Our Story

Who We've Donated To

How to Run a Shop

If you would like to run a face shield production shop but are in need of 3D printers, we recommend contacting your local school district. They likely have 3D printers that are going unused. If 3D printers are not an option for your group, there are some face shield designs available online that do not require 3D printing. You can also find a number of face mask designs for those that have a sewing machine.

Keeping your volunteers safe:

• Ask volunteers to take their temperature before arriving to a shift so they don't come with a fever
• Discourage anyone who has been on a trip in the last two weeks from participating
• Discourage anyone who has a high risk family member at home from participating
• If you don't feel well, don't participate even if you think it is only allergies
• Everyone should wear a facemask
• Observe the social distancing guidelines of keeping 6 feet apart as much as possible
• Wash hands frequently. Gloves could also be an option for those who want them, but avoiding face contact is more important
• Disinfect keyboards and mice between shifts
• Only have 3-4 volunteers working at a time (depends on the number of printers you're running)
• To comply with most schools' YPP (youth protection policies), remember to schedule enough people to avoid a situation where there is one student with one adult, unless they are family members

3D Printing Information

KnightKrawler is printing the Stratasys visor. This visor has been approved by the FDA and VA. KnightKrawler chose this design because it works with any clear plastic with a 3-hole punch. This makes it possible to replace damaged shields with basic office supplies without any special tools. Another popular design is the Prusa design, modified for the American 3-hole punch. This design is more durable, but takes 2-3 times longer to print. There are many options available and they are easy to find on the internet. If you are using a design that has not yet been approved by the FDA, please contact the facility to which you plan to donate, to ensure they will accept the design before you print them.

We have found that we can tweak the configuration of our printers and slicers to dramatically improve print speed. Many printers/slicers are configured for quality and detail. By adjusting your layers, and speed, you will see noticeable improvements. We have cut the time of our Stratasys prints down from 87 minutes to 56 minutes, per visor. PLA can typically print faster than other 3D printer filaments. You can take advantage of this fact by trying speeds above the default. PLA does not hold up as well to strong solvents, compared to PETG, but is more cost effective, prints faster, and has been approved by the FDA.

• Download the Stratasys face shield design
• Learn about 3D printing face shield headbands
• Download the .dxf file for cutting the clear plastic shields

We are here to help. If you need advice on setting up a shop, 3D printing or anything related, please email COVID19@team2052.com