Fighting COVID-19 with 3D Printing

Department of Informatics of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra produces protective face shields for COVID-19

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In Slovakia, like in the rest of the world, there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. Therefore, employees of the Department of Informatics of CPU in Nitra decided to help and contribute to Slovak healthcare by producing protective face shields on their 3D printers.

Thanks to the participation of the Department of Informatics and the Department of Language Pedagogy and Intercultural studies of the CPU in Nitra in the international Erasmus+ project 3D Printing Support Services for Innovative Citizens (2019-1-IE02-KA203-000693), the participants received a model of a protective face shield from their colleagues from Spain. This model is faster and more economical to make on 3D printers than the commonly produced models in Slovakia.

The Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences prof. Petrovic highly appreciated the active participation of the employees with their help to protect the healthcare workers on the front line against coronavirus.

The printed protective face shields are not just prototypes, because after adding an elastic attachment cord and an A4 size plastic sheet, the shield is ready to be used. These shields are made from materials which can be cleaned, disinfected and used again. PLA plastic is used, because it is biologically degradable and it is easy to use. The programme for the model was improved and now 2 shields can be printed simultaneously in one printer in 3,5 hours. According to Zoltan Balogh, the Department of Informatics is also able to design and produce in these 3D printers respirators with changeable filters or parts for ventilators.

Doc. Mgr. Eva Reid, PhD.

Doc. Ing. Zoltan Balogh, PhD.

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