3D printing done from home provides visors to Plett’s frontline staff
In the update provided by Bitou’s Cov-id-19 response team last week [read it on the Editors Desk at www.cxpress.co.za], Plett resident Jason Graber is acknowledged for having produced more than 50 face shields by using his 3D printer.
These masks have been donated to bolster the town’s effort to timeously provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to volunteers and frontline medical personnel by the time the pandemic rolls down the Garden Route.
When we tracked him down remotely at his Kransbos abode this weekend, Jason said that the number of visors had doubled by the time of writing.
He elaborated: “With the outbreak of Covid-l9, it soon became apparent that many types of personal protection equipment would be in short supply – this included face masks and face visors.
“All of a sudden, the various 3D-printing communities that I am part of on Facebook moved from posts about the latest, coolest gadgets that someone had printed, to posts about visors and masks to help to protect frontline workers from the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“It was incredible to see so many people globally offering their assistance and get on with printing protective equipment from the safety of their own homes.
“When we went into lockdown. I started doing a bit of research and running test prints to choose the best design to go with. At the same time, I saw a post on Facebook from local medical volunteer Maggie Ubs-dell, asking if there was anyone in Plett with 3D printers… Perfect timing!
“I, in turn, posted a request to see who else could assist with 3D printing, and Jessica Piper of 3D Goodies fame got hold of me, as she too was in the process of printing visors.
“So to date in Plett, myself (3D Printing Studio) and Jessica have printed and supplied 100 face visors to Dr Nicola White-man and her Covid-19 Response Team. And should there be a need for more we will continue to supply our frontline workers.
“The design we are using has been widely adopted internationally. The key factors of this design are sufficient protection, comfort, minimal printing time, and readily-available clear shield material.”
Jason added that each visor frame took 80 minutes to print on their machines, and that A4 clear transparency film and file dividers worked perfectly for the purpose.
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process and unlike other subtractive processes such as laser cutting and CNC cutting, 3D printing has very little wastage of materials.
“This makes it a lot more environmentally friendly,” Jason explained, “and a true perk to this tech is that you can ‘prim’ accurate and functional items from the comfort of your own home.”
A significant perk this proves indeed, given the context of our current lockdown and future isolation prospects. For enquiries regarding face visors and 3D printing in general, call Jason on 076 522 0343 or Jessica on 082 757 1391.