3D printer used to produce face shields
By day, Butler County resident Richard Dudley is a computer programmer for Quicken Loans. He's worked from his home office for eight years.
But at night, Dudley goes down to his basement, turns on his Original Prusa i3 MK3s 3D printer and makes face shields to protect people against COVID-19.
The idea for printing shields was a joint effort between Dudley and Tom Martin, director of Martin Funeral Home in Butler.Martin saw a company on TV that was using 3D printers to make face shields. Dudley had a 3D printer. Martin knew that.“I just wanted to know if he could make them,” Martin said. “He jumped right in.”“It's a hobby of mine,” Dudley said. “I hadn't even thought about the funeral-director angle.”Between Martin's original inquiry March 25 and Dudley setting to work on the first face shield Thursday, Dudley didn't just agree to try printing face shields. He bought a new printer to try it with.“I'm happy to do it,” Dudley said. “It's a high-stakes craft project.”
Funeral homes are struggling to get protective supplies to use when handling bodies.Martin said while he's concerned about the COVID-19 spread in general, funeral home workers — especially embalmers — have an increased risk of catching the virus.COVID-19 is primarily transferred via close person-to-person contact. But that doesn't mean it can't be contracted from a body following death.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it might be possible for someone to contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.The CDC warns on its website about people touching the body of someone who died of COVID-19, adding that people should also — if at all possible — avoid kissing, washing and shrouding someone before, during and after a body has been prepared.“Our person-to-person contact has gone way down,” Martin said. “Everything is very private.”Martin Funeral Home is a family business, with four to seven people working at a time.Though funeral homes are open and operating, Martin said the atmosphere has changed.Funerals are no longer any bigger than 10 people, and families aren't accepting hugs, kisses or handshakes. Martin said his funeral home is operating on a “very scaled down” level.“It's very unusual,” Martin said. “It's almost sad.”
Dudley is using a face shield design released by Josef Prusa, the Czech inventor instrumental in developing 3D printers.There aren't many components to the shield.Dudley prints the headbands and small pieces that bend the shields into place. A strip of elastic keeps the headbands on heads. The face visors are acetate. Dudley is using binder covers to make them.“It's very much a craft project,” Dudley said.He said Staples and Amazon have been his main suppliers.Between printing and assembling, each shield takes four to six hours to make. Dudley said he will get faster with practice.The good news is he can set his Prusa i3 MK3s to print and work on something else.“It's quiet,” Dudley said. “It's fast and precise.”Though morticians wear protective gear in normal conditions, Martin is excited to try Dudley's face shields.“These shields give you better vision,” Martin said. “Your face is more protected.”
Dudley successfully printed and assembled his first mask Thursday night. The next step is to check dimensions and usability.“You have to do a quality check,” Dudley said.If the face shield holds together well and passes Martin's inspection, Dudley will be printing more and donating them to local professionals.He's even willing to go so far as to provide them for doctors and surgeons, if the need arises.But at the moment, he's focused on putting the shields in the hands of Martin and — if they want them — other morticians.“I'll print as long as I can get materials,” Dudley said. “As many as I can.”Despite the challenges communities are facing, Martin sees the pandemic as an opportunity for goodwill. People and businesses are collaborating to meet shortages and work within restrictions.“We've become such a 'me' society,” Martin said. “It really is nice to see.”For Dudley, at-home 3D printing is just beginning to scratch the surface of what technology — and people — can do to help.“Dust off the sewing machines and Cricuts,” Dudley said. “There are thousands of people around the world just making.”
