Final Four, Game 2

Final Four
Gloveworks Bracket vs Xtreme Bracket

INPF vs XNPF

Finishing out the last match of the Final Four, the previous winners from the Gloveworks and Xtreme Brackets went finger to finger in a no-holds-barred match up. Gloveworks Powder-Free Nitrile (INPF) and Xtreme Powder-Free Nitrile (XNPF) were pretty evenly matched being both Textured and Powder-Free Nitrile gloves. Both teams at the top of their game have shown their strength in handling the toughest Industrial jobs. But it was the Thicker mil of the INPF along with its unsurpassed comfort and Tactile Sensitivity that pulled a victory in the end. All of the INPF supporters roared with delight, chanting their familiar slogan as the INPF moves onto the final round – “This Glove Works!”

Winner: Gloveworks Powder-Free Nitrile (INPF)

Sweet 16 Final Round, Games 7 & 8

Today was the last day of the sweet sixteen matches, and it was apparent that all the teams remaining were hoping to make it to the Elite Eight. However, only two could triumph and move on to try to become 2011 Glove Madness Champion.

First Matchup:

IN vs INPF

The first round today pitted two opponents who consider themselves longtime rivals and the most comparable matchup so far – our #2 seed Gloveworks Powder-Free Nitrile (INPF) against our #3 seed Gloveworks Nitrile (IN). With such history between these two and both gloves being Industrial Grade nitrile and resistant to the same chemicals and tough applications, the crowd was going crazy hoping to see a heated match. Unfortunately for the fans, the game started out slow with neither team able to score against the other’s almost identical defenses. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the tables began to turn with INPF having cleaner moves due to being Powder-Free. In the end, IN’s game just became messy in comparison. Gloveworks Powder-Free Nitrile will now face Gloveworks HD Latex in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 28th.

Winner: Gloveworks Powder-Free Nitrile (INPF)

Second Matchup:

XNPF vs X3

The 2011 Glove Madness games continued as #1 seed Xtreme Powder-Free Nitrile (XNPF) took on the #4 seed Xtreme X3 Nitrile (X3). The rookie X3 team, new to the Xtreme bracket, has been very vocal leading up to today’s match. “We’re the new guys, the hot shots, and we’re gonna go out there and show how it’s done. Our 3mil Thin-wall Technology keeps us lean to show off our amazing dexterity and durability.” But on the courts the XNPF team dominated showing why they are the best in the Xtreme division. “We knew going into it that it would be a difficult match but we focused on all the things that made our XNPF team so great: the strength of our 4mil Nitrile, our Micro-Textured surface for that non-slip grip, and all for a great value. The Xtreme Powder-Free Nitrile will take on Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long in the Elite Eight tomorrow, Friday March 25th.

Winner: Xtreme Powder-Free Nitrile (XNPF)

Sweet 16 Third Round, Games 5 & 6

First Matchup:

VSPF vs APFLT

The next round of Glove Madness took place pitting perennial favorites #3 seed Ammex Powder-Free Textured Latex (APFLT) against #2 seed Ammex Powder-Free Stretch Vinyl (VSPF). Both teams sported a strong defense with their Exam Grade offering barrier protection against blood borne pathogens. Heading into the game many favored the APFLT with their Textured Fingertips for a better grip, but it was the VSPF’s ability to fit and feel like latex without any chance of adverse reaction that proved to be the winning combination. With latex prices at an all time high, the Ammex Powder-Free Stretch Vinyl proved that this synthetic glove is the perfect fit and will definitely give Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile a run for their money in the Elite Eight. Check out that match on Friday, March 25th.

Winner: Ammex Powder-Free Stretch Vinyl (VSPF)

Second Matchup:





GPNB vs GPX3

Coming out of the GlovePlus bracket, we have our #1 seed GlovePlus Black Nitrile (GPNB) going head to head with #4 seed GlovePlus 3mil Vinyl (GPX3). Both teams are relative newcomers, so anticipation was in the air to see how they would compete against each other. GPX3 started out fast and agile – using their Thin-wall Technology to show they had what it took to be the right glove in light duty applications while also showing off their always appealing low prices. But, proving why they owned that #1 seed spot this year, GPNB dominated when it came to longevity and durability. Their Black Nitrile had the strength to last longer and handle more wear-and-tear than their opponent and also show no signs of weakness through their tough black exterior. GlovePlus Black Nitrile brought it – and they will have to bring it again on Monday, March 28th when they battle Ammex Powder-Free Vinyl in the Elite Eight.

Winner: GlovePlus Black Nitrile (GPNB)

Sweet 16 First Round, Games 1 & 2

First Matchup:

APFN vs VPF

The first match-up proved to be a great start to the 2011 Glove Madness Tournament. Coming out of the Ammex bracket, we had the #1 seed Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile (APFN) going up against the #4 seed Ammex Powder-Free Vinyl (VPF). With both gloves being Latex-Free, Powder-Free and Exam Grade, we knew the match was going to come down to two factors: durability and overall value. The VPF started out with a huge advantage by leveraging their affordability over their nitrile opponent. However, APFN countered with their micro-roughened textured grip and natural nitrile strength to prove that they could last longer when it got rough. The match came down to showcasing who was overall the better value, and APFN demonstrated that today. Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile will now be moving into the Elite Eight. Their next match-up will be Friday, March 25th.

Winner: Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile (APFN)

Second Matchup:








XNPFL vs XNGPF

Things are heating up in our second round as two relative newcomers to the industry battle it out to see who is good and who is the best. Rookie glove and #2 seed Xtreme Green Nitrile (XNGPF), being the only green glove in the competition, stands apart from the crowd but sophomore star and #3 seed Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long (XNPFL) has the reach to see this to the end. Both competitors are Latex-Free, Powder-Free and have the Industrial fortitude to stand up to the toughest jobs. However the XNPFL with its longer length edged ahead of its rival winning by a cuff. The Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long will move into the Elite Eight and face its next challenger on Friday, March 25th.

Winner: Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long (XNPFL)

2011 Glove Madness

It's that time of year - the time when competition is at it's peak. The time we wait for all season to find out who really has what it takes to best their competitor. And no, I'm not talking about basketball - I am talking about gloves! We took the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the top competitors and pitted them against each other to watch them duke it to become the 2011 Glove Madness Champion. Check out the bracket for our top 16 contenders this year. Matches start on Monday, March 21st. Find out the results here on the Ammex blog or by following us on facebook!

How to Become Exam Grade

In the last blog, we mentioned that special testing is required in order for a glove to be used in any type of medical application. So, what are these tests? Well, before we explain the tests, here are some terms you need to know:


Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) is the minimum manufacturing requirement needed for a glove to pass for exam grade. In the United States the AQL must be 2.5 or less.

Tensile Strength is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before becoming deformed.

Megapascal (MPa) is the unit of measurement used in the tensile strength test. 1 Mpa is equal to approximately 145 pounds per square inch.


Now that you understand the terms, here are the three main tests used in order for a glove to be labeled (or classified) as exam grade:

Water Test

This test is used to determine the AQL of the glove. The test detects holes that allow water leakage in the glove. Each glove is filled with water to determine if any pinholes exist. Any holes in the glove count as a defect. The AQL score is then calculated by the number of defective gloves for every 100 that were tested. For example, if out of 500 gloves only 6 had any defects, the AQL for that batch would be 1.2.

All of our gloves have an AQL – industrial or exam grade. This can be confusing because sometimes people think that if there is an AQL, then it must be exam grade. This is absolutely not the case. As I said before, the FDA requires the AQL for exam grade to be 2.5 or lower. So when you see an AQL above that, know that it is an industrial grade glove.


Blood-Borne Pathogen Test

This test method is used to measure the resistance of penetration by blood-borne pathogens. Phi-X174, one of the smallest measurable viruses in the world, is used to test the glove’s ability to act as a barrier. If the glove acts as a good barrier to the Phi-X174 virus, it is considered a good barrier against larger viruses such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV.


Tensile Strength Test

There are two parts to this test. First, there is the test to get the tensile strength, which is determined by how much stress the glove can take before becoming deformed or breaking. Using a universal testing machine, the glove is tested and measured by MPa until the breaking point.

The second part of the test is measuring the elongation percentage. The glove is stretched until it breaks, then measured to see how much longer the glove is versus before it was stretched.
For example: The glove starts out at 9 inches long. After stretching and breaking it, the two remaining pieces are 54 inches long. The elongation percentage would be 500%. Here is how it is calculated:



There are other tests such as determining how much latex protein is in a latex glove and how much powder is still on a powder free glove, but these three are the main tests. According to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the following are the minimum requirements from these three tests for Latex, Vinyl and Nitrile gloves:



Even though there are only three main tests, the results are what make the difference in what grade the gloves fall into. Remember that you should use exam grade gloves in any type of application where you could come in contact with blood or bodily fluids. And although having AQL numbers on industrial grade gloves can be confusing, remember that unless it says “Exam” it isn’t.

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.