Total number of shields printed and shipped:  32,725

Dear Makers,

Many of you have expressed interest in helping out with printing face shields for medical facilities. We’re making almost 200 per day here at the HVAMC and three different medical organizations have said they will take as many as we can make.  In NYC, one hospital is looking for 25,000 of these.

We would like to thank the NoVo Foundation and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation for donating to this special project. 

Thanks to our partners who are contributing to this effort:

Many, many folks at IBM
The Gunk Foundation 
New Paltz Middle School PTA
Matthew Landolfa, Unlimited Tomorrow, Inc. 
Dr. Nathaniel Cady, SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Rondout Valley High School
Steve Murphy, Schatz Bearing
Myles Harris, Allendale Machinery
Kimberly Sweck, Arlington High School
Walter Woytkiw, Ignite Fitness, New Paltz
Garrett Noach, Lamothermic Corp. 
Jacqueline Kocik, Red Hook High School RoboRaiders
Enda Ryan, Poughkeepsie Public Library
Aaron Hopmayer, Pine Bush High School
Allen Anderson, SUNY Oneonta
Lisa Kappler, Saugerties High School
Amy Laughlin, Vassar Innovation Lab
Matt Gottstine, MPI 
Sal Ligotino, Ulster BOCES
Alex Ferguson, Esopus Public Library 
SUNY New Paltz Engineering students Michael Staudigel, Vito Ciraco and Issa Nesheiwat
MakerBot - for their kind donation of parts to keep our Replicator 2 printers running!

Downloadable Files

Stl files are available here on our GitHub site.  There are two files - one for the headpiece, one for a band in the back.. The dimensions for the headpiece are: 167.34 mm x 136.75 mm x 15.03 mm. The dimensions for the strap are 118.25 mm x 23.00 mm x 1.20 mm. Also available for download is a template for punching holes in an 8.5x11 transparency.  A picture of the assembly without the shield is shown below.

Printing Suggestions

We recommend using PLA. Other materials are fine, but PLA is the least expensive and most environmentally friendly 3D printing material. Suggested print settings optimized for speed are at the Github site.  These will really push your printer so use them with caution.  No raft or supports are needed. 

Hygiene and Packaging

It’s really important not to pass along any viral material. Our best guess at the right procedure is to take them right off the build plate (wearing gloves) and put them in ziplock bags. The gallon sized will hold 10 complete sets.  If you’re using multiple printers, it’s really helpful to run them in batches. I would minimize the number of people around the printers and everyone should be washing hands/sanitizing regularly.  We do not want to make the problem worse.

Shields and Rubber Bands

The best solution we have so far for the shields are transparencies.  The best ones are the original write-on kind or the types for laser printers/copiers.  Avoid using the old thermal types or the ones for inkjet printers.  The holes can be easily made using an adjustable 3-hole punch.  You can set it up so you punch two holes on side and then flip it over to punch the other two holes from the other side.  It just needs to line up with the Mask Pattern file.   We are trying to use 0.005 inch PETG, which we think will be better than transparencies.

For rubber bands, we’ve been using the big bags of 3.5” rubber bands from Staples.  Anything around that size is fine.  

Distribution

Option 1: You can send us the 3D printed headpiece at the address below.  We’re happy to print the other part and supply the rubbers bands and transparencies.

Option 2: You can assemble the headpiece and band with the rubber bands and distribute them to health care providers, first responders, etc. yourself with the hole-punched transparencies.  We do not put the transparency on the headpiece before distribution.  Just makes sure that the transparency is easy to attach.  These folks are very, very busy. 

Other Face Shield Efforts

3D Printing
https://www.stratasys.com/
https://www.teclens.com/ (this would be good for anyone in Westchester County, NYC or Long Island)

Laser Cutting
https://making.engr.wisc.edu/shield/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xR156kRXcCUCZUcy8NOOBMHXp29ty_vXM1YZnlErDgI/edit

There is a lot here and many possible things that could go wrong, so please let me know if anything is unclear or doesn’t work. Please send comments or questions to:  hvamc@newpaltz.edu. 

Thanks for your help in this difficult time.

Dan Freedman
Director, Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center
SUNY New Paltz
1 Hawk Drive
Science Hall, Room 154
New Paltz, NY 12561

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