https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / News / All News RSS ← Back
Filtration|Flow|Rubber|System|Valves|Waste|Flow|Environmental|Waste
Filtration|Flow|Rubber|System|Valves|Waste|Flow|Environmental|Waste
filtration|flow-company|rubber|system|valves|waste-company|flow-industry-term|environmental|waste
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Article Enquiry

Awesome new proudly South African face mask kindling international interest


Close

Embed Video

2

Awesome new proudly South African face mask kindling international interest

Play
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Remaining Time -0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
0:00
Fullscreen
00:00
Mute
Playback Rate
1
    The video could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.
    Hudaco CEO Graham Dunford and Hudaco’s executive consultant Mike Allnutt discuss the new Hudaco face mask innovation with Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer. Video: Darlene Creamer.
    Hudaco CEO Graham Dunford and Hudaco’s executive consultant Mike Allnutt discuss the new Hudaco face mask innovation with Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer. Video: Darlene Creamer.
    Photo by Hudaco Industries
    Hudaco factory mask production line.
    Photo by Hudaco Industries
    Hudaco factory mask production line.

    13th August 2020

    By: Martin Creamer
    Creamer Media Editor

    ARTICLE ENQUIRY      SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

    Font size: -+

    JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – An awesome new proudly South African face mask, with a replaceable filtration system at its heart, is attracting international interest.

    The innovative and timely Hudaco Air Mask is a lockdown-period product of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Hudaco Industries group. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

    Advertisement

    It is all set to take the world by storm because of its unrivalled air-intake and air-exhaust effectiveness, ease of filter exchanging, skin friendliness, ongoing comfort and unmatchable price tag at a time when the prices of filtered Covid-19 and FFP2 facepiece masks have gone through the roof.

    FFP2 masks are used mainly in the more difficult situations on mines, in foundries and in woodworking environments, where filtration is needed to keep out fine particles such as dust.

    Advertisement

    The development of Hudaco’s face mask came about when the lockdown idled the group’s production lines but not the minds of its executives.

    Hudaco Industries CE Graham Dunford looked at the inactivity of the company’s injection-moulding capacity, and the fortunes companies were having to fork out on non-disposable Covid-19 masks, which utilise layers of FFP2 fabric in their filtration system. This was taking place while the system endorsed by a leading South African filtration manufacturer offered an alternative solution for FFP2 masks, for which certification for an FFP2 rating is pending.

    Against that background, Dunford put to work a group that sources product from more than 800 international suppliers across the industrialised world and carries more than 230 000 line items in stock.

    In many businesses, masks are discarded daily and “when you’ve got a couple of hundred or even thousands of employees, which  they have on the mines, and when you’re changing masks that are costing you R55 each a day, it costs a lot of money”, said Dunford.

    This prompted him to ask Hudaco executive consultant Mike Allnutt to look into ways of getting the company’s injection-moulding machines up and running while solving the worsening face mask problem.

    The outcome is a comfortably fitting mask with a filtration system that provides a physical barrier against droplets of 5 microns in size, while changeable exhaust filters clean up exiting breath.

    Consideration was foremost that the mask should be non-disposable and simple to clean for reuse, which would mitigate the environmental waste associated with disposable masks.

    Food-grade specification DEHP-free material, or optional medically graded FDA-approved material, is moulded, and all component polycarbonate materials, such as the filter cartridge, nose shield and non-return valves, including rubber holding straps, have the stamp of approval of the FDA.

    Importantly, the change-out of the mask’s filtration system is uncomplicated and the filter can be disinfected without any damage or misalignment. Detailed attention has been given to the means of disposing the user's exhaled carbon dioxide and providing a clear pathway for inhaled air.

    For this purpose, two exhalation non-return filtration valves are separately utilised and are independent from the main filter system intake.

    When exhaling, the pressure build-up in the mask is naturally released through the valves creating a vacuum in the mask, allowing for fresh air to flow into the mask.

    In the attached Creamer Media video, Dunford and Allnutt provide additional in-depth insight. 

    EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE ENQUIRY

    To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
    To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

    Comment Guidelines

    About

    Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
    www.creamermedia.co.za

    Other Creamer Media Products include:
    Engineering News
    Mining Weekly
    Research Channel Africa

    Read more

    Subscriptions

    We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

    Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

    View store

    Advertise

    Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

    View options

    Email Registration Success

    Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to one or more of Creamer Media’s email newsletters. You should start receiving the email newsletters in due course.

    Our email newsletters may land in your junk or spam folder. To prevent this, kindly add newsletters@creamermedia.co.za to your address book or safe sender list. If you experience any issues with the receipt of our email newsletters, please email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za