University creating PPE for frontline

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is helping frontline NHS workers by 3D printing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Health workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic are in urgent need of face shields to help protect them from the virus. GCU has committed to help the effort by printing up to 12 of the plastic headbands for the shields every day.

The bands, which take around seven hours to print, are created in batches of four and then sent to 3Dcrowd.

Professor Scott Mcmeekin, vice-dean of GCU’S School for Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: “We are actually looking to bring forward planned investment in additional 3D printers, which will expand our capacity and ability to respond to this call over the next couple of weeks.

“By working with 3Dcrowd, we are ensuring that the bands we are providing are used in a safe and appropriate environment, and that will free up items which already conform with health, safety and environmental protection standards for use in intensive care. The headset is a design that has been shared across the world and what we are doing is part of the global response.”

The portable printers are usually used to assist in student work, but are currently set up in two faculty members’ homes to print the bands, with the first 20 already being sent for assembly.

The university has also donated a range of other protective equipment including 6,700 nitrile gloves and 1,400 disposable aprons. More than 500 third-year student nurses from GCU have started paid work on the front line with the NHS this week to support the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

People across the country have been using 3D printers to try and help provide the vital equipment.