3D printed face shields go nationwide
If the face shields made by ShieldsUp were stacked end on end, they would reach almost as high as the Auckland Sky Tower.
This fact, among others, is courtesy of a project by WelTec robotics tutor Frank Beinersdorf, and a result of work by hundreds of volunteers 3D printing face shields in their homes around the country.
His real-time map shows demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as fulfilled orders, and volunteers’ locations.
Beinersdorf had volunteered for ShieldsUp since its early stages, and the group now consisted of more than 200 volunteers.
When PPE was in hot demand around the country, the organisation was formed so people and businesses could log their requests for face shields, which were then produced by people with 3D printers, and hand delivered to them wherever they were in New Zealand.
Drawing on his knowledge of coding, Beinersdorf used the data collected to create a heatmap of demand, show jobs in real time, and visualise the data in interesting ways.
For example, if one person had attempted to produce the same number of shields with one average 3D printer running 24/7, it would have taken 782 days and three hours.
The map showed the scale and spread of production, and showed how people came together in a crisis. ‘‘It puts it into perspective,’’ Beinersdorf said.
The website was built using Python script, and contained about 1000 lines of code.
It was an ongoing project ensuring it coped with traffic and new data.
As of Friday, 1662 face masks were still needed, but they had delivered 16,475 — 90 per cent of what was requested.
ShieldsUp founder Tim Carr said
Beinersdorf’s work had become invaluable as they grew.
‘‘What he did in regard to visualising a rapidly growing data set has allowed us to see where resources were needed and demand was growing.’’
Medical consultant Matt Carter had single-handedly printed more than 500, and delivered more than 1000 face shields.
Carter was brought on to ensure hygiene and safety standards were appropriately followed.
As the masks were made in people’s homes they needed to be cleaned before distribution, which was as simple as washing with soap and water.
The masks often went directly from the homes they were made to pharmacies, supermarkets, and other businesses that were not covered by DHBs or struggling to access supply.
Now ShieldsUp was noticing an increase in demand from dentists and a new design leaving more room for magnifying eyewear was being used.
Each shield cost $5-$7 to make, and the work was funded mostly by a Givealittle page, which had received $103,000 in donations so far — still only a little more than their material cost.
Home 3D printers were more common than you would think, Carter said.
He had been using one he owned, an enthusiast himself, and one he had taken home before the lockdown for maintenance from work, a company that created hip and knee replacements. ‘‘It’s an amazing hobby. You see something, and print it.’’