Traditionally a manufacturer of tension-fabric structures and large-format graphics, Moss Inc. has repurposed its manufacturing capabilities to produce face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to help combat the pandemic. Within a matter of days, Moss expects to be making up to 6 million masks per week.

Initially, the company responded to the pandemic by hand making about 10,000 three-layer masks, but it soon realized it wanted to make more of a difference. Moss studied PPE supply shortages and realized only a handful of companies in the United States manufacture ASTM Level 2 procedure masks. It responded by developing a professional, medical-grade solution to meet that standard. "There are many regulations to be aware of, and we did a lot of due diligence to ensure we met or exceeded the product requirements for PPE," said Dan Patterson, Moss's president and CEO.

Concurrently, the company developed an automated manufacturing system with Fraunhofer Institute of Production Technology in Germany. "Our German office took the lead on developing completely new, proprietary machines that were rapidly prototyped and are being produced for our USA and German manufacturing facilities," Patterson said. Moss also secured a reliable, cost effective supply chain to consistently produce the masks at the quantity and quality required. Moss will scale up its capacity in North America and Europe to produce 3 million masks per week by June and reach 6 million masks per week by August.

In addition to the face masks, Moss has been asked to prototype medical gowns. The company also produces face shields, flooring graphics for social distancing, and a range of workplace barrier solutions. "We saw the slowdown in our traditional markets and realized that PPE products were going to be needed to reopen retail stores and hold events," Patterson said. "We realized we had the right capabilities, range of materials, and networks with a robust procurement team – which meant we had all the ingredients needed to solve the problem at hand. And for us, it's the right thing to do in the face of this crisis and for the future of public health." Learn more at www.solutions.mossinc.com/ppe.