DCA supporting faceshield PPE initiative

Published on: 14^th June 2020

Since Covid-19 has gripped the country and lockdown began, we’ve been very pleased that we’ve been able to help by utilising our 3D printing capabilities to print headband and chin piece components for emergency faceshields. To date, this community led initiative set up by 3P Innovation in collaboration with SolidPrint 3D and others, has prepared and donated over 20,000 faceshields for NHS workers, care workers and frontline community service staff.

Over this period, we have been contributing to this effort running our available rapid prototyping equipment non-stop at our Warwick premises. In addition, the DCA team of home printers has also been working hard keeping their personal machines running. Those efforts were generously backed by donations from the wider DCA team to more than cover the material costs. The balance has been donated to Covid-19 related charities.

We’re only too pleased to be able to help at this time and proud that the drive and commitment of the DCA team have delivered around 2,000 parts to this worthy initiative.

The printing activities are now scaling back as injection moulding tools come online to mass produce parts. We’re delighted that the efforts from the wider 3D printing community have clearly made a difference for front line workers, who have been unable to acquire PPE from the usual channels in the interim.

It is great to see how this community has come together to make a difference.