Production-Proven Cutting Systems for Medical Products

As new applications for the production of face shields, surgical masks, and personal protective equipment (PPE), Manufacturers Supplies Company has worked in tandem with our European Suppliers to develop and enhance our cutting technologies, capabilities and technical support. MSC is your comprehensive resource for cutting high and low quantities of flexible materials and our cutting systems are being put into action to support growing activities due to COVID-19 in industries as varied as health care, utility, military and law enforcement, transportation, safety and sanitary products, agriculture and environmental .

Face Shield Production

The materials used in the production of the clear shields are typically PET, PETG, Polycarbonate and polyester films in varying thicknesses and supplied in both roll or sheet form.  Although the final shape profile may vary, the finished dimensions are quite similar, and MSC offers a wide range of cutting solutions for low, medium and high production volumes.

Low to Medium Volumes:  For low to medium production volumes, the most commonly used die cutting presses are the ATOM SE Series Swing Beam Clicker Press and/or the ATOM Traveling Head Press w/ the Nip Roll Feeding System.  The ATOM Flashcut FLEX Series CNC Knife Cutting Tables have also been found useful for cutting face shield materials, offering increased material utilization, less operator intervention, and the versatility to cut a broad range of materials and profiles and single or multiple layers.

High Volume:  For high volume production, an automated die cutting system is the optimal solution when running full web width rolls or pre-cut sheets.  The Chiesa F1 EDI CNC Traveling Head Press offers maximum throughput and material utilization for face shield materials.  With 3 numerically controlled axes, transport cutting belt with feeding clamps, and advanced nesting software package, the Chiesa F1will reach speeds beyond 50 cycles per minute, precision within .001mm, allowing parts to be kept as close as possible increasing material savings.

In some cases, the materials are provided in a narrow web roll which make’s it easier to handle but still keeps the changeover time at a minimum when compared to cutting sheets.  Based on the dimensional shape of the face shield, and the roll widths available, our Guidolin Girotto RO Series Rotary Cutting Presses have been a proven solution for high volume production.  This compact die cutting & converting press is available in working widths of 250mm and 350mm, capable of running @ speeds up to 60 meters per minute, and can equipped with a variety of unwinds and out-feed cut piece collection devices tailored to meet your individual requirements.

Brow FOAM:  The material used for the brow foam is typically an adhesive backed PU foam, 1” to 1 3/8” thickness, with a finished size of 1” x 9”, and available in both rolls or sheets.  We offer wide variety of solutions to convert this product, and can provide machines to cut individual pieces or kiss cut sheets with multiple strips in place.  For individual cut pieces, any manual or automated die cutting press can be implemented.  In addition, the ATOM Flashcut CNC Knife Cutting Table has also proven to be a productive cutting system as the machine can optimize both the material utilization and processing speeds by cutting common line and indexing rolls in continuous.

For kiss cut sheets, with a predetermined quantity of the brow foam strips, our Guidolin Girotto GDX-1 Guillotine with a Motorized Longitudinal Rotary Slitting Station has been an effective combination for converting this product.  The concept originated for the production of foam strip gaskets used in the automotive and construction industries, allowing the flexibility to convert foam strips on a single machine with the finished kiss-cut (longitudinally) sheet cut to a pre-programmed length – eliminating the need for a secondary operation.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Production

Cutting technical textiles is often the first phase in manufacturing the now crucial production of surgical masks and gowns, gloves, hospital bedding, replaceable filters, medical wipes and other PPE.  Throughout North America, Manufacturers Supplies cutting equipment are being utilized to support the increasing activities due to COVID-19 and offer a comprehensive mix of cutting systems and solutions to meet your requirements.

The ATOM CNC Knife Cutting System, FlashCut FLEX B Series, is equipped with a conveyorized (belt feed) cutting surface and represents the optimal digital cutting solution for a wide range of technical textiles in single or multiple layers including polyesters, flexible plastics (PET/PETG/PVC), polyethylene, urethane, vinyls, neoprene, elastic, foam & rubber and various coated materials.  The ATOM FlashCut B Series provides a turnkey solution for design, rapid prototyping & manufacturing, coupled with a unique software package with powerful features that make the design process simple and accurate.

For increased production, the FLEX 2H Series boasts the same features and technologies as the FLEX B series, but equipped with two independent multi-cool cutting heads, and available in a variety of table sizes and configurations for maximum throughput of cut parts.