3D printing face shields for frontline healthcare workers.
The Open Source PPE Project has finished. In just seven weeks hundreds of Open Source PPE volunteers built a nationwide manufacturing network, established three central assembly hubs, and produced over 50,000 face shields for frontline healthcare workers in COVID-19 test centres, community assessment hubs and nursing homes. You can read the full project report here.
Due to the Covid 19 crisis we’ve closed our workshop to the public and decided to put our 3D printers and an laser cutter to good use, manufacturing face shields for front line healthcare workers. We’ve also put out a call for owners of 3D printers to help us in creating these masks. In less than 48 hours over 35 people have signed up to help.
We’ve spend the last week establishing protocols, testing face shield designs with healthcare professionals and establishing a distribution plan. We have committed to providing the masks free of charge to frontline healthcare workers in COVID-19 test centres, community assessment hubs and nursing homes.
We estimate we can produce over 2400 face masks a week to distribute but material and distribution costs will be in excess of €6000. Our goal is to get 10,000 masks into the hands of health workers over the next 4 weeks.
If you wish to donate then you can at https://www.gofundme.com/f/3d-printed-faceshields-for-frontline-staff
If you have access to a 3D printer and would like to help, please contact us.
