International power supply specialist Mascot has once again demonstrated the prowess of its manufacturing operation and global supply chain by delivering a rapid ramp-up in battery charger production to help one of its major global customers support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Operating from facilities in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, Gentex is a world leader in the supply of protective respiratory equipment. Its Pureflo ESM range is used primarily in industrial ‘situational awareness’ applications ranging from metal production to railway maintenance – indeed any sector where protection from harmful dust and other contaminants is paramount. The line-up provides complete protection for workers of the head, face, eyes and respiratory system.

For many years now, this range has been equipped with an integrated model 2116 battery charger from Mascot, manufactured at the company’s dedicated facility in Tallinn, Estonia, with around 6,000 units supplied to Gentex in the US each year.
However, when the Covid-19 pandemic started in early 2020, many hospitals and other medical facilities faced shortages of suitable breathing equipment for their staff to prevent them from coming into contact with the virus.

It was identified that the Pureflo range could provide an ideal solution, if enough of them could be manufactured in a short timescale. Gentex had enough of most components available to rapidly ramp up production – if enough chargers could be manufactured and shipped to the US.
The Gentex team contacted Mascot’s headquarters in Norway to see if the company could help and Mascot responded in style, supplying an additional 9,000 units over and above the original anticipated requirement for the year.
Gary Storey of Gentex explained: “Our Pureflo ESM range has over the years become a byword for worker protection across a broad spectrum of applications, but had not really seen service in the medical sector. However, this changes when the sector was faced with the impact of the global pandemic, we needed to produce more units to meet this demand in the US, and to do so rapidly. Given that they were coming from Europe, we needed to be sure not just that they could be produced but would be available within the new timescales which saw us ramp up production by more than double.”

Graham Lee of Mascot added: “Gentex are a long-standing customer of the 2116 range and when they needed additional units, we were keen to help – through a combination of ramping up production and diverting some units from less urgent requirements, we were able to deliver an additional 9,000 chargers within the required timescale and so ensure they could meet their commitment to the US healthcare sector. “The fact that our 2116 charger series, as is the case for the vast majority of Mascot products, is medically certified to IEC60601-1 was also a major advantage. Both CE and UL marked, our chargers are suitable for all industrial, medical and NIOSH markets. “These products have been designed for durability and longevity – Pureflo respirators are often in service for a decade or more, so our chargers have to be able to match that, during which time they may be used on a daily basis. “Examples such as this demonstrate the versatility and transferability of our technologies which are manufactured using the highest quality materials to the most exacting international standards.”

With healthcare regulations across the world becoming more stringent, with burgeoning demand for sector-specific respirators, Gentex sees greater opportunities in this sector with Mascot well placed to support these developments.