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Cleanroom disposabl e gloves market players are embracing advanc ed technology to ensure the gloves provide comfort and act as a barrier for contaminants , according to this report by Big Market Research.
Validation of any cleanroom glove used in a particular industry is undoubtedly a lengthy and demanding procedure. In an extremely regulated commercial environment, the requirements for these gloves have now changed say research analysts at Big Market Research.
Industry experts eyeing the growth opportunities, share, and size of the cleanroom disposable gloves market explain that 20 years ago the standard gloves used for PE packaging were accepted in the cleanroom. Likewise, vinyl gloves were highly popular in the microelectronic sector.
However, concerns over contamination issues posed by these gloves were responsible for their disappearance. Meanwhile, the practice of using surgical gloves in the pharmaceutical sector remained popular in the aseptic environment.
Glove materials used in a controlled environment
Popular materials used to make cleanroom disposables gloves include vinyl, chloroprene, rubber latex and nitrile. While vinyl is known for being static dissipative, clean, and affordable, rubber latex has a perfect cost ration than any other available material.
Nitrile is used for its attributes, such as perfect puncture and chemical resistance, than rubber latex, particularly with solvents.
Materials used to make gloves directly influence the comfort level of the user. For instance, rubber latex products are considered highly comfortable. On the other hand, vinyl gloves are believed to be the most uncomfortable products owing to their rigid nature.
However, the future of nitrile gloves is expected to be more promising for the immense comfort level they assure. Today, many suppliers combine advanced nitrile-based manufacturing technologies to blend the sensitivity of rubber latex material, with the protection level of nitrile for cleanroom gloves to get the best of both worlds.
This most popular technology used to make cleanroom disposable gloves is known as the tripledip coating technique. It results in paramount glove strength and durability.
Why nitrile is everyone’s favorite
Natural rubber latex products have been used across different cleanroom environments. Attributes such as flexibility of this material offers weavers the dexterity they need to perform the activities with great precision. However, despite the comfort level, rubber latex presents risks. Approximately 6% of the world’s population suffers from latex sensitivity, resulting in latex allergy, dermatitis, and other skin problems. Constant exposure to latex can also result in Type 1 reaction, which is often life threatening.
Today, many pharmaceutical companies plan to implement several latex-free regulations to avoid the risk of allergies and contamination. Moreover, in the microelectronic sector, an extremely high resistivity of latex gloves tends to create a risk of ESD, which can cause damage to products and costs more than the yearly expenditure on gloves.
This has, thus, opened new avenues for nitrile gloves, which are believed to be the best alternative to natural latex gloves as the synthetic material eliminates the constant risk of latex sensitivity. Nitrile not only reduces the electrical resistivity but also is known for its capability to lower the risk of ESD and offers a better protection from chemicals over natural rubber latex.
The advantages of nitrile gloves over latex explain why cleanrooms are gradually moving away from the application of latex products. However, there are still some that prefer latex for their cleanroom applications.
Industries experiencing increased demands
Mechanical hazards have created a greater demand for cleanroom disposable gloves worldwide. This need is associated with the management and the handling of several rough as well as hazardous substances, which often abrade, can result in a cut or deep wound, such as metal sheet, masonry blocks, and others.
The usage is, however, not associated with moving the machinery or different parts. Whether you are involved in an activity that requires total immersion, or a mere splash of a substance that can cause irritation or burn is classed as a chemical hazard.
Meanwhile, the exponential growth in the contamination control technology has created a place for rubber gloves. Ironclad need for cleanliness and hygiene is fuelling growth of the cleanroom disposable gloves market.
Prominent leaders in the market
One of the most prominent companies that operate in the cleanroom disposable gloves market is Malaysia-based Top Glove. Established in 1991, it was recently listed on the Singapore stock exchange. This renowned manufacturer of rubber gloves has a production capability of about 45 million gloves/year; operates 25 production units located worldwide and exports gloves to more than 190 countries.
In a statement to Nikkei Asian Review, Lim Wee Chai, the Executive Chairman/Founder of Top Glove, said, “We are not afraid of business or hard work— we are afraid of no business and no work.”
Lim now controls almost 30% of the company, while his foreign shareholders own less than 30%. The Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad highlights that the Singapore listing has finally broadened Top Gloves’s merger as well as acquisition plans.
Another company on the list is Ammex. This Seattle-based glove dealer generates about US$90 million each year. The company enjoys s 50:50 partnership with several firms in China.
Another company that has made inroads in the industry is Shield Scientific that has embraced advanced technology to manufacture cleanroom gloves. The company’s Shieldskin Xtreme series is branded different from all the other products available in the market. While many companies brand their products as ISO class 4, Shield Scientific challenges the paradigm of how classification of products for airborne particulates is associated with cleanroom disposable gloves. According to many industry experts, it should be left to the users to decide their comfort zones.
Cleanroom gloves enjoy high margins worldwide
Cleanroom gloves are subject to very high margins but their potential for growth remains robust. Business verticals such as semi-conductors and electrical and electronics have a high requirement for these gloves. Many medical glove manufacturers also produce disposable gloves for cleanrooms, since the material used in a controlled environment is developing rapidly.
Besides the demand for cleanroom gloves made from vinyl, nitrile, and latex is growing. Apart from being thin, these products are disposable and are listed in accordance to ISO to denote the compatibility level.
According to a study by the Scottish Society for Contamination Control, the cleanroom glove segment is highly critical while curbing contamination issues in the semiconductors, disk-drive, and several other technology-driven industries. The research outlines that these gloves are among the most popular and are highly expensive, too.
The study further highlights how technology plays an eminent role in the formulation of these gloves. A strong demand in the sector from the food & beverage and automation sectors, which demand protection for staff using hazardous chemicals, unhygienic substances, and reactives, is anticipated to keep the future of the market robust.
Recent challenges faced by disposable cleanroom gloves
Even with the positive projections, many manufacturing units have shut their processes over the past four to five years. When Safeskin Medical and Scientific, a unit of Kimberly- Clark Corporation based in Thailand, closed its facility and displaced about 3,000 employees it sent shock waves in the cleanroom disposable gloves industry.
Another glove manufacturer , Aust ral ia-based Ansell, enjoys high sales from its medical gloves but at the same time is cutting back because of a decline in sales of its gloves in the local market. The company’s prediction that a recent acquisition would improve the sales figure did not have a positive effect. What’s more alarming is the decline in sales in Asia Ansell’s gloves business in Asia Pacific and countries like Turkey and Russia. The sudden slowdown in mining operations has also decreased the demand for occupational gloves. After losing a big chunk of its business, the company finally decided to transfer its manufacturing plant offshore.
Competitive landscape results in new technologies
Pressure on margins is undoubtedly on the rise. Thus, many companies are working to curtail costs by increasing the economies of scale, automating processes, and streamlining the complete manufacturing process.
Some of the new offerings from glove manufacturers include those with extremely low surface resistance, which help the electrostatic charge without causing any damage to sensitive tools or machines used during the manufacturing process. The most popular ones are nitrile gloves that have a low electrostatic voltage.
Customisation is another area where disposable gloves market players are focusing on. Given that machinery is highly flexible and specialists are involved in the production process, many companies are able to offer bespoke products to serve requirements in the shortest possible duration.
Besides, manufacturers are also broadening their current consumer base, for example, as hard drive companies are becoming extinct, suppliers are now serving the technologydriven industries that include the flat-panel sector, solar panel, and display manufacturers. Business verticals such as the pharmaceutical industry are also creating a greater demand for cleanroom gloves.
Looking ahead, big brands anticipate higher yields this year, particularly from healthcare customers based in the US and Europe, with the North American region projected to enjoy the strongest growth in 2016. With new technologies adopted by prominent market players, the cleanroom gloves industry is ready to experience a bright future in another five to six years.
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