News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Workers at GE Additive have created a 3D printed component that transforms a hard hat into a protective face shield, which can be worn by frontline medical staff to protect against COVID-19. The face shield, created in collaboration with Ohio-based TriHealth, can help to extend the lifespan of medical-grade N95 masks, which are in critically short supply.
3D printing company Carbon has ramped up its effort to fight against COVID-19. The company announced today that it is producing over 1 million nasopharyngeal swabs per week to help support widespread testing fo COVID-19. The company has also revealed that sportswear giant adidas is using its Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) systems to help 3D print PPE face shields for U.S. healthcare workers.
While many departments at Harvard University are quiet and empty these days, some, like the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, are still open and active, helping to develop solutions for diagnosing and treating COVID-19. Researchers from the Wyss Institute are working on a number of initiatives which are already helping medical frontline workers.
SLM Solutions has announced a strategic partnership with Canwell Medical, a leading medical device manufacturer in China. Through the alliance, Canwell Medical will use SLM machines to develop 3D printed surgical implant products. SLM Solutions will provide technical and application assistance, as well as research and development support to further accelerate Canwell Medical’s product certification and serial production.
The University Hospital Trust (AP-HP) in Paris, the largest hospital system in Europe, has installed a fleet of 60 industrial-grade Stratasys 3D printers to aid in its fight against COVID-19. The machines, which were delivered within 24 hours of ordering on March 31, will enable the French hospital system to produce PPE and other medical parts on site and on demand.
Belgian 3D printing company Materialise has developed a 3D printed conversion kit to create oxygen PEEP masks which could help to reduce the strain on mechanical ventilator supplies. The mask is designed to be fabricated from easily accessible medical equipment and the 3D printed Materialise NIP (non-invasive PEEP mask) Connector.
Mobility goes Additive e.V. (MGA) has launched a new online platform dedicated to the additive manufacturing industry: weboostam.com. The platform features a number of use cases for 3D printing, including some that are specific to the COVID-19 pandemic like emergency masks, face shields, venturi valves and more.
Around the world, manufacturing companies from across many industries have mobilized their production resources to produce medical devices that are in urgent demand. In the automotive sector, we’ve noticed a trend amongst companies to leverage their additive manufacturing resources to support the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as parts for ventilators and respirators. In the following article, we’ll look at what some major automotive players are doing to support COVID-19 relief efforts.
American filament company 3D Printlife has announced it is donating 4,000 kg of PLA to support the production of 3D printed face shields for medical workers. The amount of material is expected to be enough to 3D print over 115,000 Prusa-designed face shields. As part of its effort, 3D Printlife is seeking makerspaces, fab labs, service bureaus and 3D printing experts to join its Life Support COVID-19 Support Center in order to connect them to 2,000 hospitals and medical centers.
Czech automobile manufacture ŠKODA revealed that it is using its in-house Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing equipment to help in the production of respirators for front-line medical staff. Developed by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) at the Czech Technical University, the respirator is designed to be reusable and could help protect doctors and nurses from COVID-19 exposure.