Although the forecast for the next four years anticipates an annual sales decline of nearly 27 per cent, a market volume of $2.13 billion and the production of 7.76 billion masks are still expected in 2027. The European industrial auction house Surplex is offering four Richpeace medical mask production lines for auction until May 22, 2023. The machines are located at the Haarlem site in the Netherlands.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a Dutch automotive supplier responded promptly and expanded its machinery park with the mask production lines. The produced face masks were primarily used for the company’s own employees, ensuring independence from the initial delivery difficulties throughout Europe. The four production lines had a production capacity of 60 pieces per minute per line, making it to 2.4 million masks per week. Now, these high-quality lines are being marketed via Surplex’s online platform, the auction house said in a press release.

“When people think of B2B auctions, they often associate them with insolvencies. However, an increasing number of companies consciously choose this type of sale for other reasons. Many customers are going through restructuring,” explained Patrick van Goor, Surplex project manager and auction manager. “For industrial companies, this repeatedly presents a good opportunity to find high-quality yet affordable machines in the used machinery market. At Surplex, we have our own team that organises the safe transport of purchased machines worldwide, including customs matters.”

Surplex is a renowned industrial auction house with 16 locations in Europe, experts fluent in 20 languages, and many years of experience in buying and selling used industrial equipment. In addition to conducting auctions, Surplex also offers comprehensive logistics services.

The delivered equipment comes from the Chinese manufacturer Richpeace, a renowned producer of textile and sewing machines. The automated Richpeace production line for 3-layered face masks operates in two stations. In station 1, the three layers of fabric are combined to provide optimal protection against viruses. If necessary, a wire nose bridge is added. The composite is then welded on the left and right sides, then folded, cross-welded, and cut. The masks then have a size of 175x95 mm. In station 2, the two elastic ear loops are attached to the mask through welding. Finally, the finished products are stacked and packed.

“With high-quality equipment, such as these Richpeace production lines, textile technology companies and medical device manufacturers can optimise their capacities. Our auction provides a good opportunity to acquire high-quality yet affordable equipment,” added van Goor.

Revenue in the mask segment in Asia is projected to reach approximately $7.49 billion this year. In a shrinking market, buying used production equipment can be a wise decision as it involves lower investment costs and can secure return on investment.

Despite the gradual decline in demand for face masks due to the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical masks are still in demand in several areas. The importance of being prepared for future challenges has been underscored by this global health crisis. There is still the possibility of a resurgence of infectious diseases or the emergence of new viruses. Furthermore, Western society, in particular, has realised that wearing masks contributes to reducing the spread of other respiratory illnesses such as influenza. For this reason, the use of medical masks is socially accepted, especially when in contact with vulnerable populations. Wearing masks in public places has so far been more common only in Asian countries. But now new markets have opened up for mask manufacturers.