Lydall Inc has held a ground-breaking ceremony for a major expansion of its production facility in Rochester, New Hampshire, USA.
Work has now started on Lydall’s Filtration Center of Excellence, where the company will develop new media for air and liquid filtration. The new facility will also house two new production lines that will enable Lydall to significantly increase production of fine fiber meltblown filtration media for N95 respirators, surgical masks and air filtration systems.
“This celebration represents a turning point for our company and solidifies our position as the leading provider of specialty filtration solutions in both the US and the world,” said Sara Greenstein, president and CEO of Lydall. “To address the immediate need for personal protective equipment, or PPE, and to support the wider need for improved air quality beyond Covid-19, Lydall is fully prepared to deploy our deep manufacturing experience and longstanding heritage in innovation to deliver the products that will keep people and places safe.”
By May 2021, when both new production lines are fully operational, Lydall will increase its capacity of fine fiber meltblown filtration media to support the domestic production of 1.7 billion N95 respirators or 6.5 billion surgical masks per year. Lydall’s specialty meltblown media is also a key component for MERV-, HEPA- and ULPA-grade filters used to improve air quality in hospitals, airplanes, restaurants, office buildings and other public spaces. Lydall also manufactures meltblown filtration media at its facility in Saint Rivalain, France for the European market.
Lydall’s investment in the expanded facility and new production lines is supported by a US$13.5 million commitment from the US federal government. This commitment is a product of the ongoing collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, led by the Department’s Joint Acquisition Task Force and funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
