VIRACOAT LIMITED's 3-layer 2R surgical masks, FFP2 masks and FFP3 masks are a series of new antiviral and antibacterial personal protective equipment (PPE) masks, which will be produced in a joint venture with MEL Group in Sudbury, Suffolk.

Stuart Hawkins, the project leader of The MEL Group, explained: "At the beginning of last year, we decided to enter the PPE mask market and design and start producing our own internally developed masks. Then we were introduced to ViraCoat. The ViraCoat series of masks is a very important one. With the addition of a virus-killing coating, it is superior to other mask products. Therefore, we decided to concentrate our resources to manufacture world-class products."

MEL Group is now working with ViraCoat and Lancaster University to develop additional coating stage machinery and control software for coating applications and quality control, the latter being closely involved in product testing and development. 

Stuart Hawkins added: "Our production line, materials and quality assurance have met the certification requirements, so we only need to perform rigorous testing on the additional coating. Now that everything has been approved, we will convert the entire mask production to ViraCoat products." ViraCoat masks are "sandwiches" made of up to five layers of polypropylene, loaded from a roll. When the material is fed into the customized tunnel furnace, the outer layer, including the earrings, is applied to the roll. Special software controls the coating application and checks whether the entire surface has been covered. These layers are then glued together and the mask is stamped out. 

The existing factory can produce 1.2 million masks per month, and the capacity will reach 20 million after the expansion. It is expected that this will create approximately 90 to 100 jobs for machine operators and team leaders, who are mainly recruited from the local labor pool-a significant benefit for the local economy. According to needs, more production lines can be added in the future. 

The finished mask is light and soft; the ergonomic shape provides comfort and an effective barrier for aerosol virus droplets; and has an adjustable nose line to ensure a good nose seal. The range complies with the European standard EN149:2001 A1:2009 filtration efficiency. The company said that antiviral and antibacterial coatings begin to kill COVID-19, its variants, and other viral infections upon contact, thereby reducing the risk of staff and patients being contaminated when wearing and removing masks and handling masks. This means that masks can be used safely for a longer period of time, which will reduce the frequency of mask replacement, thereby reducing costs. New standards are being sought to make ViraCoat coated masks a lighter and more comfortable single layer that can be washed or disinfected repeatedly.

Jon Chadwick, CEO of ViraCorp, the parent company of ViraCoat, commented: “We are very happy to work with the MEL Group. They allow us to bring ViraCoat masks to the market faster than other methods, and their quality standards are mainly based on aviation and The defense sector is in line with our product vision as a quality market leader." 

Headquartered in Sudbury, MEL Group is a provider of engineering solutions in the aerospace, defense, and industrial fields. It is a Tier 1 supplier to many OEM Fortune 500 companies and has operations along the coast of the United States and across Europe. ViraCoat is a subsidiary of ViraCorp. ViraCorp is a group of biomedical research and development companies focusing on developing defense products against virus outbreaks, epidemics and endemic diseases that threaten the health of the world; the ViraCoat series of masks are the first products to be put into production.

For more information, please visit www.viracorp.global