KUALA LUMPUR: Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd has launched a new patented technology that makes medical gloves suitable to those who are extra sensitive to chemical accelerators.
Kossan's Low Derma Technology, which has seen RM2 million pumped in research and development, is endorsed by the United States Food & Drug Administration.
"We have been working on this new product since 2004 and the patent was applied for back in 2009," said Kossan group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Lim Kuang Sia at the launch of this premiumly-priced variant here today.
Since the government's Economic Transformation Programme 2010, the rubber industry has undergone a structural change. The manufacture of medical gloves is now seen as high technology and knowledge-based in meeting healthcare needs.
More engineers, chemists and branding experts are being hired to automate the manufacturing processes, fine-tune product designs and market homegrown brands. As glove makers become increasingly a knowledge-driven industry, they are pricing their exports accordingly.
"We've embarked on extensive research into Low Derma Tech with Midori Anzen. Going forward, we will incorporate Low Derma Tech into other applications, since we hold the patents across the US, Japan, China, Russia, Taiwan and Europe for 20 years," Lim said.
Currently, Kossan's annual installed capacity totals 22 billion pieces. Lim said the group is investing some RM100 million to put up new lines and further automate more processes in existing production.
Kossan's technical adviser Datuk Dr Ong Eng Long noted that this new variant, brand-named CHEMAX:registered: 7th Sense, is suitable for doctors and nurses who are hyper-sensitive to chemical accelerators in medical gloves.
"Kossan's Low Derma Tech works to eliminate allergy-causing accelerators in the glove-making process while still ensuring that the gloves have the same or superior tensile strength, flexibility and sensitivity," Ong said.