Community / Batch of face shields made with 3D printer to be sent south to NHS
THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic has seen the Shetland community rally together, from hundreds of people sewing scrubs for NHS staff to folk fundraising and shops offering home deliveries to the vulnerable.
One more slightly high-tech way Steven Moar has been helping out, though, is by making plastic face shields for the NHS using a 3D printer.
He works at the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway and he took the printer from the college with him when he had to work from home.
Steven, whose wife works in the A&E at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, said he is “just trying to do his bit to help”.
The masks are not actually needed in Shetland, but a batch of 50 will be sent to the mainland for distribution.
The 3D printer has been used to create the plastic headband, with the clear visor than added on.
“When all this Covid-19 started and we had to work from home the idea was that I could start printing while getting on with some work,” Steven said.
“I had a few issues with the printer and the time it took to print but I worked out the issues and got the mask print time down from just over three hours to one hour and 15 minutes.
“I’m just trying to do my bit to help – my wife works for the NHS in A&E so with her working and the two kids at home we have to try and use the time productively.”
The NAFC Marine Centre said the printer had recently been bought as joint project between its engineering department and Shetland College’s computing department with funding from the digitalXtra fund.
Watch a video of the 3D printer in action below.
https://www.facebook.com/NAFCMarineCentreUHI/posts/2598920346879506?__cft__[0]=AZVN06xpba078wyWdo3SBqDffXbmCUvoeA73OlTWRfIj9u6KjqgWXRTdydzIb1Ph1CS5-NO-yj8QuLrquGAWdswylvqs4V8AM9_oA3eKtnHs6UJNVELD9Hjo14gDwnI0KH-kkRbFkWmrY1yU-h5zv0r2GNKtuShVAgXtCdwatcvBajlf8ndZG1ulXprIVAFy4Ws&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.