While our 3D printers are usually used to provide our students with hands-on printing experience, the current COVID-19 situation has resulted in an urgent need for more Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers, a need which 3D printers can be used to meet.

Recognising this need and their ability to be able to help, local 3D printing company Frontier 3D contacted the College to see if we had any 3D printers that we could loan to them for the production of face shields. We were more than happy to assist with this wonderful initiative, loaning them the College's two 3D printers. 
 
With Frontier 3D's existing printers, plus those loaned from Lumen Christi as well as others loaned from Willetton Senior High School, an output of 40 face shields per day can be produced – each one taking about two hours to print using Polylactic Acid (PLA) for the headpiece, which is fitted with a laser–cut clear Polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) face shield.

The face shields, which can be thoroughly cleaned and reused, will be used by medical personnel to act as a barrier for droplet spread, and also help them to refrain from inadvertently touching their face.