“A physician of St. John Paul II Memorial Hospital in Grodzisk Mazowiecki has approached us asking to provide personal protective equipment if possible,” says Michał Kowalik, Ph.D., Eng., Head of the 3D Printing Lab and 3D Academy and Supervisor of the 3D Printing Student Research Group. The Student Research Group members and scientists responded with help and launched the production in just two days. They have printed several dozen visors set to be delivered to hospitals still this week. Most of the visors will be provided to the hospital in Grodzisk Mazowiecki and some will be sent to the Gamma Clinic in Warsaw. Once those two facilities are sufficiently equipped, the scientists intend to continue their work to cater to other institutions.

Printed elements of a mask are parts of the face shield. Printable in three hours, such an element costs merely a few zlotys. Elements are printed of the Calibram BT material donated to the scientists by HMF CHEMICAL and REbuild. A visor sheet made of laser-cut PET film and elastic band make a mask complete. In the final step, the finished mask is disinfected with alcohol and ozonized. The protective visors are light-weight, comfortable and durable and disinfectable, which makes them suitable for reuse.

As many as 25 printers, of which more than a dozen have been built by students during the 3D Academy classes, are used in production. And the output is growing and is intended to reach an ambitious target of 75 masks per day.