The visor is a simple product that lends itself to manufacture with a combination of readily available materials and 3D printing technology. Therefore, there are lots of companies and individuals, large and small, who can help with this.
A growing group of businesses is urgently calling for more companies to join its initiative to put in place an end-to-end supply chain for desperately needed protective face visors for NHS and other workers in the fight against COVID-19. The group aims to achieve volumes of approx. 15,000 units/day.
Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing has been widely quoted in the national press saying: “I am hearing from nurses who are treating patients in Covid-19 wards without any protection at all. This cannot continue. They are putting themselves, their families and their patients at risk.”
“Every minute we wait is a minute too long. All nursing staff, no matter where they work, must feel safe. We need action, we need equipment, we need it now.”
NHS GP Dr Ian Morris, of Leatside Surgery in Totnes echoed these sentiments, saying: “Doctors and nurses on the front line of the NHS are in desperate need of protective equipment. Facial protection is really in short supply. With the current predictions of cases we must all be prepared, and companies coming together in a coordinated effort to help would make a real difference.”
“The group needs more companies and individuals with 3D printers to support with manufacture and supply of the ‘headbands’ and ‘bottom reinforcement’ components.. We have set up 3P as a “hub” to take delivery of parts.”
Simple Product to Save Lives
The visor is a simple product that lends itself to manufacture with a combination of readily available materials and 3D printing technology. Therefore, there are lots of companies and individuals, large and small, who can help with this.
3P Innovation Ltd, a custom automation company specialising in medical devices and pharmaceutical equipment, initiated the project and is co-ordinating the efforts. Among the organisations already on board are Dutch medical technology and packaging specialist Nelipak, and the University of Warwick.
The group is now appealing for more companies and individuals to volunteer their time and facilities – to make the components urgently and donate them to SAVE LIVES.
Volunteer to make components here: https://bit.ly/NHSvisors3P
Who Can Help with This Project?
In particular, the group needs companies and individuals with 3D printers to support with manufacture and supply of the ‘headbands’ and ‘bottom reinforcement’ components.
Dave Seaward, 3P’s Owner and Projects Director, said: “Our aim is to get hundreds of businesses and hobbyists, engineering companies and product design agencies who own 3D printers to join arms and contribute to a vital cause. We have set up 3P as a “hub” to take delivery of parts.”
“We are now also urgently ramping up to high-volume production. This means investing in injection moulding tooling and purchase of thousands of components to enable us to deliver thousands of finished visors daily.”
3P has set up bins at its facility for this purpose:
- For 3D printed parts
- For button elastic
- For visors (clear, transparent material, c. 0.20-0.4mm thick, cut to the defined shape)
- For packaging materials (plastic bags, cartons)
3P is managing the cleaning / decontamination, packing and preparation of finished “kits” of visors.
Company Managing Director Tom Bailey added: “With great progress made with the 3D printing approach, we are now also urgently ramping up to high-volume production. This means investing in injection moulding tooling and purchase of thousands of components to enable us to deliver thousands of finished visors daily. 3P’s efforts will help back-fill stocks and will ensure an ongoing supply in the weeks to come.”
Other specific support needed:
- A3 Acetate or PET sheets
- Button Elastic Supply (15-25mm)
- Velcro (18-25mm)
- IPA (70%+) & surgical spirit for cleaning / decontamination of in-bound & outbound product.
- Any PPE (gloves / masks and Tyveks)
- A supply of plastic bags and boxes for outer packaging.
- Transportation for collection and distribution of products
- Shares and likes to spread the message on Social Media
Companies can request further technical information and sign up to help, here:
NHS workers and carers can order the visors here: https://bit.ly/NHSOrder3P
Technical Information About the Visors
The parts are:
- A 3D printed head-band and bottom reinforcement strip to give stiffness and shape
- A transparent screen
- Button elastic to provide an adjustable means of securing the visor to the head
The CAD models for the various components of a design validated by the Czech authorities and made available open source by Prusa, can be downloaded, free-of-charge, here:
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-protective-face-shield-rc2/files
Funding Support
Members of the public and businesses who perhaps cannot offer the services the group needs, but would like to support this project, can make a donation to help cover the costs of the materials and fuel for our volunteers.
Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nhs-covid19-emergency-visor-supply
Link to Press Release