VON
STEFANIE GLEIXNER:
Neuses - In China, mouthguards are part of everyday life even outside of Corona times. The demand in the country is great,
which is why the production is entirely within the country. An advantage, as was shown at the beginning of the Corona crisis.
If otherwise all protective equipment for medical staff and other groups was imported from China, the Chinese
market before the foreign market. The masks produced were all used by the company itself. Due to the lack of capacity Germany had to
become active themselves. The economy took part in the production of mouth and nose protection.
Which should especially protect the normal population from infection. However, this is mostly mouth-nose protection
made of fabric or the simple blue FFP1 masks that everyone knows from visits to the practice.
Also in the administrative district Kronach many companies produce such mouthguards to support in times of crisis.
"But in order to ensure better protection across the board, FFP2 masks are required",
says Hermann Fischer, Managing Director at M.A.i. That is why the company has positioned itself as a supplier in this industry and is
now manufactures mask assembly lines that can produce masks with FFP2 and FFP3 standards.
These offer higher protection than conventional blue masks according to FFP1 standard.

First lines are produced
Six of these assembly lines for medical masks have now been
customers in Baden-Württemberg and further customers are to be added.
It should be possible to use the lines throughout Europe.
This was modelled on the assembly lines of M.A.i.'s Chinese partner,
who has been producing such lines in his home country for a long time.
On the basis of this template, the plants were designed according to European standards
and security guidelines are planned.
The first lines will now be produced in eight to twelve weeks.
Then they are built up for testing and checked for functionality,
dismantled and brought to the customer. M.A.i. would like to use this to make a contribution
to the import of masks independent.
However, whether this will happen depends on the attitude of the government.
"Producing your own masks is cheaper than buying in masks," explains Hermann Fischer.
Of course, prices like those in China can be charged in Germany or
Europe will not be achieved, but more masks will be produced industrially
to be able to do this, would be impossible with another wave or
Supply bottlenecks help and provide relief, said Fischer.

The situation is no different in neighbouring European countries.
There are almost no mask manufacturers in Europe.
The dependence on China therefore exists for many countries.
Which is why M.A.i. has developed the production lines especially for the European region
has designed. The demand for medical masks and
but their production lines also depend on the further course of the virus
and when a vaccine against it will be developed.
Hermann Fischer is currently assuming a high demand of at least four to five months.

Better protection through FFP2
90 percent of viruses and particles can be filtered through an FFP2 mask With the medical masks currently available in Germany
only three to five percent of the population can be supplied. Too little, if you go by M.A.I. Every citizen should wear such a mask
to keep the infection rate even lower, but this requires a number of production facilities.
After a single use, the danger from a pre-contaminated mask is too great.
The six lines that are now in production can produce a total of 450,000 masks per day. One machine can produce up to 60 masks per minute
produce. A first step towards ensuring the desire for mask self-sufficiency in Germany. But six lines alone will
is not enough. And even the lines alone are not decisive. There are also problems with the procurement of raw materials.

"Companies are booked up for months," says Fischer. The government and the state must provide long-term support here. The decision
it was up to the government to decide to what extent the step would be made into the country's own production, or in the future back to import
must be taken from the Asian market.