Specialized Equipment Protects First Responders

A nitrile glove manufacturer required highly customized equipment to make fentanyl-, heroin- and gastric acid-resistant nitrile gloves to ensure the safety of first responders.

Nitrile gloves are manufactured globally in countries with consistently hot and humid climates. In this case, HeatTek was installing equipment in the Mid-Atlantic United States where weather conditions can fluctuate dramatically each day. Ambient temperature changes affect the process chemistry, so the equipment had to be designed with flexibility to adapt to changing ambient conditions and then hold those parameters throughout the day.

HeatTek worked closely with the customer to design a highly specialized, multi-stage solution:

• Robotically integrated cells were designed for dipping molds into level and temperature-controlled liquid solutions.
• Continuous ovens with precise airflow and temperature controls were designed for drying and curing the glove material on ceramic molds.
• Continuous washers with integrated heating and recirculation functionality were also integrated to wash the final product. 

All equipment was designed to meet the customers’ strict process parameters and throughput goals, but with flexibility to adapt to environmental fluctuations and future production needs.

The equipment is currently making medical-grade gloves at the needed capacity and with the adaptability required for the changing ambient conditions. Most importantly, these gloves are protecting thousands of first responders worldwide as they continuously fight the battle against the nation’s opioid crisis.

The project has caught the attention of similar manufacturers that are motivated to bring production from overseas into the United States.

With this level of customized equipment, a tremendous amount of support was required during the installation, commissioning and training phases of the project. HeatTek remained on-site through each phase and didn’t leave until production was up and running.

HeatTek continues to support the customer as needed with ongoing technical assistance and onsite support.