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Woodbridge Inoac Technical Products (WITP) is preparing to manufacture millions of polyurethane masks at three locations in the U.
S.
and Canada
.
The joint venture between Woodbridge Group and Inoac Corp.
said the masks will be made at factories in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Kitchener and Woodbridge, Ontario
.
Mike Fritts, president of Woodbridge Group customer and product experience, said WITP is bringing in technology and designs from Inoac in Japan to replicate masks made in Japan
.
The new masks are designed to complement, not replace, the more effective N95 masks that have become known in the pandemic
.
Mike Fritts said: "WITP is grateful to all frontline medical workers fighting this pandemic and doing their best to save lives around the world
.
Ontario has ordered 15 million masks from the company, which is looking for opportunities to sell masks to hospitals and industry in the United States, Mike Fritts said
.
The mask is recognized by Health Canada as a Class I medical device
.
WITP will use a Japanese polyurethane formula to create blocks of material, which will then be sliced into thin slices
.
The new WITP masks are designed to help strengthen a market that has seen shortages due to high demand for healthcare workers during the pandemic
.
Masks have different standards than N95 masks, which are designed to capture at least 95 percent of airborne particles
.
However, the new masks could be used in some healthcare settings, as well as to provide protection for manufacturing workers who have difficulty accessing resources
.
In the U.
S.
, the U.
S.
Food and Drug Administration has classified the mask as a QKR product category: "This mask is intended for use by the general public or health care personnel
.
The mask covers the user's nose and mouth and may not form a liquid barrier or filter efficiency"
.
"These challenging times are affecting us all," WITP President Mike Simpson said in a statement.
"
We are so grateful to the medical workers on the front lines battling the pandemic, and we are honored to do our part and produce required masks
.
"
WITP developed and planned a plan to produce masks in North America with technical staff from Inoac in Japan
.
WITP is also working with the Auto Parts Manufacturers Association, Hematite Corporation, McMaster University, Magna International, TS Tech Americas, and Toyota Boshoku Canada
.
WITP routinely produces polyurethane foam, including filling, packaging, sealing and filtering products
.
The market includes manufacturers of automotive, filtration, medical and industrial products
.
The company is also exploring the potential to make masks in Mexico
.
Mike Fritts said: "This is a truly humanitarian initiative to give back to the communities where we work and help fight this unprecedented pandemic
.
And it's an opportunity to leverage our global polyurethane expertise
.
"
The company will also use the new masks to protect employees at more than 60 factories around the world
.
Mike Fritts said he believes perceptions about workplace hygiene have changed as the world grapples with the virus
.
"I think this pandemic-related hygiene standard will have a whole new meaning
.
So we think there will be a lot of benefits, especially in industry, automotive and other areas,
" he said.
