Responding to rising demand for raw material for three-ply and surgical face masks, Malaysia’s UPA Corp Bhd’s subsidiary UPA Healthcare Products Sdn Bhd is venturing into manufacturing melt-blown non-woven fabric. The total investment for the project is estimated at RM10 million, which will be funded through internally-generated funds, the company said.

It has placed an order with a reputable melt-blown technology developer to supply a state-of-the-art production line with the latest technology to produce melt-blown non-woven fabric meeting the required filtration efficiency, UPA Corp said in a statement.

The production line will be installed at the group’s existing facility in Seri Kembangan, Selangor and is expected to commence production by end-November 2020.

Maximum annual production capacity for the fabric is at 600,000 kg, while maximum production capacity for the three-ply mask and surgical face mask is at 86 million pieces per year for the first phase.

Melt-blown non-woven fabric will also continue to be an essential material for the medical and filtration industries even after the pandemic.