Milestone in the Mask-Alliance Bavaria: FFP2 certification for masks made with Sandler nonwovens
Founded in May 2020, the Mask-Alliance Bavaria established a complete value chain for the manufacture of face masks in Germany. Futurus, the alliance’s latest development, has now been certified as an FFP2 protective mask. In December, production will start at alliance member Zettl Group’s plant in Weng, Bavaria.
Since the beginning of their cooperation, producing mouth-nose protection masks, the founding members of the Mask-Alliance Bavaria – PIA Automation (automation specialist from Amberg), Sandler Group (manufacturer of high-tech nonwovens from Schwarzenbach/Saale) and Zettl Group (leading supplier in the field of automotive interiors) – had been working to produce certified FFP2 masks in Bavaria, which can protect the wearer from infection.
On December 3rd, Jörg-Timm Kilisch, Managing Director of DEKRA Testing and Certification GmbH, officially presented the certificate at the Zettl Group company site in Weng, Landshut district. Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Bavaria, and Thorsten Glauber, Bavarian Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection, were also personally on site. The Bavarian Ministry of Consumer Protection has a special role to play in the wake of the pandemic, as it is home to the Central Office of the German Federal States for Safety Technology (ZLS) and is thus responsible, among other things, for the approval of safety equipment such as protective masks across the federal states. Both ministers congratulated and acknowledged the managing directors and board members of the founding members, as well as representatives of the new alliance partners Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and Bayern Innovativ GmbH.
FFP2 or FFP3 masks are particularly recommended as personal protective equipment for healthcare workers who are exposed to an increased risk of infection in their work. The quality of the filter medium, the mask design, the fit and the available filter area are decisive for the classification of the product. In joint development work and close cooperation with the new association member DEKRA, the certification process was successfully completed at the end of October.
The fully automated production lines in Weng will now produce up to 6 million Futurus masks per month. An expansion of the production capacity to up to 10 million masks per month is already being planned. The Mask-Alliance Bavaria is thus expanding its contribution to securing the supply of these important medical products.
Back row from left to right: Peter Dreier (District Administrator Landshut); Robert Kiermeier (Mayor of the city of Weng); Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz-Xaver Reichl (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich); Armin Schalk (Managing Director Pia Automation GmbH); Lukas Zettl (Managing Director Zettl Group); Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (Board Member Sandler AG);
Front row from left to right: Matthias Zettl (Managing Director Zettl Group); Hubert Aiwanger (Bavarian Deputy Prime Minister and Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs); Reinhard Zettl (Managing Director Zettl Group); Jörg-Timm Kilisch (Managing Director DEKRA); Thorsten Glauber (Bavarian Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection)
