Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Filterpak and K Group will start in co-operation the production and supply of face masks for civil use in Finland. The first batch of masks will be available at the end of May.

In the co-operation, Ahlstrom-Munksjö is responsible for the production of the fiber-based mask materials at its plant in Tampere and Filterpak for the assembly of the masks in Hanko. Finland-based retailer K Group has ordered the masks and will take care of their logistics and supply.

The filtration efficiency of the masks is 88%, based on the measurement made by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which is substantially higher than the roughly 20-40% efficiency of the masks made from cloth.

France is among the few countries that has set a standard for civil masks. Based on the French measuring method, the filtration efficiency of the material produced in Tampere is almost 100%, and thus clearly higher than the French standard of 90% for high quality civil masks used by professionals in direct contact with the public.

“It is important for us that we are doing our part in enhancing the supply of face masks for civil use in Finland. At the same time, we hope to support the reopening in Finland after the corona pandemic restrictions,” states Otto Kivi, sales manager at Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Filtration business.

The availability of various protective gear is important as societies are reopening after the restrictions caused by the corona pandemic. Through the co-operation, Ahlstrom-Munksjö, K Group and Filterpak can increase the supply of protective gear designed for other than healthcare professionals.

“We at Filterpak saw the increasing need for domestic mask production and started to investigate the construction of a new production line in Finland. We can utilize the same line also for accessories for the healthcare sector. This new business will drive growth and employment. We are proud to be part of this cooperation,” says Peter Nordlund, CEO of Filterpak.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö announced in April that it will start the production of face mask materials in Tampere. The plant is capable of producing material for more than 10 million masks in the short-term and has the ability to increase capacity to about 30 million masks per month.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has long-term and in-depth knowledge in the production of protective materials for the healthcare industry. Due to the corona pandemic, the company has increased its offering in protective fabrics and expanded the production of face mask materials globally to support the healthcare sector.