Due to the Covid-19 crisis, many beauty companies have quickly switched over production lines to make hand sanitizer -- but HLP Klearfold is now producing much-needed face shields, which are crucial in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. 

HLP Klearfold is a wholly-owned North American subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hip Lik Packaging Products, the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic folding cartons.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, HLP Klearfold quickly became a significant producer of single-use face shields, which fall under the PPE category as "Personal Protective Equipment."

The face shields are used by healthcare workers on the frontlines, as well as essential service providers, such as those in foodservice. The company has already supplied tens-of-millions to government and medical agencies in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Steve Frazier, president, HLP Klearfold, says, "We applaud the manufacturing community’s efforts to reallocate resources to produce PPE to help protect our frontline healthcare and other workers. HLP Klearfold leadership in the clear plastic packaging market has made us uniquely qualified to produce face shields."

Frazier continues, "Our production facility is the largest facility of its kind in the world. We have the capacity to make approximately 1 million printed plastic folding cartons per day but, in light of the need for more PPE, we’ve dedicated much of our focus and manufacturing resources to producing face shields, and we are able to manufacture nearly 600,000 per day.”

Repurposing Production Lines

HLP Klearfold and Hip Lik Packaging Products repurposed a significant portion of its production capabilities to manufacture three simple, low-cost, and effective single-use face shields, two of which it also designed.

These face shields are made using the same raw materials, technology, and equipment as used to manufacture the company’s plastic packaging.

The Designs

All three designs are economical, lightweight, one-size-fits-most, and easily fits over glasses and masks.

One type is a ready-to-wear face shield with a foam forehead pad and an elastic headband. The other two designs ship flat, and require a minimal amount of assembly.

HLP Klearfold is vertically integrated, with several custom PET and PP extruders manufacturing the films that are required to make plastic face shields -- so there is no chance of a material shortage. 

The availability of suitable film has become a deterrent to many other manufacturers that have attempted to produce similar products.

Certified Class 1 Medical Devices

HLP Klearfold's face shields are Class 1 medical devices for use by healthcare professionals.

To assure potential purchasers of the quality and reliability, HLP Klearfold and Hip Lik have gone the extra steps of securing the relevant certifications for such products.

The face shields have been evaluated by third parties and have been certified to meet both the United States’ ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015 and Europe’s EN 166:2001 eye protection standards for droplets and splash.

Hip Lik’s manufacturing facility has been authorized by the FDA under the COVID-19 pandemic Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by healthcare professionals for medical purposes.

The company will remain authorized for the duration of the emergency as described in U.S. Federal Drug & Cosmetic Act, 21 USC 360bbb- 3(b)(1), or until otherwise terminated or revoked.

Both the manufacturing facility and face shields are FDA registered.

Although the face shields have not been FDA “cleared” or “approved”, this is not a requirement for FDA Class 1 face shields. They should not be used in the presence of high-intensity heat source or flammable gas.

The face shields are made from one or more of these materials: PET (polyethylene terephthalate), Frosted PP (polypropylene), open-cell polyurethane foam, and/or knitted polyester elastic.

Photos: (L) HLP Klearfold's RPET folding cartons; (L) HLP's new face shield, a class 1 medical device in response to the Covid-19 crisis. 

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