Currently, there are 141 approved manufacturers of PPEs in Punjab. Barring a few, all are located in Ludhiana. Collectively, all approved manufacturers have a production capacity of 5.55 lakh per day and supply capacity of 3.97 lakh pieces per day. (Representational)With Ludhiana emerging as a manufacturing hub for Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs), the Union Textiles Ministry has decided to set up a testing facility in the industrial city to process samples of PPEs/coveralls manufacturers in order to provide prompt certification for production in case required standards are met.
The Textiles Committee office, under the Union Textiles Ministry, located in Miller Ganj in Ludhiana received a “synthetic blood penetration tester” machine around ten days ago and is in the process to get accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of quality council of India to start testing of body coveralls in Ludhiana.
Currently, there are 141 approved manufacturers of PPEs in Punjab. Barring a few, all are located in Ludhiana. Collectively, all approved manufacturers have a production capacity of 5.55 lakh per day and supply capacity of 3.97 lakh pieces per day.
The 141 manufactures, who were approved, had to get the samples tested for approval from South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore or two other testing facilities notified later at Delhi and Kanpur.
The “synthetic blood penetration tester” machine has to undergo “audit and calibration” and has to get a nod from NABL on the basis of sample test results. Textiles Committee, Ludhiana, Quality Assurance Officer who would double up as Quality Manager for the upcoming laboratory, Dhani Ram Singh, told The Indian Express that “calibration process” was “outsourced” and “we are in process of doing the audit”.
Singh said, “Audit is scheduled this week. It is basically to test the competence of the laboratory. We will be sending the test results to NABL and if the results conform to the standards, NABL will give an approval and we would start testing coveralls.”
He added that synthetic blood penetration test is the main test which decides if any manufacturer is to be approved or not. He added that Textiles Committee had few other machines already to ascertain the fabric weight and thickness, which would be used in the overall testing process.
“The main test is leakage test where the coverall is mounted on the blood penetrating machine to get the results. The test is conducted with application of specific pressure to know whether there is any leakage or not,” said Singh.
Asked about the charges, he said, “It would be commercial testing and each testing of a sample would tentatively cost Rs 4500.”
He, however, added that test cost part was yet to be finalised.
According to Singh, three to four samples are likely to be processed at the upcoming facility initially.
A government functionary said that during lockdown it was a Herculean task to take samples to SITRA for testing and that also entailed paying hefty airfare to get the samples tested.
Punjab’s Director, Industries, Sibin C said the move to set up testing centre in Ludhiana would encourage more industrialists to go for coveralls/PPEs. “Since the testing facility is being provided at the doorstep, more manufacturers would show interest in the coveralls,” he said.
Additional Secretary in the Union Textiles Ministry, V K Singh, said the decision to set up coveralls testing laboratory in Ludhiana was taken since “Ludhiana cluster is very important”.
“The way Ludhiana industry rose to the occasion for manufacturing quality PPEs during crisis time when nation needed it inspires confidence. Now when the Union government has launched National Technical Textiles Mission and permitted exports of PPEs, there is a huge potential available for this sector waiting to be realised. Ludhiana (testing) laboratory will be very helpful for local entrepreneurs to develop new futuristic products conveniently,” said V K Singh.
The Strategic Business Development Director of the largest manufacturer of PPEs in Punjab – Phagwara-based JCT – Priya Thapar welcomed the move.
“It is excellent. There are a lot of players in the market and SITRA is also very busy. I think this is a great move by the Ministry of Textiles,” said Priya.
Force Multiplier
Ludhiana is already a textile industry hub. As demand for PPEs/coveralls and masks grew due to coronavirus, a large number of textiles and garments manufacturing units shifted to manufacturing of PPEs and masks. With testing facility at their doorstep, the coveralls manufacturing is set to see all the more increase in Ludhiana.