Always fighting the threat of bacteria

As the issue of bacterial contamination becomes increasingly critical, manufacturers are responding with the development of a new generation of innovative anti-microbial products

As the issue of bacterial contamination becomes increasingly critical, manufacturers are responding with the development of a new generation of innovative anti-microbial products.

Here we examine how one such product, a ground-breaking anti-microbial film substrate, is playing a key role in the battle against harmful bacteria.

It is estimated, in recent reports from the National Audit Office, that infections caused by bacteria are costing the UK economy more than GBP1.4 billion every year, with the cost of treatment and lost productivity being far higher at over GBP120 billion.

Above and beyond this significant impact on the UK economy, the issue of bacterial contamination is also causing great public anxiety, with 82% of people in the UK being concerned about bacteria in hospitals for instance.

Within many hygiene critical environments, such as convalescent homes, supermarkets, prisons, hospitals and schools, everyday objects and surfaces can harbour and spread dangerous bacteria.

Furthermore, research has proven that hand contact with contaminated surfaces can rapidly transfer bacteria to other surfaces and thus from person to person.

Until recently, however, with the exception of general hygiene procedures such as frequent hand washing and cleaning, there has been limited means of protecting exposed surfaces on keyboards, displays, worktops and doors from contamination.

Hygiene is of growing concern, among health professionals and consumers, and increasingly within industry, as product designers and manufacturing engineers seek to find ways of enhancing the safety and performance of the products and systems that are sold into a wide variety of end-user applications, ranging from medical equipment to restaurant furniture.

One area of recent product development has been the plastics and film substrates used both in the production of membrane keypads and graphics displays, and for the protective layers on exposed surfaces.

In particular, work carried out jointly by MacDermid Autotype, the leading developer and manufacturer of high performance films and chemicals, and Microban International, a global company dedicated to enhancing high quality consumer, industrial and medical products with built-in protection from microbes, has led to the introduction of an innovative anti-microbial substrate.

Called Autotex AM with Microban, this unique, hard coated polyester film substrate incorporates built-in Microban anti-microbial protection, making it the first material of its type to inhibit the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, mould and mildew.

The film substrate has been developed and designed specifically for the graphics overlay film on any surface application.

This includes membrane keypads, fascia panels, wall coverings, shelf and bench tops, where durability and anti-microbial protection are necessary.

The film's clarity and receptivity to a large number of graphic inks, makes it suitable for a great number of applications.

For example, temporary signs, door panels, patient bedside entertainment and communication centres and basic instrument panels can all be built using Autotex AM.

The new film consists of a thin base polyester layer, to which a flexible and robust textured coating is chemically bonded.

The coating has a unique formulation, giving it excellent mechanical and physical properties.

The Microban Antimicrobial technology is incorporated into the textured coating during the manufacturing process, ensuring an even distribution of the antimicrobial agent throughout the texture and film surface The Microban additive works by interfering with the cell wall of micro-organisms that come into contact with the surface of the film, disrupting key cell functions and thereby killing the microbes.

By continuously fighting the growth of harmful bacteria this anti-microbial technology can help prevent cross contamination.

Essentially, Microban protection makes the film more hygienic and provides dependable and constant protection against bacterial contamination in the intervals between cleaning procedures.

This new generation of film substrates has been developed to offer major benefits to manufacturers and end users alike.

The film substrate has an extremely long flex life, making it ideal for tactile membrane keys or curved surfaces; it can easily be embossed without creating stress fractures or weak points; and it offers a consistent low gloss, textured surface with high levels of light transmission.

In addition, it is scratch and chemical resistant, and can withstand the rigors of everyday use.

In order to prove the efficiency as well as to ensure that customers and end users are confident in the long term antimicrobial performance of the new Autotex AM with Microban substrate, extensive testing has been carried out by a leading independent testing laboratory.

Using standard test protocols, variety of different samples, including unprocessed film that was taken straight from the production line, were subjected to simulated graphics printing including jet dryer passes, fusion UV passes and passes under IR lamps.

In addition the film samples were stretched by 20%, to simulate the process of embossing.

Further samples underwent testing to simulate extreme surface wear; this included the texture peaks being removed using sand paper and the surface polished using wire wool until it was smooth.

Finally, samples underwent a test protocol that simulated real life cleaning regimes representing a period of 15 years usage.

The test results highlighted the mechanical and physical properties of the new film substrate and, most importantly, showed that the material achieved a durable biocidal kill result for a wide range of bacteria, fungi and moulds including Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia Coli (E Coli) and Listeria Monocytogenes.

It is important to note that although the use of this new generation of films will not eliminate the need for general cleanliness and hygiene, they nevertheless represent a significant step forward in hygiene critical applications and provide a proven and continual protection against the risk of bacterial contamination.

For the first time ever, there is an anti-microbial protected, hard coated film substrate that is proven to eliminate various bacteria which, if not controlled, could easily spread to other surfaces and individuals.

Extensive media attention and the growing instances of infections caused by the spread of bacteria mean that the issues of hygiene and bacterial contamination are of growing concern to consumers and, increasingly, within industry as designers and engineers search for ways to deal with the problem.

The introduction of this latest generation of anti-microbial film substrates represents a new method of combating the spread of infection while retaining the handling, processing and end-use features normally associated with hardcoated polyester films, giving product manufacturers and consumers alike a potentially exciting and cost effective solution.

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