Conquer Cut Hazards: SHOWA’s Advanced Hand Protection, Featuring the Revolutionary DURACoil Alpha & S-TEX Series

One of the most prevalent risks to hands is the threat of cuts. From handling sharp materials in automotive and construction to intricate work with glass and electronics, the potential for lacerations is ever-present. These injuries can lead to significant downtime, reduced productivity and, most importantly, impact the well-being of workers.

At SHOWA, they understand the critical importance of hand protection. For 70 years, they have been at the forefront of glove innovation, driven by a singular vision: to contribute to the safety and prosperity of humankind by providing the highest degree of hand protection throughout the world. Their legacy is built on a foundation of relentless pursuit of safety perfection, always innovating and never imitating. This commitment is powerfully embodied in their latest advancements: the DURACoil Alpha and S-TEX series of cut-resistant gloves.

This month, SHOWA delves into the pervasive issue of cut hazards across various sectors and highlights how their comprehensive range of hand protection solutions, spearheaded by DURACoil Alpha, offers an enhanced level of protection, durability, and performance, empowering workers to face their tasks with confidence.

The Unseen Enemy: Understanding Cut Hazards in Your Industry

Cut hazards manifest in numerous forms depending on the industry. In the automotive industry and services, workers frequently handle sharp metal components, tools, and machinery. Similarly, in mechanical and engineering fields, exposure to sharp edges, burrs, and cutting tools is commonplace. The handling of glass and windows presents an obvious risk, while even seemingly less hazardous environments like light assembly can involve sharp plastic edges or small cutting implements.

The rise of microelectronics, semiconductors, and integrated circuits manufacturing introduces another layer of complexity. While the components themselves might be small, handling them often requires precision tools with sharp points or edges. Even in electrical parts and components handling, stray wires or sharp terminals can pose a threat.

Ignoring these hazards can have serious consequences. Cuts can range from minor nicks to deep lacerations requiring medical attention, potentially leading to lost workdays, increased insurance costs, and decreased morale. Therefore, investing in the right hand protection is not just a matter of compliance; it’s a fundamental aspect of responsible operations and worker well-being.

SHOWA: A Legacy of Innovation in Hand Protection

For over seven decades, SHOWA has been a pioneer in the glove industry, consistently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in hand protection. They are proud of their history of firsts, including the invention of the first PVC glove, the first disposable nitrile glove, and the first biodegradable single-use glove. This legacy of innovation continues with their unwavering commitment to developing cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of workers across diverse industries.

SHOWA's approach is unique in the industry. They maintain start-to-finish manufacturing, creating their own machinery, yarns, coatings, polymers, designs, and hand formers. This vertical integration allows SHOWA to maintain stringent quality control at every stage of production, ensuring that every SHOWA glove delivers the highest standards of protection, comfort, and performance.

Introducing the Next Evolution: SHOWA DURACoil Alpha

Building on their legacy of excellence, SHOWA is thrilled to introduce the DURACoil Alpha line, representing a significant leap forward in cut protection technology. This enhanced series builds upon the trusted performance of their existing DURACoil range, incorporating invaluable feedback from their customers and the latest advancements in material science.

DURACoil Alpha is engineered for enhanced staying power, designed to withstand wear and tear after multiple uses and activities. The very properties of this new line are built on the strong characteristics of DURACoil, ensuring the maximum precision that users have come to expect from SHOWA, now with an even greater level of cut resistance.

The key advancement in the DURACoil Alpha series lies in its enhanced cut-resistant fiber technology. This innovation allows the DURACoil Alpha gloves to achieve an ANSI Cut A4/Level D rating, an upgrade from the A3 rating of the original DURACoil line. This seemingly small change represents a significant increase in protection, providing users with more options for hand protection in environments with higher cut hazards, all within the comfortable and familiar framework of the gloves they already know and trust.

Watch this short Quick Tips video to learn more about the DURACoil Alpha XC810 from SHOWA.

SHOWA S-TEX SERIES: Engineered for Extreme Cut Hazards

In addition to the DURACoil Alpha series, SHOWA offers the S-TEX line, engineered for environments with even higher cut risks offering A8/Level F cut-resistance. While the focus of this blog is on DURACoil Alpha, it’s crucial to recognize the breadth of SHOWA's cut protection solutions. The S-TEX range represents the pinnacle of cut resistance, often featuring specialized coatings and liner materials to handle the most demanding applications.

The recent name changes, transitioning products like SHOWA XC500 and XC800 to SHOWA S-TEX XC500 and SHOWA S-TEX XC800, further clarify their technology offerings and highlight the advanced cut protection capabilities of this series. These name changes do not affect the products’ functionalities, specifications, markings, or packaging, ensuring a seamless transition for valued customers.

Why Choose SHOWA for Cut Protection?

Choosing SHOWA for your cut protection needs means investing in:

• Enhanced Safety: Their gloves are rigorously tested and certified to meet and exceed industry standards, including ANSI Cut A4 and EN 388:2016 Level D (TDM).
• Uncompromising Quality: Start-to-finish manufacturing process ensures exceptional quality control and consistency.
• Innovative Technology: SHOWA is constantly pushing the boundaries of material science to develop cutting-edge solutions like DURACoil Alpha.
• Optimal Comfort and Dexterity: They understand that protection shouldn’t come at the expense of comfort and dexterity. Their thin-gauge liners and ergonomic designs ensure a perfect fit and allow for precise movements.
• Application-Specific Solutions: Their comprehensive range of gloves, including DURACoil Alpha and S-TEX, caters to a wide variety of industries and applications.
• Commitment to Sustainability: They are dedicated to developing sustainable practices and products within the glove industry.
• A Legacy of Trust: With over 70 years of experience, SHOWA has earned the trust of countless businesses and workers worldwide.

Empowering Workers, Ensuring Safety

At SHOWA, our vision extends beyond simply providing gloves. They strive to empower workers by equipping them with the hand protection they need to perform their jobs safely and efficiently. The DURACoil Alpha series embodies this commitment, offering an enhanced level of durability and strength to ensure safety and efficiency in every task, without compromising on the comfort and dexterity that users value.

They understand that end users are looking for protection and performance combined with comfort. They are happiest when their hands are safe, allowing them to perform their jobs efficiently. Ill-fitting and uncomfortable gloves that offer inferior protection are a source of frustration. DURACoil Alpha directly addresses these needs by providing a high level of cut resistance in a glove that offers an excellent fit, feel, and performance, along with a high degree of dexterity.

SHOWA's goal is for competitors to view the DURACoil Alpha brand as synonymous with high-quality, excellent fit, feel, and performance, all while delivering strong cut resistance. They believe that DURACoil Alpha represents a significant step forward in hand protection, building on their legacy of excellence and incorporating invaluable feedback from the field.

Partnering for a Safer Future

Explore the DURACoil Alpha and S-TEX series and discover how SHOWA can provide the comprehensive cut protection solutions your industry needs. By choosing SHOWA, you are not just selecting a glove; you are partnering with a company that is deeply committed to innovation, quality, and the safety and well-being of workers worldwide.

Previously Featured on SHOWA's blog.

To learn more about SHOWA's innovative hand protection solutions, visit MSCDirect.com.