Page 7 - Plastics News May 2020

Novolex ramps up its capabilities; produce face Impact Plastics agrees alliance with Gilman
shields medical isolation gowns Brothers
ovolex has retooled its manufacturing capabilities
Nand repurposed its supply chains to develop products mpact Plastics has collaborated with long-time
to protect the corona warriors. After compressing what Icustomer and partner, The Gilman Brothers
would typically be a six to eight-month product Company, to produce material used to construct
development process into three weeks, Novolex is now patient beds and partitions for use in temporary
ramping up its capabilities to produce up to 25,000 face hospitals being set up across the country to treat
shields and 100,000 medical isolation gowns per week.“As COVID-19 patients. To produce the beds, Impact
international supply chains have stalled and the COVID-19 Plastics' medical-grade high impact polystyrene
crisis escalated, we've seen a critical shortage in medical rollstock is laminated to a foamboard product
protective equipment in the U.S.,” said Phil Rozenski, manufactured by the Gilman Brothers, the Infinity®
Novolex's Vice President of Public Affairs. “When we found Styrene Faced Foamboard. The boards are then cut
out about this need, about this need, it was a no brainer. into shapes that are fit together to construct the
temporary hospital beds. The result is a moisture
resistant and sanitizable surface for a bed that can be
assembled in minutes without tools, and can hold from
400 - 600 lbs depending on configuration. Impact
Plastics has also provided Clear HIPS to Gilman
Brothers for the fabrication of face shields. The
optically clear styrene is being used in the fabrication
of face shields, which are being distributed directly to
healthcare workers and facilities, as valuable and
essential personal protective equipment (PPE).
Impact Plastics is a custom extrusion company
specializing in thin gauge extruded plastic sheet and
roll stock, with extensive experience supplying
medical-grade materials for medical packaging,
medical device and pharmaceutical applications.
Inspiration for this collaboration was fueled by both
companies' ability to produce materials to aid in the
supply of essential COVID-19 supplies. Marketing and
sales teams will work together to fuel new
about this need, it was a no brainer. Our facilities are
already uniquely equipped to produce food-grade opportunities for both companies' materials. Gilman
products, so we are thrilled to be able to jump in and use Brothers' core business is traditionally focused as a
our know-how and engineering expertise to make manufacturer of foamboard for graphic arts, and
protective equipment that can really help those on the printing applications for a variety of products and
front lines.” As a plastic packaging producer, Novolex is finished art.
uniquely situated to produce such secondary personal
protective equipment (PPE). The company is adopting
creative solutions to adapt its facilities which can produce
transparent PET sheet and fit-for-purpose injected
molded plastic fittings to make components for face
shields.“We've leveraged all of the company's
manufacturing ingenuity to pivot from manufacturing to-
go containers to producing medical supplies,” said Galen
Killam, a Wisconsin-based engineering manager for
Novolex. “We're using facilities originally designed to
produce food packaging such as tortilla bags to make
protective gowns, and we're adapting muffin containers,
reusable cutlery, and plates to create face shields.”By
adapting its sophisticated manufacturing infrastructure,
Novolex facilities across North America are pushing out
protective equipment at an unprecedented scale.

MAY 2020 7 Plastics News