3D Printing PPE: A Three-Minute Face Shield Solution

When the COVID-19 outbreak began, makers across the globe came together to help fill the shortfall in supply chains and provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers by harnessing the power of a localized collective factory of 3D printers. At Warwick University we also sprang into action to help fight the virus. Large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) is a technology similar to that used in hobbyist desktop 3D printers. However, it generally has much bigger build platforms, larger nozzle diameters, and higher volumetric flow rates. This means it can be used as a rapid-response bridge manufacturing from 3D printing to injection molding. Using Fusion 360 software’s parameter tables, the speaker was able to generate a design that could be easily changed based on the printer setup, and be optimized for the faster printing times. In just three design iterations we went from 10 minutes to just 3.5 minutes.