German and Chinese Manufacturers of melt blown PP have ordered many BKG® Gear Pumps and Screen Changers needed to ensure medical purity for masks and other PPE
In the latest example of the crucial role of the plastics industry in fighting the novel coronavirus, Nordson Corporation reports supplying large quantities of gear pumps and screen changers to producers of melt blown polypropylene microfiber sheet for the masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) used by healthcare workers.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Nordson has shipped many BKG® NorCon™ screen changers to global market leading extrusion OEMs in Europe and even greater numbers of BKG® BlueFlow™ gear pumps to OEMs around the world, including China. More orders are in discussion, according to Sven Conrad, Global Business Director.
In the melt blowing process, extruded polymer passes through small holes in a nozzle surrounded by high-speed blowing gas, producing the randomly oriented microfibers that make up a nonwoven sheet. The BKG melt delivery components are deployed between the extruder and the melt-blowing tool. A gear pump provides the uniform melt flow and pressure required for the process to operate efficiently and with uniformly high-quality product. A screen changer filters out impurities to protect the dispense tool and yield the clean product required in medical applications.
“There continues to be an urgent need for the microfiber fabrics used in protecting medical professionals as they cope with the surge in COVID-19 cases,” said Mr. Conrad. “Like other companies in the plastics industry, Nordson supplies products that are essential in the global effort to mitigate the spread of this deadly infection. It shows once more that, given proper handling and disposal, how important plastics can be in our modern society.”
