Coronavirus: Canberrans organise to 3D print protective gear for hospital staff

Daisy He has taken on the role of coordinating the volunteer effort after she and her husband made a face shield frame for a friend who is an intensive care nurse.

"My husband is a big fan of 3D printing," Ms He said. "By chance he saw some US communities 3D printing face shields for hospitals."

Ms He's husband found a template online for making face shields and made a mock version for their friend, Ying Jiang, a nurse in the Canberra Hospital's intensive care unit.

"So we printed out a couple for our friend. She took it to Canberra hospital and all of her colleagues were really happy about it," she said.

Ms Jiang said the 3D-printed shields were superior to commercially made shields.

"It's light, it's simple, it's reusable," Ms Jiang said.

"We've had three different types of face shields. We tried all of them and this is the best. These shields are so essential, and it's a part of our [personal protective equipment] now.

"Other shields, when you wear them for a long time it can be really bad and foggy. Or it can give you a headache from the weight of the shield, or if it's too tight."

But the shields need constant replacing, so there needs to be a steady supply to meaningfully assist hospitals.

Ms He quickly noticed she needed more people involved to provide enough shields.

"We wanted to make more shields, but we only have one printer. To print out one face shield, it takes about two hours, so it's not very productive."

Ms He created a Facebook page for the Canberra DIY 3D Printing group to organise volunteers who print shields.

The page serves as a notice board, giving information about deliveries, and provides updates about new and improved templates for the shields.

"We've already supplied about 300 shields. With our capacity we are only nearly meeting the demand just for the [intensive care unit]," Ms He said.

"We have not even extended our supply to emergency or other places."

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Volunteers also need more supplies to print the masks themselves. Ms He said the group had asked for people to donate materials.

"Previously we got everything out of pocket. In this period of time, some individuals are actually out of a job. So we are asking people to donate materials. The hospital will give us some supplies, and organisations have given donations of 3D printing filament," she said.

"That should last us for a while and I think it's more sustainable than individuals getting this out-of-pocket."

The basic design uses a 3D-printed frame that secures a sheet of clear PVC plastic. The sheet is discarded immediately after use but the frames can be reused a few times if sterilised correctly.

The Australian 3D Manufacturing Association, which is based in Canberra, has donated filament to the group to print more shield frames.

The association's chief executive, Neil Sharwood, said volunteer printing helped provide supplies easily where commercial manufacturing may be difficult.

"Commercially if we produced these items it would not be cost-effective, they would cost $40 per item," Mr Sharwood said.

"But for the home users, who are in lockdown, it's a great use of time."

For those who are interested in do-it-yourself 3D printing, Mr Sharwood recommended doing your research before starting out.

"Talk to other people and get online because getting the right information is going to be crucial to how enjoyable your experience with 3D printing is," he said.

"It's not like running your printer with paper at home. You need the right machine and a little bit of advice."

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