The Best Sewing Machines for PPE & Facemask Production

Over the last year, there has been a growing demand for PPE and facemasks. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages worldwide, many manufacturers and companies turned their hand to creating and supplying PPE and facemasks to key workers and members of the public, even though they had never been involved in that market before.

Thanks to so many manufacturers' efforts, the amount of PPE and facemasks available ramped up, and people were able to get access to what they needed. Industrial sewing machines are the ideal tool required to mass-produce PPE and facemasks. So if you want to offer these services, here’s why industrial sewing machines are the perfect way to get started, and why this could be a lucrative market.

Growing Demand for PPE

The demand for PPE worldwide has been extraordinary, with many countries not able to keep up production. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, just 1% of the PPE used in the UK was produced in this country. But after the borders closed and shipments were met with extreme delays, UK businesses had to step up. Thanks to manufacturers' efforts across the UK, hundreds of jobs have been created and our reliance on overseas companies has reduced.

Since February 2020, over 3.5 billion items of PPE have been distributed to the frontline in the UK, to GPs, social care providers, dentists and hospices. A new distribution network was built from scratch, and rather than the normal supply chain of PPE going to 226 NHS Trusts, the supplies are now being sent to 58,000 different settings.

Likely, the demand for PPE won’t reduce for a long time yet, so there is plenty of scope for businesses to continue to provide PPE. Even as the pandemic comes to an end, the change from UK reliance on overseas manufacturers is likely to stay in place, with more UK-made products becoming popular (especially in the wake of Brexit).

Masks Could Stick Around

Even when the COVID-19 vaccine is rolled out nationwide, and things get back to normal, the entire culture and attitude towards facemasks could change entirely. In various countries in Asia, wearing a facemask when you’re ill to help prevent spreading your germs was already common practice, which cannot be said for the UK.

However, as everyone became accustomed to wearing a facemask while being out in public, we could find that we adopt the Asian attitude to wearing them even after the pandemic ends. There have been many discourses online discussing the benefits of masks and how they would be a fantastic solution to prevent the spread of flu and colds – especially as many people go into work even when sick.

Now that virtually everyone owns a mask (or several) it’s likely that they won’t get thrown away the second everyone has been vaccinated. Instead, we could see people wearing masks in years to come when they feel under the weather, as our new hygiene habits become ingrained into our everyday lives.

As such, offering facemask manufacturing could still be a lucrative opportunity for businesses even as the pandemic winds down. People love to accessorise and customise, so there is plenty of scope to offer personalised mask design services to customers.

Industrial Sewing Machines from Stocks

If you’re looking to expand your business into PPE and facemask manufacturing, you should browse our range of industrial sewing machines from Stocks.

We offer an extensive range of machines from the top manufacturing brands available on the market. The machines we stock have the latest, up-to-date technology and a whole range of additional extras that can make manufacturing PPE and facemasks more straightforward than ever.

Different kinds of facemasks can be sewn with high-speed industrial sewing machines, such as our Dürkopp Adler machine 261, 281 and the automatic bartacker 512. Or we even have the new Dürkopp Adler 900 CFM which can produce 3000 facemasks in just eight hours.

For superior industrial sewing machines, Stocks is sure to have what you’re looking for. We have extensive experience in the industry and only stock high-quality machines with superior technology that can create superb products. If you’re just starting out in the world of commercial sewing or you’re a seasoned expert looking to get into the PPE and facemask market, we are certain to have the perfect machine for you and your business.

Contact us today if you’d like to learn more or feel free to browse our range of machines on our website.