Making 3D printed PPE
Donation protected
Hello everyone, my name is Dan, and I like to 3D print! Recently I have been looking for a way to help with the Covid situation, I have several awesome friends who work in hospitals and are dealing with this stuff on the front lines and I knew there were things you could 3D print that might help so i started digging and found that the best thing right now is Face Shields.
With that I am making as many as I can as fast as I can and I could use some help.
First, I have already produced around 50 shields, I have tried every design I have found on the net as well as doing some designs and upgrades myself and found the best shield so far to be the Prusa shield with a few upgrades.
I can currently produce with my printers around 15 shields a day, while not bad its clearly not as many as places need.
I have spoken to Beaumont Royal Oak and Southfield both said they are very happy to take Shields. Also as I said before I have friends working in Flint as well as nurses and I was told they could really use them as well.
So what I need from you.
I have purchased enough materials to make about 200 shields. The materails are:
Plastic: I have been using PETG and ABS to make them so they can be cleaned and should hold up to be more than one use if it comes to that. Plastic costs approximately $20 a roll.
Film: A1-4 Transparency film, as long as it is .5mm or less thick they work well with the shields, is what I found to be best and I found it at staples and purchased enough for the amount of plastic I bought. Film sheets cost about $50 for 100.
More printing power. I am running my machines 24/7 however if I can get more machines or if others have 3D printers we can produce more of anything the hospitals might need or ask for.
Elastic bands for headbands: I have ordered a bunch from amazon but am waiting for it to arrive, I have been using cloth to tie on the shields until i get the bands. If you have elastic from sewing or anything else it could really help! These cost about $10 a roll.
I have also been making masks however all the hospitals and nurses I have spoken to say they are not able to use them, yet. We obviously hope enough masks get produced by companies to fill the need ASAP but if things go badly I want to have enough to give them at least something to use for protection so even though they can't use them right now I have been making some anyway.
That brings us to why the GoFundMe. I could use help with materials and printers, either money to buy more myself and allow me to make more shields, masks and anything else the hospitals might need. Also to try to find others who have 3D printers or materials are are willing to help. Each shield costs approximately $2 in materials and each mask about $3.
ALL money raised by this GoFundMe will go to materials and more printers to make more shields, masks and anything else any nurse, doctor or hospital asks for. If you are medical worker and need any of these things PLEASE contact me and I will help in any way I can!
If you have a printer please contact me and help produce the things the hospitals need, I know it wont seem like much with only 1 or a few printers but everything helps right now. If you have elastic or have a local shop with A1 to A4 transparency film available, I bought Staples in Troy out of it, please either let me know so I can get it or if you can get it and ship it to me it will be greatly helpful.
Hospitals are also asking for people who can make sewn cloth masks and things like that so if you're not able to help with printing but are great at sewing consider helping that way.
Thank you everyone for anything you can do to help, even if its just some encouraging words, and if you know someone working on the front lines give them a call, text or message, I am sure they could use someone to chat with for a few minutes.
-Dan
With that I am making as many as I can as fast as I can and I could use some help.
First, I have already produced around 50 shields, I have tried every design I have found on the net as well as doing some designs and upgrades myself and found the best shield so far to be the Prusa shield with a few upgrades.
I can currently produce with my printers around 15 shields a day, while not bad its clearly not as many as places need.
I have spoken to Beaumont Royal Oak and Southfield both said they are very happy to take Shields. Also as I said before I have friends working in Flint as well as nurses and I was told they could really use them as well.
So what I need from you.
I have purchased enough materials to make about 200 shields. The materails are:
Plastic: I have been using PETG and ABS to make them so they can be cleaned and should hold up to be more than one use if it comes to that. Plastic costs approximately $20 a roll.
Film: A1-4 Transparency film, as long as it is .5mm or less thick they work well with the shields, is what I found to be best and I found it at staples and purchased enough for the amount of plastic I bought. Film sheets cost about $50 for 100.
More printing power. I am running my machines 24/7 however if I can get more machines or if others have 3D printers we can produce more of anything the hospitals might need or ask for.
Elastic bands for headbands: I have ordered a bunch from amazon but am waiting for it to arrive, I have been using cloth to tie on the shields until i get the bands. If you have elastic from sewing or anything else it could really help! These cost about $10 a roll.
I have also been making masks however all the hospitals and nurses I have spoken to say they are not able to use them, yet. We obviously hope enough masks get produced by companies to fill the need ASAP but if things go badly I want to have enough to give them at least something to use for protection so even though they can't use them right now I have been making some anyway.
That brings us to why the GoFundMe. I could use help with materials and printers, either money to buy more myself and allow me to make more shields, masks and anything else the hospitals might need. Also to try to find others who have 3D printers or materials are are willing to help. Each shield costs approximately $2 in materials and each mask about $3.
ALL money raised by this GoFundMe will go to materials and more printers to make more shields, masks and anything else any nurse, doctor or hospital asks for. If you are medical worker and need any of these things PLEASE contact me and I will help in any way I can!
If you have a printer please contact me and help produce the things the hospitals need, I know it wont seem like much with only 1 or a few printers but everything helps right now. If you have elastic or have a local shop with A1 to A4 transparency film available, I bought Staples in Troy out of it, please either let me know so I can get it or if you can get it and ship it to me it will be greatly helpful.
Hospitals are also asking for people who can make sewn cloth masks and things like that so if you're not able to help with printing but are great at sewing consider helping that way.
Thank you everyone for anything you can do to help, even if its just some encouraging words, and if you know someone working on the front lines give them a call, text or message, I am sure they could use someone to chat with for a few minutes.
-Dan
Organizer
Dan Kennedy
Organizer
Royal Oak, MI