The RKW Group is participating in the production of FFP-2 protective masks with a laminate made of spunbonded nonvoven fabric from the Gronau Site. In less than two weeks, the FIGHT consortium, in which the RKW Group is involved, succeeded in developing masks from first draft to certification and market readiness.
Production has been running at full speed for a few days now, with the aim of achieving a weekly capacity of around 750,000 masks. "The current COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge for society as a whole, which we are meeting with our resources and expertise. We are very pleased and proud that we have been able to successfully participate in the development and production of the urgently needed protective masks within a very short period of time," says Harald Biederbick, Chairman of the Executive Board of the RKW Group based in Frankenthal. The closest partner in the production of the protective masks is Sporlastic GmbH in Nürtingen: "This venture was only possible thanks to maximum agility and teamwork of all participants,” says Dr. Timo Schmeltzpfenning, Head of Research & Development at Sporlastic.
The RKW spunbonded nonwoven is processed in Gronau into a laminate with meltblown material that meets the high demands on the filter material for FFP-2 masks. It must capture at least 94 percent of the particles in the air down to a size of 0.6 nanometers - for comparison: the COVID-19-triggering coronavirus is bound in water droplets averaging around 1 nanometer in size.
The first production batch will be delivered to the first client, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration of Germany’s federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Further public sector clients are currently in negotiation with the consortium.
