtering of the particles is diffusion progress that accounts for particle sizes of less than 0.2 µm and in low velocity, based on the Brownian motion of particles. This motion increases the probability of particle accidents with fibers, and reduced velocity broadens the holding time of particles that consequently improves the probability of particle accidents and efficiency of filtering. Finally, the last mechanism is an electrostatic attraction that occurs by charging either the media or the particles, which is in addition to the mechanical mechanisms employed in NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) accepted filters. In this mechanism, velocity has a negative impact on efficiency [ 55 ].

Filtration efficiency is defined as the capability and capacity of reserving viruses and particles in the atmosphere [ 6 ] and is related to different factors such as thermal rebound, face velocity, airflow rate, humidity and particle charge states, which are briefly described in Table 6 [ 56 ].

Test parameters and details of related roles in filtration efficiency [ 56 , 57 ].

Besides these kinds of evaluation, Pacitto et al. [ 58 ] researched exposure evaluation of nine different face masks based on price (1–44 Euros) in the reduction of exposure to particle mass concentration (PM2.5), particle number concentration (PNC), lung deposition surface area (LDSA) and black carbon concentration (BC), with breathing rates of 32, 42 and 52 l.min −1 . The test set-up is illustrated in Figure 13 . Dummy heads were used as adult human heads in special dimensions, and they were occupied with different masks and different additional equipment such as airflow splitters, pumps, dust track, etc. The dummy heads were placed outdoors at a height of 1.60 m, and the mouth of each head employed an anti-electrostatic inlet tube and splitter separating airflow in 4 channels. It was reported that the effectiveness is directly related to the PM2.5 concentration.

Set-up illustrations for measuring performance [ 58 ].

8. Leakage Test

Besides using a filtration test, the leakage problem is another contributing factor that should be considered [ 59 ]. When the leakage happened, filter penetration disappeared, causing the consideration of this term to be studied as a part of the quality controlling of masks. For instance, Guha et al. [ 60 ] conducted a study to understand the contribution of leakage of aerosols through the gaps in SFMs and surgical respirators. They searched into the leakage of charge-neutralized, polydisperse, dried sodium-chloride aerosols in different personal protective equipment (PPE), with altering breathing rates, aerosol particle sizes and gap sizes. The ration of aerosols concentration between the input and output of SFMs is defined as intrinsic penetration without gaps, or total inward leakage (TIL), with consideration of gaps based on percentage. As mentioned, the protection is related to the intrinsic penetration and amount of leakage in the site. Generally, the summation of the two terms gives total inward leakage (TIL), and the penetration was separated from TIL from studying the effect of particle size on leakage. Thus, the leakage is noted as:

For the experimental part, an artificial hole on the mask was created to perform the leakage test ( Figure 14 ).

The holes are created to evaluate leakage performance of the mask [ 60 ].

Finally, they announced that aerosol leakage is not related to size, especially above 100 nm in used masks. In addition, more TLI normally does not attribute to higher risk and is considered in parallel with the breathing flow rate [ 60 ].

For instance, Rengasamy et al. [ 61 ] researched the evaluation of filter penetration and face seal leakage to TIL with submicron-size bioaerosols (NaCl). In this study, different artificially created holes were placed into two N95 FFR models, using SFM models applied to a manikin that breathed minute volumes of 8 and 40 L. Figure 15 illustrates the set up of this research that two modes were investigated: (a) no artificial leaks and (b) with some artificial leaks induced through the needle. In addition, for better understanding of the research, the breathing simulator serves various changing terms, such as tidal volume and breathing rate.

Experimental set-up for testing and evaluation of submicron-sized bioaerosols leakage [ 61 ].

Finally, the results showed that N95 FFRs outweigh the two SFMs in terms of filtration efficiency and good fitting characteristics.

9. Dynamic Breathing Resistance (DBR) Test

Yao et al. [ 62 ] designed an experimental set-up including breathing simulator, mass flow controller, virtual instrument system, microelectronic system and head model ( Figure 16 ). In addition, the role of each part is presented in Table 7 .

A designed experimental set up for measuring dynamic breathing resistance (DBR) [ 55 ].

The key elements of DBR machine are illustrated in Figure 16 [ 62 ].

Moreover, six indices were proposed to evaluate the dynamic performance of face masks in the breathing process, which is presented in Table 8 .

The six indices presented for DBR measurement [ 62 ].

Based on this research frame, twelve types of facemasks with various varieties, such as shape, respiratory valve, and basic materials, have been tested in which the results show that there are noteworthy differences between the indices in each type of applied mask. It was proven that the maximum breathing resistance of the dynamic measurement in comparison with the breathing resistance of the static measurement revealed a linear relationship. In addition, DBR provides an altered rate of breathing resistance [ 62 ].

10. Conclusions

The main purpose of this review was to present different techniques in quality control and processing of face masks. These days, due to the COVID-19 consequences, public attention is drawn to face mask application for reducing death and infection. For this, productive information about face masks in terms of starting materials, primary and advance processing, mechanisms of filtration and related required application tests were considered.

Face masks made of different polymers such as polypropylene, glass papers, woolen felt, polyethylene, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, and polyphenylene oxide have the own properties, and they need more detailed evaluation.

The families of face masks include basic cloth face masks, surgical face masks (SFMs), N95 respirator, P100 respirator/gas mask, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), full face respirator and full-length face shield. Each type of face mask has special advantages concerning application. For instance, basic cloth face masks are easily fabricated materials (e.g., can be produced from a T-shirt, etc.) at low cost but lack efficient infiltration. Surgical face masks (SFMs) and N95 respirators show almost similar efficiency infiltration. For a P100 respirator, it was reported that the efficiency of filtering is 99.97% and presents less leakage, which is better than SFMs and N95.

For face mask fabrication, there are different methods such as airlaid, wetlaid, spunlaid/meltblown and drylaid, and each one shows specific properties. A new generation of fabrication methods called additive manufacturing (AM) is also applied for face mask production, which is expanding. However, AM techniques need more development to obtain high-quality products in terms of mechanical and physical properties.

After face mask production, quality control is the final step before marketing. Generally, the tests of filtration performance (FP), leakage, and static/dynamic breathing resistance (DBR) are passed to inspect the efficiency of face masks. Different set ups for validation of face masks were presented and reviewed.

In future studies, it is recommended to study the recycling of used face masks and mechanical properties of AM machined ones for enriching more information and improving the quality of face masks. Also created steam during the respiration cycle can provide the environment with high humidity which leads to the accelerated mechanism of penetration and faster spread of microorganisms to the inner parts of the mask. Regarding, production of masks to deal with this phenomenon, it seems necessary, especially in masks such as Surgical face masks (SFMs), Basic Cloth face masks and N95 respirators.

Author Contributions

Writing—original draft preparation, S.F. and M.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Face Mask Project Report – Making Plan

Table of contents, procedure to start a surgical face mask making business in india, machinery required to start face mask making business, conclusion of face mask project report.

Face Mask Project Report and Making Business Plan in India

Introduction

Surgical Face Masks (SFMs) have been in huge need of the pandemic associated with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) which emerged from Wuhan, China that has infected hundreds of pf people across the globe. Before the occurrence of COVID-19 which is also known as SARS-CoV-2, face masks were exclusively in hospitals and healthcare units.

As per the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, about 240 million disposable masks are manufactured by companies every year for domestic use. People never thought that they will be in use in 2020 or further in their day-to-day lives. SFMs and PPE-Personal Protective Equipment kits have become an inevitable product for the few medical sectors for survival.

Types of Face Masks

With the increasing demand for face masks across the globe, numerous SME and MSME manufacturing plants have emerged and started developing surgical face masks in bulk daily. The production capacity varies between 20,000 – 1,00,000 masks daily, however, the number could vary from plant to plant.

To avoid and be safe from viruses, people are using 3 kinds of face masks popular as homemade cloth masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks. Surgical face masks are produced by non-woven fabrics made from a plastic material such as polypropylene that is seen in two-layer or three-layered varieties.

A Guide to Face Mask Project Report – Making Business Plan

To initiate a face mask manufacturing business, entrepreneurs have to know that India’s surgical mask market is divided into two segments. The first segment is a product-based one, where the market is further segregated into the manufacturing of N95 respirators, anti-fog surgical masks, basic surgical masks, fluid/splash unaffected masks, etc.

Distribution is the second segment in which the surgical market is segregated into medical stores, clinics, pharmacies, healthcare centers, medical stores, and hospitals. Considering these two channels, owners can select from these two business separations, such as mask production and distribution, or can consider both.

Step 1: Craft a proper Business Plan – This plan should contain all the business information such as details of equipment and machinery, details of workers, total budget, working capital or investment estimated, marketing and advertising policies planned, etc.

Step 2: As per the Company Registration Act, the individual must acquire business registration as a public limited company, as a sole proprietorship company, or private registration, like a partnership firm or limited liability partnership under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Step 3: Acquire ISI standard registration which is obligatory and do the MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprise) registration, if possible.

Step 4: Finalize or take space on rent at a proper region to install necessary machinery with followed steps and required provision.

Step 5: Get the Shop and Establishment Act permission by consulting with state authority, as per the state rules in which the unit is planned to set up.

Step 6: Buy and install equipment/machinery and associated stuff in the rented or selected area.

Step 7: Appoint workers for starting the manufacturing method after giving them proper machinery training.

Types of machines that can be utilized in the face mask manufacturing process:

• Face Mask Machines
• Mask Inner Ear Loop Welding Machine
• Non-Woven Mask Blank Making Machine
• Tie on Mask Making Machine

An example of an ideal face mask manufacturing machine is stated below:

• Non-Woven Face Mask Making Machine
• A Fully Automatic Tie Face Mask Machine
• Price: Rs. 15 lakh (approx.)

Machinery Information:

Capacity: 60 to 80 pcs per minute

Usage/Application: To Make Tie Face Mask

Model: KP-1001

Size: 3000 mm x 1500 mm x 1200 mm

Power Source: 5KW

Power Supply: Single Phase

Brand: KP Tech

Specifications of the machinery used in Face Mask Making Business

Supply Power: AC 380 v or 220 v 50 Hz

Net Weight: 800 Kg

Designed Speed: 80 Pcs per minute

Optimum Speed: 60 Pcs per minute

Dimension: Mask Machine: 2000 X 600 X 1200 mm

Feeding Frame: 1600 X 550 X 1400 mm

Conveyor Belt: 1770 X 330 X 900 mm

Financial aspects in Face Mask Manufacturing Business

Fixed Capital

Land and Building (On Rent): Rs. 30,000/-

Machinery & Equipment:

Blank Mask Making Indigenous machine cap 100 to 120 mask/min Rs. 16,00,000

Ear loop fixing machine cap 35to 40 masks/min Rs. 32,00,000

Stabilizer Rs. 80,000

Compressor Rs. 60,000

Packing/Sealing Machine Rs. 10,000

Sterilization Unit Rs. 5,00,000

Electrification and installation charges @ 10% of cost of machines and equipment Rs. 5,45,000

Total cost of machinery & Equipment etc. Rs. 59,95,000

Cost of office equipment / Working table, Almeerah, Computer etc. Rs. 2,05,000

Total cost of the Machines Rs. 62,00,000

10 Pre-operative expenses Rs. 1,00,000

Total Fixed Capital Rs. 63,00,000

Working Capital

Manager –cum-Prod. Inchage Rs. 25,000

Skilled Worker Rs. 36,000

Accountant/Store Keeper Rs. 15,000

Worker Rs. 45,000

Peon cum Watchman Rs. 24,000

Total Salaries Rs. 1,45,000

Perquisites @ 15% of Salaries Rs. 21,750

Total: Rs. 1,66,750

Say Rs. 1,67,000

Raw Material including Packaging Requirement (Per month)

Non-Woven Fabric Rs. 1,25,000

Mett Blown Fabric Rs. 4,80,000

Nose Wire Rs. 70,000

Ear Loop Rs. 2,40,000

Packing Material Rs. 1,00,000

Total Rs. 10,15,000

Say Rs. 10,15,000

Utilities (Per month)

Power Rs. 25,000

Water Rs. 2,000

Total utilities: Rs. 27,000

Other Consignation Expenses (Per month)

Factory Rent Rs. 30,000

Postage and Stationery Rs. 1,000

Telephone Rs. 3,000

Consumable Stores Rs. 1,000

Repair and Maintenance Rs. 15,000

Transport Charges Rs. 5,000

Advertisement and Publicity Rs. 5,000

Insurance Rs. 8,000

Taxes Rs. 10,000

Miscellaneous Expenditure Rs. 5,000

Total Rs. 83,000

Total recurring expenditure (per month)

Rs. 1,67,000 + Rs. 10,15,000 + Rs. 27,000 + 83,000 = Rs. 12,92,000

Total working Capital Rs. 12,92,000 X 3 = Rs. 38,76,000

(i) Fixed Capital Rs. 63,00,000

(ii) Working Capital Rs. 38,76,000

Total Rs. 1,01,76,000

Financial analysis in Face Mask Manufacturing Business

Cost of Production (Per Year)

Total recurring cost per year Rs. 1,55,04,000

Depreciation on Machinery & Equipment @ 10% Rs. 5,99,500

Depreciation on Office Equipment @ 20% Rs. 41,000

Interest on total capital investment @ 13% Rs. 1,32,880

Total cost of production Rs. 1,74,67,380

Say Rs. 1,74,67,000

Non-Woven 3 layers Face Masks Rs. 2,03,50,000

Turn Over – Cost of Production = Profit

= Rs. 2,03,50,000 – Rs. 1,74,67,000 = Rs. 28,83,000

Net Profit Ratio = Net Profit per year x 100/Turn Over per year

= 28,83,000×100/ 2,03,50,000 = 14.16 %

Rate of Return = Net Profit per year x 100/Total Investment

= 28,83,000×100/1,01,76,000 = 28.33%

Break Even Analysis

BEP% = F.C. x 100/F.C. + Profit = 2069000 x100/2069000+2883000 = 41.78%.

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The face mask manufacturing business is attaining the actual attention for the need for face masks has increased significantly in the past few months. MSMEs and small business owners have changed from their present businesses and newly started to invest in all types of face masks manufacture to fight against deadly COVID-19 and thereby gain good income.

At present, there is not much opposition and there are not many face mask manufacturing factories in India, therefore we are depending on imported masks from various countries. This particular market sector is yet to be discovered and capitalized. Hence, entrepreneurs, business owners, and enterprises can avail even business loans, term loans, or working capital loans to initiate a new business or to plan to alter their current business into face mask manufacturing plants. They can try to search various financial institutions to easily check and the available business loan offers at various interest rates.

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Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Starting a face mask business is an exciting venture, but marketing your products effectively is the key to success. With ClickUp's Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that will take your business to the next level.

This template helps you:

• Identify your target customers and understand their needs and preferences
• Develop a strong brand identity and create brand awareness in the market
• Implement various marketing tactics like online advertising and social media campaigns
• Forge partnerships with influential individuals and organizations in the healthcare industry
• Track your marketing efforts and measure their impact on sales and brand growth

Don't miss out on the opportunity to grow your face mask business. Get started with ClickUp's Marketing Plan Template today!

Benefits of Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template

When using the Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template, you'll enjoy these benefits:

• Streamlined marketing efforts to effectively promote face mask products
• Increased brand awareness among target customers
• Trust building with potential customers through consistent and strategic marketing activities
• Boosted sales through targeted marketing strategies
• Improved ROI by identifying the most effective marketing channels and tactics
• Enhanced customer engagement and loyalty through impactful marketing campaigns
• Increased visibility and partnerships through collaborations with influencers and healthcare organizations
• Optimized social media presence to reach and engage with a wider audience
• Better understanding of the market and competition through thorough market research
• Clear roadmap for marketing activities, ensuring a cohesive and effective marketing strategy.

Main Elements of Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template

ClickUp's Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template provides a comprehensive solution to effectively manage your marketing strategy. Here are the main elements you'll find in this List template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of your marketing tasks with 6 different statuses, including Cancelled, Complete, In Progress, Needs Input, Planned, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Use 6 custom fields such as Quarter, Task Type, Impact, Progress, Percent Completion, and Effort to capture and analyze crucial information about your marketing activities.
• Custom Views: Access 5 different views to gain a holistic understanding of your marketing plan. These include the Key Results view for tracking important metrics, the Timeline view for visualizing project timelines, the Getting Started Guide view for onboarding new team members, the Objectives view for setting and monitoring marketing objectives, and the Progress Board view for managing and tracking progress.

With ClickUp's Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template, you'll have all the tools you need to effectively execute and monitor your marketing initiatives.

How to Use Marketing Plan for Face Mask Business

If you're starting a face mask business and need a solid marketing plan, follow these steps to make sure your brand gets the attention it deserves:

1. Define your target audience

Before you can effectively market your face masks, you need to know who your ideal customers are. Consider factors such as age, gender, location, and interests. This will help you tailor your marketing efforts to reach the right audience.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to gather demographic information and create buyer personas for your target audience.

2. Set clear marketing goals

Determine what you want to achieve with your marketing efforts. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive online sales, or expand into new markets? Setting clear goals will help you stay focused and measure the success of your marketing campaigns.

Create Goals in ClickUp to track your marketing objectives and monitor progress towards achieving them.

3. Develop a strong brand identity

Your face mask business needs a strong brand identity to stand out in the market. This includes a compelling logo, consistent color scheme, and a brand voice that resonates with your target audience. Make sure your brand identity reflects the values and unique selling points of your business.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to visually organize and brainstorm ideas for your brand identity, including logo designs, color palettes, and brand messaging.

4. Implement a multi-channel marketing strategy

To reach a wider audience, it's important to use a variety of marketing channels. This can include social media advertising, influencer partnerships, email marketing, content marketing, and more. Develop a comprehensive marketing plan that utilizes multiple channels to maximize your reach and engagement.

Use Automations in ClickUp to streamline your marketing efforts, such as scheduling social media posts, sending automated email campaigns, and tracking campaign performance.

By following these steps and utilizing the features in ClickUp, you can create an effective marketing plan for your face mask business and position yourself for success in a competitive market.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template

Entrepreneurs who have started a face mask business can use this Face Mask Business Marketing Plan Template to effectively promote their products and increase sales.

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NIOSH issues production and design criteria for facemask manufacturers

Washington — NIOSH has issued criteria and interim guidance to help manufacturers produce and design masks intended to protect workers from COVID-19.

Masks “must conform to all of the design requirements and meet the performance criteria” in the ASTM F3502-21 Barrier Face Covering Standard , meet additional NIOSH performance criteria, and undergo testing. The NIOSH criteria includes leakage ratio requirements.

Additionally, NIOSH says mask manufacturers should provide information about proper use, conform to minimum labeling criteria and have a system to maintain consistent mask quality.

Under the ASTM design requirements, masks must:

• Cover the wearer’s nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of the face and nose without gaps, as determined by the design analysis.
• Have a way to stay in place over the nose and mouth for the expected period of use and range of activities.
• Have nonirritating and nontoxic materials where the mask contacts the skin.
• Be either disposable (single use) or reusable (multiple use).
• Be able to be worn by individuals with a range of fit characteristics (excluding children younger than 2), or designed with multiple sizes to allow fit for a wide variety of people.

NIOSH warns that masks can’t be used as a replacement for respiratory protection or respirators when those are required.

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