AP&T joins with NPA Plast to manufacture protective aprons for healthcare professionals

In the AP&T test center in Ulricehamn, Sweden, one of the presses is running two shifts. But rather than cutting steel, it is cutting plastics for protective aprons for healthcare professionals. In the wake of corona, the need is great. 

“A while back, NPA Plast in Ljungby, Sweden contacted us asking for help with increasing their production of plastic protective aprons. Up until this time, they mainly cut their plastic manually. Naturally, we wanted to help, so as of the end of May, production is in full swing at our Ulricehamn facility,” Patrik Haglund of AP&T tells us.

Bundles of plastic are fed into the press and cut by a punching tool that was produced in-house.

“It's a very rational process that enables great volumes of plastic to be cut at once.”

The punched plastic pieces are then sent directly to a few of the state-owned Samhall facilities in southern Sweden where the final aprons are produced. The completed products are then sent to the healthcare facilities in need. The aprons have been approved by the Karolinska Institute, the Swedish Armed Forces and others. In addition, NPA Plast is the first company in Sweden to obtain the approval of the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

“It is very pleasing that our company can contribute its resources in times of healthcare and societal strain, that is, to ‘be part of the solution’ as the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency often refers to it,” says Patrik Haglund.