Partnership forms to produce key respirator part
Manufacturer Flambeau’s injection moulding facility in Baraboo, Wisconsin, is preparing to begin full production later this month for a key component in 3M’s powered air purifying respirator.
Flambeau and its long-time customer Cummins agreed to work together on this project and teamed up to supply the filter element of the 3M respirator kit. Six days after an initial discussion, Flambeau was awarded the project and began engineering and tooling the necessary moulds.
Cummins is responsible for manufacturing the filter, whilst Flambeau focuses on producing the plastic housing, which consists of two parts:
- The main housing - which also gets overmoulded in the process.
- A snap-on vented cover - to secure the inserted filter.
The respirator works by allowing the production of breathable air. As air passes through the Cummins/Flambeau filter assembly, the filtered air is then delivered to the hood covering the worker’s head or face.
Engineers and toolmakers at Flambeau Technology Centre produced two sets each of the three moulds needed to manufacture the Glass-Filled PolyPropylene housing (GFPP), the overmould (TPE), and cover (ABS) in less than eight weeks. With a fully automated process and full monitoring control, Flambeau plans to ramp up manufacturing of 3M’s part order to over 50,000 per week.
The respirator filters are being manufactured at the Cummins facility in Neillsville, Wisconsin, using existing equipment which is typically used for producing diesel engine filters. Flambeau’s injection-moulded parts and the Cummins filters are then shipped to a 3M plant in Nebraska where the respirator kits are prepared for market.
Alan Baldwin, Flambeau’s sales representative to Cummins, commented: “The key to a partnership like this is the customer’s confidence in Flambeau. They knew we have a very strong company, financially and otherwise. We were set up, and we were ready.”
Jeff Lucash, vice president of sales at Flambeau, added: “We do complicated moulds for Cummins, and through great team effort we were able to come through in a time of high, immediate demand for this life-saving product.”