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Solvay supports COVID-19 efforts with materials expertise AM Industry

by Business

Belgian chemical company Solvay is leveraging its extensive expertise in thermoplastic materials—and especially medical-grade plastics—to support various efforts aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The company announced this week that it has partnered with aerospace company Boeing to support its production of 3D printed face shields, and it is offering additional support to healthcare providers and other companies seeking to help.

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How 3D printed nasal swabs could support widespread COVID-19 testing AM Industry

by Medical

As has quickly become apparent in the fight against COVID-19, one of the critical factors in stemming the spread of the virus and understanding its reach is widespread testing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted testing in its guidance to governments, but on the ground many countries have struggled to scale up testing operations to the point required. One of the key inhibitors to adopting more broad testing is a lack of supplies, including test kits and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

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[Updated] Medtronic releases all CAD files and PCB schematics for PB560 ventilator manufacturing AM Industry

by Business

Medtronic, one of the largest medical device manufacturers in the world, has released the design specifications for the Medtronic PB560 ventilator system to help address the shortage of ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first release over 200 pages of documentation. In the v2 release that was just published, the firm made available manufacturing fixtures, printed circuit board drawings (including multiple BOMs), mechanical part drawings and even all 3D CAD files. Some of these parts could be rapidly produced using 3D printing and Medtronic is certainly not new to the technology.