After Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group announced a personal investment of 100 million baht to establish a face mask factory for medical personnel in hospitals and the general public in Thailand, CP has begun construction of the mask production facility. A team of expert engineers from KPI Co., Ltd., part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, which has been established since 1965, is leading the project. With over 50 years of experience and having built more than 140 factories across 14 countries, they are well-equipped for this task.

The project employs a specialized team to design and construct the face mask production facility for free, under the concept of “fast but quality,” to create a clean room or dust-free environment.

Currently, construction is progressing rapidly, with the site selected at 3rd floor of KPI Co., Ltd., located in Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan Province. This location is well-equipped with complete infrastructure, allowing immediate operations.

 

       Mr. Phumichai Traidalanont, Deputy Managing Director of Agricultural Equipment Business at KPI Co., Ltd., as the head of the construction control team for the factory revealed that the construction will proceed in two main parts: the renovation of the site, which has been transformed from a gym into a factory, and this demolition has already been completed. The other part involves new construction, with collaboration from engineering networks to consolidate knowledge and create the internal design within 3 days, which has now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Additionally, investment support has been received from the Board of Investment (BOI). On March 16, the first day of construction, the division of space for ceilings and walls began. For the import of machinery, which is crucial, CP is utilizing networks from multiple countries to source the necessary equipment. These large machines are expected to take at least 5 weeks to produce, but with the cooperation of all partners, the production process has been expedited to complete in 4 weeks, coordinating the import of machinery while simultaneously sourcing rare materials within a limited timeframe.

 

   Mr. Sakchai Buamoon, Senior Deputy Managing Director of Central Engineering for Animal Feed at KPI Co., Ltd., as the head of the engineering team overseeing the mask production machinery, stated that the mask production machinery is a critical factor that must be imported within a limited timeframe. It is expected to arrive in Thailand and be installed by early April, and the first batch is anticipated to produce 100,000 masks to be distributed to medical personnel and the public as scheduled.

 

For the face mask factory of Charoen Pokphand Group, the goal is to complete operations within 5 weeks, down from the original estimate of 3 months for construction, with a production capacity of 3 million pieces per month. It has been confirmed that all staff will work diligently around the clock to meet the target, emphasizing quality standards in a timely manner.

Following this week, some construction work will be completed, and in the coming week, the focus will shift to assembling the various rooms as designed, as well as preparing communication systems to coordinate with experts worldwide via teleconferencing, as CP has never produced face masks before.

Moreover, the imported machinery will be automated and connected via IoT, allowing True Group to establish both wired and wireless communication systems to monitor all machinery movements through computer screens. With the collaboration of the entire team, including staff and engineers working tirelessly 24/7 without breaks on weekends, the construction of the factory is progressing rapidly in the first week. Additionally, frozen food support has been provided by CPF and CP Ram to ensure the successful completion of the face mask production facility for the Thai people amid the COVID-19 crisis within the targeted 5 weeks.

 

Source: Charoen Pokphand Group