French software developer Caldera has announced a new initiative that will help supply the increasing demand for personalised face masks. The company adds that this will doubly support its printing clients during the ongoing difficult time for businesses.
Titled MaskFactory, the microfactory platform will allow consumers to design personalised masks which will then be manufactured to AFNOR (French Standardization Association) norms – and decorated by digital printers – and dispatched to them.
The initiative is based on Caldera’s SportsFactory concept which launched at FESPA Berlin in 2018 and is based on a scalable and robust microfactory solution.
“It will enable printers to make up for lost revenue due to the Covid-19 crisis by giving them a new opportunity,” the company says. “Caldera will give its MaskFactory partners access to the digital business platform, so they can offer new printed safety products to the wider community.”
Caldera is working with partners across Europe and the US to start offering the MaskFactory service as quickly as possible. To provide support to local printers in each region, the MaskFactory platform is designed to route orders to producers located close to the customer.
In addition to helping local economies, the company says this feature helps to reduce carbon emissions generated through transporting masks over longer distances.
The initiative will also help families encourage children to wear masks and stay safe, Caldera adds.
“Staff at Caldera came up with the idea when they realised that there were two problems facing them as parents trying to provide masks for their family to wear,” says the company. “Firstly, there’s a shortage in the supply of certified barrier masks which makes them difficult to source and, secondly, most of the available masks were not reassuring or appealing to children.”
Sébastien Hanssens, vice president, marketing and operations at the company, explains: “As parents, we were finding it difficult to get masks that children and families would feel happy and comfortable to wear. The thinking behind MaskFactory is that by making face protection that can be fun and colourful, we can bring a bit of levity into the current serious situation.”
Thus, customers will be able to design their own certified barrier masks, choosing from thousands of online images and patterns, and will be able to customise colours and add their names.
Hanssens continues: “It [also] gives us the chance to support our printing clients during these uncertain times. MaskFactory will help to connect suppliers with customers and offer a solution that both of them are looking for.
“It’s a win-win situation,” he adds. “Our clients are able to continue to develop their businesses through this difficult time, while families and individuals will be able to source secure barrier masks that they will be happy to wear.”
This initiative represents the combination of multiple industry trends that have popularised in recent years, including personalisation, digital printing technologies and microfactories, while doubly tackling the need for more personal protective equipment (PPE).
Elsewhere, as European communities begin relaxing lockdown measures, Caldera has donated 100 barrier masks to local teachers who have returned back to school.
