EDITOR’S CHOICE
PPE FOR EVERYONE TO USE
3D PRINT UK
3DPRINTUK develops the most efficient SLS 3D printed face shield
design to help the demand for PPE and releases it for free
3DPRINTUK has partnered with Arts
University Bournemouth to manufacture
face shields for front-line provision of PPE
and has released it for everyone to use.
30 April 2020; London, UK: There has
been a large scale response by the 3D
printing community to the COVID-19
pandemic, with a giant effort to close the
gap between supply and demand for
PPE for front-line NHS workers. In recent
weeks, some really clever and innovative
designs have been released for people to
produce but all have been designed and
optimised for FDM printers.
Nick Allen, MD at 3DPRINTUK says, “From
the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis,
in common with numerous other 3D
printing companies, we analysed ways in
which we could make useful interventions
and help the efforts of the NHS.
“One thing we noticed was that many
of the face shield related designs were
perfectly suited for FDM machines, but
didn’t work well with the SLS process. As
a company, we are intimately associate
with SLS, and have printed over 2 million
SLS prints, so we began to look at how we
could optimise designs for the 3D printing
technology that we use every day.”
What the team at 3DPRINTUK noticed
when they looked, for example, at the
amazingly well-designed and groundbreaking
Prusa face shield design was
that only 14 individual head bands could
be printed on the EOS FORMIGA P110 SLS
machine at a time. The team focussed on
a design that the P110 could accommodate
in much larger numbers. By nesting the
main peak component inside one another
they were able to create one that allowed
for 260 to be printed in a single print with
a 27-hour build time.
Allen continues, “That is 6 minutes per
shield, which is a game changer. The
design that we created clips together
in 10 seconds, uses silicone straps for
adjustment, can take an acetate sheet with
3 holes, is lightweight at only 42g, and is
sterilisable with IPA, autoclave, or ethylene
oxide (Et0). All in all, we believe that this is
the most efficient visor design to produce
via 3D printing available today.”
Additional design benefits include a
closed peak design for extra protection,
the material used (PA2200/Nylon 12) is
biologically safe, and the shape has been
designed so that it can be flat packed into
an A4 envelope for cheap postage and
storage.
Once the design was proved and
validated, 3DPRINTUK had to look for
partners to scale up production. In
recent weeks, 3DPRINTUK has been
directly involved with the UK Cabinet and
manufacturers working on a number of
large ventilator projects, which has taken
up their own printing capacity. Information
relating to the design was released,
and the first facility to take on the
manufacturing role was the Arts University
Bournemouth (AUB) which had access
to the P110 machine and also had laser
cutting capabilities.
From the get-go, there was a great
connection between the 3DPRINTUK and
AUB teams, with AUB producing the initial
batch of 5000 units and more thereafter.
These shields will be distributed for free to
front line key workers.
The arts university has been spearheading
an effort by educational institutions to
manufacture and create vital protective
equipment for the healthcare sector.
Since its campus closure in March, the
university’s facilities have become a
production line for visors, facemasks,
scrubs and gowns, which are being
distributed across a range of public
healthcare settings, including doctors’
surgeries, care homes, and volunteers
providing door-to-door services for the
elderly.
AUB Vice Chancellor Professor Paul
Gough said: “We’re delighted to be
involved with this vital project. Many AUB
staff members have been involved; from
our cutting-edge technical teams to our
Innovation and Campus Services teams.
AUB is honoured to play a part in the
national drive to create and distribute lifesaving
apparatus, it’s so important that
we’re all able to play our part during this
global pandemic.
“As a specialist university, we firmly
believe in the ways in which research and
creativity can greatly improve productivity.
In times like these, we’re challenged to
rapidly innovate, and at such a crucial
time, it’s hugely heartening to see those
from across the creative industries
maximising PPE production through
design and collaboration.”
Allen concludes, “We would invite anyone
else with the SLS capacity to make the
face shield to contact us and we will share
the design data with them. This has been
a monumental effort from all involved,
and I would personally like to thank Tom
Preston, Fred Holdsworth, Eden Franham,
Rhiannon Evens, Alex Greatwich, Lucy
Devall, Paul Johnson, and Tom Marshall
from the Arts University Bournemouth,
and my colleagues at 3DPRINTUK, Jason
Pereira, Joshua Wells, Chris Owen and
Kirby Downey.
“We’re sad that we will not be able to
manufacture many of them in house, but to
see the project come to fruition and with
such gracious and dedicated work from so
many people is truly humbling.”
For full story and video visit https://www.3dprint-uk.co.uk/worlds-most-efficient-sls-face-shield-covid19/
22 PECM Issue 45