Face shields from the 3D printer

Riccardo Prielipp & Hendrik Unger

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Chemnitz University of Technology, together with allies from Maker vs. Virus, has been printing plastic holders for makeshift visors for medical staff and other professional groups for several weeks. They are intended to bridge the current shortage of protective equipment. Initiator Riccardo Prielipp and Hendrik Unger, a member of staff at the Chair of Factory Planning and Factory Operation, explain how the idea came about, how they produce the shields and what the Maker vs Virus initiative is all about.

How did the idea of producing makeshift visors at Chemnitz University of Technology come about and how were you able to realise it?
Riccardo Prielipp: One of my acquaintances is a nurse. She had seen face shields made by colleagues at another clinic and asked me if we could make something similar at Chemnitz University of Technology. She told me that they urgently needed 50 of them. I then wrote to our colleagues from two professorships and many of them immediately agreed. We then had to sort out the organisation, as the university is currently in stand-by mode and almost everyone is working from home. The next day, we had already successfully completed nine shields. Within a few days, we had already produced 100 of them.
In the meantime, the entire Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and many helpers are involved, meaning that brackets can be printed on a daily basis. A little later, we heard about the volunteer initiative Maker vs. Virus and learnt that private individuals in Chemnitz were also producing face shields on a voluntary basis. We immediately got in touch to join forces and support each other.

How does the production process work?
Hendrik Unger: The original design of the masks comes from Josef Prusa, a pioneer of private 3D printing from the Czech Republic. We were able to download the digital model of the masks from his website. Anyone can then cut the model into lots of small slices on the computer for their own printer. From these individual model slices, the computer then calculates the exact path for each layer that the printer's nozzle has to follow in order to produce it. You can imagine the whole process as being a bit like writing sugar on a cake. If everything was set up correctly, the part is finished after this process and ready for assembly. We then cut the foils to size, punch holes and attach them. When an order is finished, we also deliver it.

At the moment, around 30 people - private individuals, entrepreneurs and TU employees - are involved in the production of the makeshift visors and the logistics in Chemnitz. It takes between 1.5 and 3 hours to produce a face shield, but only one person is needed to operate the device at the beginning; the 3D printer does the rest by itself. The holders can therefore also be printed at the weekend, at home and overnight. The capacity is now around 100 makeshift visors per day.

Where do you get the plastic for the mounts?
Hendrik Unger: If you have a 3D printer yourself, you usually have a small supply of plastic, otherwise you can also order spools of plastic online. At the moment, however, this is up to 50 per cent more expensive than before the pandemic, as global demand is naturally very high now. That's why we have received donations of material from companies, among others. Unfortunately, we are not yet able to produce the plastic strands ourselves. Thanks to the Maker vs. Virus project, we now also have the opportunity to offset material costs through donations.

How high is the demand for your face shields at the moment?
Riccardo Prielipp: Following the press release from our university, many people have contacted us who also need these makeshift visors. At the moment, everyone involved is working at full capacity. Requests for less than 50 units can be met relatively quickly and easily. An order for over 100 units is currently being processed for the Chemnitz fire and rescue service. Individual requests of this size can just about be handled. If there are more, the holders will have to be manufactured by injection moulding companies. Orders normally comprise up to 50 pieces or individual shields.

Who do you donate the makeshift visors to?
Riccardo Prielipp: We have delivered makeshift visors to nursing homes in Chemnitz, the DRK hospital in Rabenstein and the Mittweida Clinical Centre, for example, as well as some to dentists in the city. We also received small requests from daycare centres, hairdressers and beauty salons, which we were also able to serve.

All helpers give the face shields free of charge to those who need them. In order to be able to help quickly and unbureaucratically, the face shields are makeshift equipment that is not certified by a test seal. They are primarily intended to provide additional protection for the wearer.

How many private individuals and companies have offered help?
Hendrik Unger: I am part of the Chemnitz team at Maker vs. Virus, a Germany-wide organisation website where you can get in touch if you either need protective equipment and the like or if you can provide something. You can then find each other on makervsvirus.org and plan together. The Chemnitz team consists of around 15 to 20 people and we receive enquiries and offers of help via this platform every day.
Riccardo Prielipp: The companies Hörmann Rawema Engineering & Consulting GmbH and WIR electronic GmbH support us in production, as do countless colleagues from other faculties at the university. But private individuals who have their own 3D printers are also helping out and printing holders for the shields.

How can individuals help? For example, can you donate unused overhead transparencies?
Hendrik Unger: Yes, we can always use laminating and overhead transparencies. Anyone is welcome to get in touch via makervsvirus.org and we will then collect the transparencies. Anyone who wants to help can also donate so that we can buy materials.
Riccardo Prielipp: Otherwise, anyone is welcome to spread the word by word of mouth that we can help with face shields so that we can reach as many people as possible, and anyone who has their own 3D printer is welcome to print via makervsvirus.org.

Until when will the campaign continue?
Riccardo Prielipp: There are no plans to end it yet. We want to serve all needs for as long as we can.
Hendrik Unger: We're doing all this because we want to help locally as quickly as possible for as long as we can.

What are your hopes for the time after the coronavirus crisis?
Hendrik Unger: I hope that we can maintain the collaboration through Maker vs. Virus and that our group will continue to exist. I would also like to see the social bonding that is currently taking place continue after the pandemic.