Orange County 3D Printed PPE
We are a group of makers trying to support healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and we are making Face Shields to try and help protect those who are on the front lines as well as essential workers who may be interacting with others with little or no PPE. As of 4/7/2020 we have donated nearly 1300 face shields and have requests for over 2000 more.
If you are not in Orange County, we hope the resources at the bottom of the page are some help to you. We'd like to see all areas do similar things.
What we are doing
We are making and donating face shields. They are made by:
- 3D printed frame
- Clear binding cover (Fellowes Crystals Clear PVC Binding Covers, 8mil Letter)
How can I help?
We are in need of one primary thing - Makers. If you have a 3D printer and want to help out, you can make a difference. If you do not have a printer but are tech-savvy and interested, we can help make recommendations. See the For Makers section below .
I'm not a maker. How else can I help?
- Share a post about this project to get the word to other makers
- Volunteer - It takes a lot of people to coordinate this effort
- Be a "hole puncher" - Help us get the shields ready to attach to the 3D printed frames. You'll collect the plastic shields from our coordinator (Irvine/Tustin area), punch holes in them, and then return them so they can be packaged together with the frames for delivery. You'll need to have/borrow/purchase your own 3-hole punch. It's not a hard job (a little tedious), but not super awesome to do with kids unless they love detail work (the holes need to be pretty precise to snap onto the frame). Use this form to get involved!
- Be a "runner" - Like to drive? You can pick up batches of frames or shields for delivery between makers and the coordinator. Use this form to join us!
- Donate - Donations are used to fund supplies (binding covers and filament) and 3D printers to increase production.
- @OC-3D-PPE (Venmo)
- (Paypal)
Notes on donations - The goal of this page is to find makers and volunteers, not to fundraise. This is simply here for those who want to help in this effort but cannot help another way. Please give knowing that we are not a 501c3 organization and that donations are not tax deductible. All printers purchased with funds from this will be donated to schools, libraries, and non-profit organizations after this is all done.
How do I get face shields?
Use this form to request face shields.
For Makers
If you have a printer and filament
- Use the files below to get started
- If you are in Orange County, CA and would like to contribute your printed frames to the group effort that will be distributed to facilities in need - use this form to register as a maker. Once registered, we'll be able to schedule pickups from you to collect your frames, pair them with shields, and get them delivered!
If you do not have a printer - If you are willing and interested in getting one, here are a couple things to know -
- 3D Printing is not easy. The machines are not as simple as "plug in and use". You should have good technical skills and a problem-solving mind.
- Printers are noisy. Not extremely loud, but if you're in a room with them you'll constantly hear their motors running.
If you are still interested, you can purchase one. I would list several recommended printers and reasons why, but there is only one you should consider if you want to get going quickly, the Creality Ender 3. This is an extremely popular printer, has a very good support base, and more than anything - it's available. I would recommend buying from Creality3d.shop. The price there is $179.99. The warehouse is located in Commerce, CA and you will likely receive the printer in 2 or 3 days. You would also need filament and can buy a roll of PLA on that web site.
It is worth mentioning that due to an incident in the past, credit card companies thing that site is fraudulent. It is not. I (Eric) have bought 3 printers on 2 occasions in the last 3 weeks and received all of them quickly. Still, to be safest, you can use their PayPal checkout and be protected by PayPal's dispute system.
Downloads
STL file we are using
- Face Shield by 3DVerkStan - Download
* Note - There are many frame designs available. This is the one we've decided to use and have hole punchers punching holes to fit this one only.
Alternate STL Files (same design, just modified for specific purposes)- Split Version for Small Printer by kevin_clyne - Download
- Very Small Print Bed Version by ywabiko - Download
- Thicker Brim for using Larger Nozzle - Download
- When moving to a .8 nozzle I found the brim to be too weak and with gaps. This version fixes that.
- Stack of 2 - Download
- I do not recommend the stacks as they leave a lot of remnants on the print. One member of our group is cleaning them up on a belt sander, and that's fine. If you wish to use it and are ok with extra post processing, go for it.
- Stack of 5 - Download
- I do not recommend the stacks as they leave a lot of remnants on the print. One member of our group is cleaning them up on a belt sander, and that's fine. If you wish to use it and are ok with extra post processing, go for it.
- Stack of 8 - Download
- I do not recommend the stacks as they leave a lot of remnants on the print. One member of our group is cleaning them up on a belt sander, and that's fine. If you wish to use it and are ok with extra post processing, go for it.
GCODE
These are GCODE files that have been tested. Please note that they may not work perfectly for your printer as different filaments have different requirements. Most likely, though, these files will work for you if you have the printer listed.
- Creality Ender 3 (2 frames, PLA) - Download
- Monoprice Maker Select (1 frame, PLA) Includes files facing various directions - Download
- Creality CR-10(s) (3 frames, PLA) - Download
- Creality CR-10(s) (3 frames, PETG) - Download
- Creality CR-10(s) (3 frames, PLA, 0.8 nozzle) - Download
- Creality CR-10(s) (3 frames, PETG, 0.8 nozzle) - Download
- Pruse MK3S (2 frames, PETG) - Download
- Anycubic Chiron (6 frames, PLA) - Download
Suggested Settings (not needed if you're using the above GCODE) -
- Layer Height: 0.25
- Walls/Perimiters: 3
- Top/Bottom Layers: 3
- Line Width/Extrusion Width: .48
- Speed: 60mm/s or 3600mm/m
- Temp should match your chosen filament. I'm using 200 for PLA and 235 for PETG.
Laser Cutting the Shields
If you have the ability, you can laser cut the plastic sheets. Below is a download for it.
- Shield Files by Joel Telling (zip) - Download
Laser Cutting / CNC Frames
We have yet to test laser cut and CNC versions of the frames, but you're welcome to try it. Once approved, it will be noted here. Please note that these can NOT be made from wood.
- CNC Frame by Ariel Yahni - Download
Hole Punching Instructions
Below are some instructions for hole punching. In addition, there are two files underneath which may help. You must have a 3 hole punch for this. A heavy duty kind is helpful as the plastic is hard to punch through and you'll need to do hundreds of them.
- The shield needs a total of 6 holes to attach to the frame... two punches with your 3 hole punch
- Set your hole puncher to center the side hole 3/4" from the side of the plastic sheet
- Punch, flip your page (should offset 1" from the existing holes) and do another punch
Downloads to help with hole punching
- Hole Punch Template - Download
- Print the template to use as a guide for hole punching.
- Spacer (3D Printable) - Download
- Placing this spacer at the edge of a standard 3 hole punch should push the sheet to the correct point for punching
Contact
Eric Henninger - Technical QuestionsSarah Pizzaruso - Organization Questions