Customer Service Wants to Help – FAQ

Question 1: How thick are your nitrile gloves?

Disposable gloves are measured in mils, a mil is 1/1000 of an inch. This is measured using a micrometer. Since a micrometer measures a small portion of the surface area of a glove, often times you will see a range of mil thickness. Because gloves are dipped when they are produced, there is a difference in thickness in areas of the gloves (usually the palm and the fingertips).

Although this has been the way glove thickness has always been measured, there is a new and more accurate measurement style. The overall glove industry is moving to using gram weight rather than mil thickness. This is to ensure that the weight of the glove proves how much raw material was used in the product. Ammex is adding this new measurement style in new marketing materials.

Here are our 9 different Brands/Styles of Nitrile gloves and their thickness:

Ammex Nitrile – 4mil
GlovePlus Heavy Duty Nitrile – 8mil
GlovePlus Nitrile – 5mil
GlovePlus Nitrile Black – 5mil
Gloveworks Nitrile – 5mil
Slate Nitrile – 3mil
Xtreme Nitrile – 4mil
Xtreme 3 Nitrile – 3mil

Question 2: Why have both Exam and Industrial grade gloves?
You will notice that all our gloves are labeled Exam or Industrial. Exam gloves can be used for any application, while industrial are limited in their application. So why aren’t all gloves just exam gloves?

When gloves are going to be used in a medical environment, the gloves must be tested, approved and labeled properly to guarantee safety. This involves special testing at the manufacturer in accordance with FDA regulations as well as random shipment inspection to ensure compliance. Of course with the additional requirements, there are added costs in manufacturing and distributing them.

Although industrial grade and exam grade gloves may seem similar, industrial grade gloves have not gone through the additional testing you would want if you were going to be coming into contact with blood or bodily fluids. If you were going to use gloves in a painting application for example, you would have no need for an exam glove. Having industrial gloves gives you the choice of having a lower price when the medical need isn’t there.

Latex prices increase - what can you do about it?

Sometimes it is hard to think about the weather affecting the prices of products you use everyday. It is especially hard when it’s happening on the other side of the world. Well, due to heavy rains in Southeast Asia, where most rubber is farmed, speculators predict raw latex will only continue to increase through the remainder of the year and into early next year. Already latex has reached an all time high, so it is hard to predict how much higher it is going to get before the prices hopefully start to come back down.

The latex supply naturally decreases in the winter months, due to colder climate making it slower to collect, so weather will always play a role in the production of a natural product. However, prices have continued to rise. Looking back on pricing from October 2009 versus October 2010, there has been over a 58% increase in the price of raw latex. This is due to the demand for other products, such as tires, putting increased supply and pricing pressure on the latex used for disposable gloves.

So how can you compete with a raw material price increase that shows no signs of lowering? Finding alternatives to latex gloves is a great way to do that. Both nitrile and vinyl gloves are man-made, non-latex products. As the price of latex has increased and the use of disposable gloves grows, the alternative glove market has developed more and better options. There are nitrile gloves that outperform latex in durability, and vinyl gloves that can dramatically cut the price of using gloves. Although their prices are directly related to the current price of oil, right now their current price is more stable than that of latex.

Another way to avoid getting hit with these increases is to stock up before the prices soar. When the price of latex at the source is raised, the market will not see those new price increases until about 90 days afterward. It isn’t too often that you are given this amount of time to prepare for price hikes, so why not get product you know you will need at a price you know will be better?

Latex, no matter what the price, will continue to be a staple in the glove world. But with no end in sight of increased pricing, it might be time to see what alternatives you have – and maybe find a product that works for you and saves you money.

Xtreme X3 and GPX3- A New Line of Gloves is Born

A revolution has started. Ammex is proud to introduce a brand new line of gloves: GPX3 Vinyl and Xtreme X3 Nitrile, an exciting addition to our line of disposable gloves. So what is so exciting about these gloves? GPX3 Vinyl and X3 Nitrile gloves are 3 mil gloves featuring thinwall technology. This means that they are thinner than the 4 mil gloves commonly seen in the market, yet offer exceptional levels of dexterity.

What are the advantages of purchasing a thinner glove utilizing thinwall technology? A thinner glove is manufactured using less material, making it possible to be offered at incredible price points. You think a 3 mil glove is too thin? Think again! As with any other glove, it all depends on the specific application and it is always best to test the glove. While a thinner glove is not recommended in situations where heavy duty protection is a must, Ammex’s line of thinwall technology gloves are a perfect option for food service, hospitality and light-duty janitorial or industrial applications.

Technology has come long ways since the first days of making gloves. Ammex has been closely keeping track of advancements in glove manufacturing to develop an innovative line of 3 mil gloves offering an unsurpassed combination of price and value. Try them out!

Want free samples? Contact Ammex at 1800-274-7354 and be ready to be amazed!

Sincerely Yours,

The Ammex Glover

What I Love About Nitrile Gloves

Nitrile gloves are definitely my favorite disposable glove out of the 3 main kinds. They were originally developed as a synthetic alternative to latex and vinyl gloves in the medical field, and were first seen in the market in the late 1990s. However, since that time, nitrile gloves have expanded into most industries and are now extremely popular in industrial applications as well. Here are a few reasons why.

First and foremost, nitrile gloves are latex-free. Whether using them while cleaning around the house or taking out some yucky leftovers forgotten at the back of the fridge…it’s great knowing chances of developing a sensitivity to latex are minimized by choosing a latex-free glove. After all, latex allergies are often associated with prolonged use of latex gloves over time. If you can use a different glove for some tasks…why not?

Another great plus a nitrile glove offers is the excellent protection against many chemicals. Do you work on cars? If so, nitrile is usually a better glove choice. If break fluid comes in contact with a latex glove, it will dissolve the glove. In contrast, you can dip a nitrile glove in break fluid, and it would be just fine. Also, because nitrile gloves take the shape of your hand very well, especially after reacting with the warmth of your skin, they provide superior comfort, great dexterity and excellent tactile sensitivity.

Thirdly, nitrile gloves hold up better to rips and tears than latex and vinyl. In fact, a nitrile glove is three times as resistant to abrasion and punctures than an equivalent glove in latex and vinyl! Not to say you should use a nitrile glove if the specific application directly involves handling sharp objects, just like you wouldn’t choose a latex or vinyl glove... But as far as disposable gloves go, nitrile holds up much better than the other two.

So there you have it. From latex-free, to excellent protection against chemicals, to superior fit and feel, to holding up better to rips and tears than other disposable gloves, these are just a few of the reasons why I love nitrile gloves. Find out some of the reasons why YOU like nitrile gloves, and come back and tell us.

Sincerely Yours,

The Ammex Glover

Are all Gloves the Same?

Are all Gloves the Same?

Believe it or not there are so many types of gloves it would take an eternity to list. (Ok maybe not so long…but seriously, there are PLENTY).

Aside from those used in fashion or sports, gloves fall within two main categories:
Work Gloves and Disposable Gloves.

Work gloves are made of durable material such as cotton, leather and polyester. Disposables gloves are made of latex, vinyl or nitrile. They are intended for one-time use.

Some of the most common types of work gloves include: Leather Palm, Leather Drivers, Jerseys, String Knit, String-Knit with PVC Dots, Latex-Dipped and Nitrile-Dipped

When it comes to disposable gloves, I’ve noticed that many people newer to the glove world think all disposable gloves are “rubber gloves”, and can’t tell the difference.

As we’ll find out though, there are actually different kinds of disposable gloves and they are significantly different from each other.

But what exactly is the difference between latex, vinyl and nitrile gloves?

We’ll find out…

Sincerely Yours,

The Ammex Glover

Why a Black Nitrile Glove Blog?

Yes Ammex has finally made it into the wonderful world of the blog. After much deliberation we have decided to rough it out with the likes of Google, Yahoo, and every other who's who and what's what in this new era of media. Gloves are a fairly new technology; we feel that this will fall into place quite nicely.

http://www.getintheblack.com/ was created to coincide with the launch of GlovePlus Black Nitrile gloves.
Ammex formally launched the black nitrile product in Q4 2007. There were a few glove companies with a similar product but after several exhausting long meetings where we deliberated (some more) we seized the opportunity to develop a product that would meet the quality and price needs for our clients.

We engineered the GlovePlus Black Nitrile to take the functionality of our famous Gloveworks blue nitrile, with the sleek style of black.

Black is the new blue.