The Production of Face Shields in Response to COVID-19

In late 2019, the world began to take notice of a new, aggressive respiratory illness emerging from Asia. As the situation escalated, it became clear that the impact would be profound, leading to significant disruptions in daily life. While the initial response was relatively mild, the situation quickly deteriorated, resulting in widespread restrictions including travel bans, the cancellation of large events, and social distancing measures requiring a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between individuals. Schools and non-essential businesses were closed, with regulations varying from state to state and even within regions.

Despite the challenges, the community in Schaffenburg adapted by shifting activities online. Regular meetings were replaced with virtual conferences using platforms like Mumble and Jitsi, and communication surged through the club's Telegram channels. It was through one of these channels that news broke of a request from the disaster management leadership in Aschaffenburg seeking protective equipment, as global markets had been depleted of masks and face shields.

This prompted a flurry of internal discussions on how to contribute. While masks were not available, the club decided to focus on producing face shields. The foundation for their design was based on a model from Prusa Research, a leading manufacturer of 3D printers. The team made several modifications to the original design, which were presented to the local disaster management group. Following discussions with a local hospital that provided additional suggestions for improvements, the team received permission from the city of Aschaffenburg to begin production in their facilities.

The production process involved multiple steps: 1. Members printed individual parts at home using their 3D printers. 2. A designated logistics coordinator collected the parts and brought them to the club. 3. The parts underwent quality control and any necessary finishing touches. 4. The actual shields were cut from a 1mm thick film using a laser cutter. 5. After removing the protective film, the shields were placed in an oven for a brief period to set their shape. 6. The assembly followed, where printed components were affixed with welding pads, the shield was clipped in place, and elastic bands were attached. 7. Finally, a thorough quality check was conducted.

Creating each shield required over 30 minutes of labor, excluding the printing time, which was a significant investment given that the product was intended for single-use in hospitals. Subsequently, the team also developed a simplified version for dental professionals, utilizing fewer and more quickly printed components.

For more details on this initiative, an article titled "The Tinkers of Schaffenburg and the TH Create Aids for Staff and Patients" can be found in the Main-Echo, along with a dedicated page on "Improvised Face Shields" in the Schaffenburg wiki.