3M History

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The History of 3M

3M At A Glance…

The largest manufacturer in Minnesota, the 110th largest U.S. company overall, and a member of the Dow Jones "30," 3M Company (known officially as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company from its founding in 1902 until 2002) is Wall Street's epitome of high-tech/low-tech business and solid blue-chip performance. Its impressive inventory of some 50,000 products runs from Post-it Notes and Scotch tape to transdermal patches of nitroglycerin and disposable respirators. Its equally intimidating global presence extends to subsidiary companies in more than 60 countries and markets in nearly 200, as well as net sales from international operations of $8.91 billion, or 55 percent of the company's total yearly revenue. 3M owes its strength to its unusual corporate culture, which comfortably fosters innovation and interdepartmental cooperation, backed by a massive research and development budget, which typically exceeds $1 billion annually. Because of this, 3M ranks as a leader in--and in many cases a founder of--a number of important technologies, including pressure-sensitive tapes, sandpaper, protective chemicals, microflex circuits, reflective materials, and the disposable respirator. At the beginning of 2003, the company realigned into seven major business units: Consumer and Office; Display and Graphics; Electro and Communications; Health Care; Industrial; Safety, Security, and Protection Services; and Transportation (3m, n.d.).

How 3m Began…

3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) was founded in 1902 in Minnesota, USA, by 5 enterprising men who were looking to mine deposits of corundum (a mineral used in the manufacture of sandpaper and grinding wheels). But the deposits proved to be of little value, and the new Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. quickly moved to nearby Duluth to focus on sandpaper products.
Years of struggle ensued until the company could master quality production and a supply chain. New investors were attracted to 3M. Early technical and marketing innovations began to produce successes and, in 1916, the company paid its first dividend of 6 cents a share while moving its headquarters to St. Paul, where it stands today (3M, 2002).
After an early setback, they decided to switch from mining to manufacturing. The switch proved to be very fortuitous and the newly named 3M Company evolved into a unique, innovative and diverse company as well as a world leader in the development and manufacture of a broad range of high-quality products. These include Scotchtape, Cellophane tape (sticky tape), window films and abrasives. But the most vast line of goods manufactured by 3M is by far their respirators and respiratory protection products.
A global company, 3M operates in more than 60 countries with over half of its income derived from operations outside America. 3M employs over 70,000 people and generated approximately $15 billion in income in June 1997 (Arndt, 2002).
Every year, 3M spends over $1 billion of its income in research and development to ensure its reputation for innovative products (Haeq, 2002).

3M Milestones…

The world's first waterproof sandpaper, which reduced airborne dusts during automobile manufacturing, was developed in the early 1920s.
A second major milestone occurred in 1925 when Richard G. Drew, a young lab assistant, invented masking tape – an innovative step toward diversification and the first of many Scotch Pressure-Sensitive Tapes.
In the following years, technical progress resulted in Scotch Cellophane Tape for box sealing and soon hundreds of practical uses were discovered.
In the early 1940s, 3M was diverted into defense materials for World War II, which was followed by new ventures, such as Scotchlite Reflective Sheeting for highway markings, magnetic sound recording tape, filament adhesive tape and the start of 3M's involvement in the graphic arts field with offset printing plates.
In the 1950s, 3M introduced the Thermo-Fax copying process, Scotchgard Fabric Protector, videotape, Scotch-Brite Cleaning Pads and several new electro-mechanical products.
Dry-silver microfilm was introduced in the 1960s, along with photographic products, carbonless papers, overhead projection systems, and a rapidly growing health care business of medical and dental products.
In 1967, 3M develops the first disposable facemasks and respiratory protection products.
In 1972, 3M scientists created the company's first government-certified respirator. The product was the result of the company's expertise in filtration technologies and its blown micro fiber capabilities.
Markets further expanded in the 1970s and 1980s into pharmaceuticals, radiology and energy control.
In 1980, 3M introduced Post-it Notes, which created a whole new category in the marketplace and changed people’s communication and organization behavior forever.
In the 1990s, sales reached the $15 billion mark. 3M continued to develop an array of innovative products, including immune response modifier pharmaceuticals; brightness enhancement films for electronic displays; and flexible circuits used in inkjet printers, cell phones and other electronic devices.
OH&ESD developed a new line of particulate respirators in the 1990s designed to meet stringent, new regulations. Today, 3M is the global leader in respiratory protection.
In 2004, sales topped $20 billion for the first time, with innovative new products contributing significantly to growth. Recent innovations include Post-it Super Sticky Notes, Scotch Transparent Duct Tape, optical films for LCD televisions and a new family of Scotch-Brite Cleaning Products that give consumers the right scrubbing power for a host of cleaning jobs.(3M, 2002)

3M Respirator History…

During construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, a respiratory problem arose when workers sandblasted steel beams that had arrived rusted. Although respiratory protection did exist, workers wanted a quick solution, and a makeshift respirator was fashioned by attaching a skirt around a hard hat that was fitted with a supplied air hose and used in combination with an abrasive-blasting cape (Barrea, 2004).
In ensuing decades, respirator facepiece options progressed to include full, half, or quarter facepieces. More pliable materials, such as silicone, were available as alternatives to rigid rubber. 3M's patented release of its first disposable filtering facepiece had a large effect in the industry. 3M got their respirator approved by NIOSH, and that was a major innovation because it reduced the cost of respiratory protection and made it easy to use (Barrea, 2004).
Back in the 1970s, coal miners everywhere were joining a 3M revolution. The workers switched from using a heavy, uncomfortable respirator mask to a soft, paper-like model that weighed just a quarter of an ounce. The new respirator mask was hailed as a magic bullet, making unpleasant jobs more bearable and encouraging miners and workers in many other industries to wear their protection (Schmitt, 2004).

3M Respiratory Protection…

3M respiratory protection doesn’t stop at disposable respirators. Using expertise in filtration technologies and blown microfiber capabilities, 3M offers a family of respirators that meet workers needs for comfort and value. 3M Respirators are lightweight, comfortable and easy to breathe through.

3M Air Purifying Respirators:

Elastomeric half and full facepiece respirators offer unsurpassed comfort and maximum versatility in reusable and disposable models. 3M provides a complete line of half and full facepiece respirators. 3M Half Facepiece Respirators 5000 Series have permanently attached cartridges for ease of use and little or no maintenance. 3M Half and Full Facepiece Respirators 6000 Series are low maintenance and allow the use of replaceable cartridges and filters. 3M Half and Full Facepiece Respirators 7000 Series are made of silicone rubber for increased durability and can accommodate many different cartridges and filters.

3M Filtering Facepiece Respirators

3M Filtering Facepiece Particulate Respirators use a variety of patented technologies and features that enable them to filter a broad range of particles, nuisance odors and OSHA substance specific contaminants.
3M class 95 particulate respirators meet NIOSH 42 CFR 84 N95, R95 or P95 requirements. These respirators have a minimum filter efficiency of 95%. N95 respirators are for non-oil particulate hazards only. R95 and P95 respirators are for certain oil and non-oiled based particles. 3M class 100 particulate respirators meet NIOSH 42 CFR 84 N100 or P100 requirements. These respirators have a minimum filter efficiency of 99.97%. N100 respirators are for non-oil particulate hazards only. P100 respirators are for certain oil and non-oiled based particles.

3M Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)

Powered air purifying systems (PAPRs) are motorized systems that use a filter to clean ambient air before it is delivered to the breathing zone of the user. A PAPR uses a blower to pass contaminated air through a HEPA filter, which removes the contaminant and supplies purified air to a facepiece. A PAPR system typically includes a blower, battery, headpiece and a breathing tube.

3M Air Supplied Respirators:

A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a respirator that’s respirable air source is a cylinder worn by the user, allowing freedom of movement.
3M Air-Mate Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Systems are designed for industrial applications. They are available in 5-and 15-minute Combination Escape SCBA/SAR and 30-minute SCBA systems. These respirators are designed and NIOSH approved for use in environments that are immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH). The optional airline connection on 30-minute systems enables the wearer to remain in IDLH atmospheres for extended periods of time.

These 3M respirators operate from high pressure plant air systems, low pressure pumps (must be Grade D or better) or bottled air. The air is delivered to the breathing area of the worker's hood, helmet or facepiece.