Coronavirus: cycling companies adapt

Faced with the Coronavirus epidemic in Europe, some brands are partially reorienting their production sites for the manufacture of medical equipment. In Italy, Santini has developed a prototype (awaiting validation) and says it is ready to supply 10,000 masks/day… In Spain, Gobik hopes to produce 2,000 medical gowns and protective masks daily.

Photo credits: Gobik / Santini – Gary Main

At Gobik, cycling textiles have given way in recent days to the manufacture of medical protective equipment.

Given the scale of the health crisis linked to the Covid-19 epidemic, Gobik announced that it has adjusted its production process since last Friday to be able to manufacture 2,000 medical gowns and masks daily in the coming days. Located in Yecla in the Murcia region, the Spanish brand quickly followed the call launched by the Furniture and Wood Technology Center (CETEM) of the region, to help the city’s hospital in the face of the shortage of medical equipment in the fight to contain the spread of the virus and treat affected patients.

Gobik quickly joined the call from the Furniture and Wood Center of the Murcia region to reorient part of its activity and help hospitals.

Like other local companies that have partially reoriented the production of their industrial center, Gobik joined the call and temporarily abandoned cycling textiles to undertake the creation of models and the manufacture of gowns and masks for health personnel. Gobik thus received its first linear meters of TST material to begin manufacturing in recent days and plans to immediately provide masks and protective gowns to the various hospitals that request them. “We urgently created a group of volunteers among our workers,” explains José Ramón Ortín, CEO of Gobik, “and we were overwhelmed by their response. We worked on the development of the garment using materials provided by various local industries that are also altruistically collaborating in this initiative.” Finally, he emphasizes that “we hope to be ready to deliver the first 500 units on Saturday” (editor’s note: “Saturday, March 21”).

Specializing in the manufacture of cycling clothing, Gobik will produce 2,000 masks and gowns to help health and care personnel in the fight against Covid-19.

Following in Gobik’s footsteps, in Italy, Santini has also undertaken the reorientation of its activity and production to help with the shortage of protective equipment. The firm, located in the Province of Bergamo, which has been very severely affected by the epidemic, developed a prototype protective mask last week, which has been tested in recent days and is awaiting validation by scientists…

Paola Santini presents here the prototype of the protective mask developed by the iconic Italian firm in the cycling textile industry.

For technical details, the Santini protective mask prototype is based on a double layer of Monica Acquazero fabric (220g/m2), manufactured by the specialist Sitip, also based in the Bergamo region. Used in the manufacture of triathlon suits, it is very resistant and benefits from anti-water and anti-splash treatment. The mask is made with a 78% Polyester / 22% Lycra face, with metal nose pads for better adhesion and double elastic behind the head. It is indicated as reusable ten times after washing (washable at 90°, disinfectable and tumble dryer safe).

Far from competition and its primary activity, Santini has developed a prototype protective mask that the brand from the Province of Bergamo hopes to produce 10,000 units per day.

The prototype developed by Santini was tested in recent days, awaiting validation by the Polytechnic University of Milan, to authorize its use in a medical environment and begin production this Monday, March 23. Santini had said it was able to produce 10,000 masks a day starting today, to help healthcare personnel. Unfortunately, the Italian firm learned that its prototype created last week had failed to pass the scientific tests necessary for its production, and especially for its use in hospitals. Santini has already indicated that it is working on a new prototype that it will send to the Polytechnic University of Milan this week.

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