By Kim Jae-heun
Samsung Group has offered to aid expansion of face mask production facilities amid supply shortages. The company is sharing its experience in building smart factories with small- and medium-sized businesses to help them increase the production output of face masks.
Starting from March, Samsung has been sending manufacturing experts to three mask makers: E&W, Evergreen and Loesstech. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Federation of SMEs recommended the three companies to receive the advisory assistance.
The experts aim to streamline processes by giving instructions on techniques to improve manufacturing procedures that will ultimately maximize output without requiring additional equipment.
Companies have had difficulty securing resources needed to manufacture masks, leading Samsung to decide to provide assistance to the firms.
Samsung developed the necessary manufacturing components at its production facility in Gwangju Metropolitan City and distributed them to the mask manufacturers in order to avoid delays in imports.
Prior to this, Samsung had already sent its smart factory experts to another mask maker HJ Tech in Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province, in February and it saw a drastic increase in product output from 40,000 to 100,000 masks per day.
Samsung secured 330,000 masks overseas from global business partners and donated them to the city of Daegu through the Korea Disaster Relief Association.
A total 284,000 of the masks were sourced through its oversea branches in Canada, Colombia, China and Hong Kong.
Samsung Electronics' semiconductor clients in China originally sent the remaining masks ― close to 50,000 ― to be supplied to employees here. But the company instead decided to donate them to the Daegu Medical Association which was in dire need of the gear.
The group is also working to secure more masks from other countries.
“We have decided to give out masks to those who are in more desperate need of them than us. They are medical staff in Daegu who are devoting themselves to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” a Samsung Electronics official said.