Hybrisan, the South Wales based advanced antimicrobial specialists, have installed a new Elmarco electrospinning production line to increase the production of PEE equipment, while also accelerating product development to expand its business offering.

The equipment is the first of its kind in the UK and forms part of a recent investment to aid the fight against COVID 19, using venture capital secured earlier this year, to purchase the new ‘electrospinning' production line.  Hybrisan can now scale up the manufacturing of facemask filters and progress the development of their leading-edge wound dressing technology.

Having recently developed an electrospinning recipe which allows the antimicrobial technology to be spun into ultrafine fibres (nanofibres), Hybrisan worked closely with the Welsh Government, Innovate UK, Business Wales and other PPE manufacturers to scale up production of electrospun filters for use in medically suitable reusable facemasks.

Speaking of the installation of the new machinery, Hybrisan’s Technical Director Dr. Chris Mortimer said: “It is really exciting be able to move our product development forward with the installation of an electrospinning production line from Elmarco. This is the first of its kind in the UK and at Hybrisan we hope to be able to put Wales and the UK on the map as leaders in electrospinning technology”.

Hybrisan is a team of advanced antimicrobial specialists who engage in cutting-edge research, in order to bring innovative products to the market for a range of industrial and medical requirements. Their scale up electrospinning expertise is unique in the UK.

Dr. Mortimer concluded:

“With this equipment we are able to move into the final scale up stages of the face mask materials and rapidly prototype our wound dressing materials in readiness to progress to clinical trials within the next 12-18 months.  We hope to further scale up with a larger production line for reusable face mask materials within the next 12 months”.

While Hybrisan continue to diversity and support the fight against COVID-19, the future plans for the business will be to revolutionise the wound care market with their novel antimicrobial dressing for chronic wounds.