Funding boost for manufacturer targeting 100 million face mask ‘nose clip’ opportunity

A Birmingham-based metal pressings and stamping specialist has secured funding to help it develop a solution for easing global shortages of PPE.

Brandauer is one of the first companies in the country to be awarded Innovate UK-backing through its Covid-19 Business-Led Innovation in Response to Global Disruption competition and is now setting its sights on increasing its capacity to produce more than 100 million nose clips for use in face masks every year.

The company, which is part of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), will use the £50,000 grant to develop its ‘Quick Clip Tool’ modular tooling that will add a quick changeover capability to a progression tool, something that has never been offered to the PPE marketplace before.

This means the clips can be developed and manufactured in multiple materials, such as steel or aluminium and can be produced in various widths, thicknesses and lengths.

The project will take about five months to complete and, once in place at the firm’s Bridge Street West factory, will allow Brandauer to increase supply to existing customers and open up production capacity to other clients.

“Covid-19 has increased the demand for face masks exponentially across the world and, following the Government’s ‘mandatory’ on public transport announcement yesterday, it appears they will form an important part of the new normal for the foreseeable future,” said Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer.

“It is anticipated that we’ll need more than 10 million units every month for the UK alone, fuelled no doubt by the growing DIY face mask industry. With this in mind, there is a big opportunity for a company that can offer access to fast capacity and inexpensive tooling flexibility in how clips are developed and manufactured.”

He added: “Having supported our existing customers with this product for over 20 years we knew what was required, but needed the additional production capability to take on new projects, including the possibility of our own nose clip production.

“The solution lay in a modular tooling concept and the Innovate UK funding is going to play an important role in supporting the initial prototyping, testing and manufacture of it.

“The Quick Clip Tool, as we’re calling it, is absolutely massive for our business and should allow us to increase the number of clips we supply from 24million a year to 100million. This is an immediate £500,000 opportunity at a time when some sectors have reduced volumes.”