Lakeland Fire + Safety has completed qualification of its cleanroom manufacturing facility in Vietnam, allowing the site to begin producing garments for critical environment applications.
The facility has undergone qualification testing, with the first production lot manufactured following qualification passing independent SGS Helmke Drum testing for particle cleanliness.
The garments achieved Class 1 cleanliness under IEST RP-CC003.5, a standard used to classify the cleanliness of garments and other products used in controlled environments.
The Class 1 result was based on the number of particles measuring 0.5µm and larger released from the garment during testing.
The tested garment recorded 216 such particles.
The qualification adds Vietnam to Lakeland's manufacturing network for Critical Environment products, alongside its existing operations in China.
The company said the additional capacity will allow it to allocate production between its Asian manufacturing facilities according to demand, while increasing supply chain flexibility for customers operating in regulated environments.
The Vietnam facility's qualification follows work by Lakeland's operations, quality and manufacturing teams in Vietnam and China to establish the required production and quality processes.
The company said the expanded capacity will also enable its Chinese operations to place greater focus on Fire products for markets including Australia and Hong Kong.
“This achievement reflects the dedication and collaboration of our manufacturing and quality teams,” said Jim Jenkins, President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Lakeland.
“As we continue executing our manufacturing strategy, we are building a more resilient, more flexible global footprint that better positions Lakeland to support customers while allocating production capacity to our highest-value opportunities.”
The additional capacity is expected to support the company's Critical Environment business while improving utilisation across its Asian manufacturing operations.
