3M leveraged collaboration with outside partners to tackle the COVID crisis
By Robert Grace
The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for everyone, in different ways, across their personal and professional lives. On May 5, attendees of the virtual ANTEC 2021 got a glimpse into how 3M Co., maker of N95 respirator masks, Filtrete air filters and scores of other products, responded to address the crisis.
Stan Rendon, senior research and development director at 3M, noted how the company has received more than 1,200 external collaboration requests since late March 2020. This onslaught of inquiries prompted 3M to take what Rendon called a “fast and furious” approach. And it led to a period of unprecedented collaboration with diverse partners that required, as he termed it, “tremendous focus and unequivocal prioritization.” But the results have been positive and are likely to be long lasting.
3M reacted by creating a cross-functional External Collaboration Response Team (ECRT) to create harmonized messaging and to answer every phone call, email or LinkedIn request it received from all who wanted to work with the company.
“One of the biggest challenges we had to overcome in the early part of the pandemic was to transition what historically had been personal protective equipment (PPE) for industrial markets to the healthcare space.” The firm needed to determine how best to fill the pipeline quickly while also aligning properly with key regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH).
In addition to N95 masks, 3M also makes reusable respirators and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), the latter of which use HEPA-type filters, hoods, batteries, rechargeable systems and other components. All of these protect wearers against airborne contaminants. A big part of its early efforts involved finding ways to increase production of each of these products. Even with its plants running 24/7, 3M alone could not address these challenges, so it had to find ways to collaborate with other companies.
As a result, throughout the pandemic, 3M was able to quadruple the production of its disposable N95 respirators, to 95 million per month in the U.S., or more than 2 billion a year globally.
In his talk, Rendon detailed how 3M partnered with firms as diverse as Ford Motor Co., vehicle engine maker Cummins Inc., Microsoft Corp., automation specialist Fanuc Corp., residential cleaning expert Merry Maids, HP Inc. and Purdue University.
Forging external strategic alliances and partnerships, Rendon said, is foundational to the “new normal” at 3M. These external partnerships will continue to positively impact the pace of innovation and adoption.
Kim McLoughlin Senior Research Engineer, Global Materials Science Braskem
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Kim drives technology programs at Braskem to develop advanced polyolefins with improved recyclability and sustainability. As Principal Investigator on a REMADE-funded collaboration, Kim leads a diverse industry-academic team that is developing a process to recycle elastomers as secondary feedstock. Kim has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cornell. She is an inventor on more than 25 patents and applications for novel polyolefin technologies. Kim is on the Board of Directors of SPE’s Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Division, where she has served as Education Chair and Councilor.
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Gamini has a BS and PhD from Purdue University in Materials Engineering and Sustainability. He joined Penn State as a Post Doctorate Scholar in 2020 prior to his professorship appointment. He works closely with PA plastics manufacturers to implement sustainability programs in their plants.
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Tom Giovannetti holds a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Tulsa and for the last 26 years has worked for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. Tom started his plastics career by designing various injection molded products for the chemical industry including explosion proof plugs and receptacles, panel boards and detonation arrestors for 24 inch pipelines. Tom also holds a patent for design of a polyphenylene sulfide sleeve in a nylon coolant cross-over of an air intake manifold and is a Certified Plastic Technologist through the Society of Plastic Engineers. Tom serves on the Oklahoma Section Board as Councilor, is also the past president of the local Oklahoma SPE Section, and as well serves on the SPE Injection Molding Division board.
Joseph Lawrence, Ph.D. Senior Director and Research Professor University of Toledo
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Dr. Joseph Lawrence is a Research Professor and Senior Director of the Polymer Institute and the Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization at the University of Toledo. He is a Chemical Engineer by training and after working in the process industry, he has been engaged in polymers and composites research for 18+ years. In the Polymer Institute he leads research on renewably sourced polymers, plastics recycling, and additive manufacturing. He is also the lead investigator of the Polyesters and Barrier Materials Research Consortium funded by industry. Dr. Lawrence has advised 20 graduate students, mentored 8 staff scientists and several undergraduate students. He is a peer reviewer in several journals, has authored 30+ peer-reviewed publications and serves on the board of the Injection Molding Division of SPE.
Matt Hammernik Northeast Account Manager Hasco America
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Matt Hammernik serves as Hasco America’s Northeast Area Account Manager covering the states Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. He started with Hasco America at the beginning of March 2022. Matt started in the Injection Mold Industry roughly 10 years ago as an estimator quoting injection mold base steel, components and machining. He advanced into outside sales and has been serving molders, mold builders and mold makers for about 7 years.
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