CASE STUDY

rapid production

3D Printing
of PPE Face Shields for Covid-19
Company
3DGence, a manufacturer of Industrial FFF 3D printers, utilized
their reliable technology, skilled R&D and Production teams,
and material expertise to quickly develop a protective face
shield design of which thousands per week can be produced
in rapid succession.

Objective
Utilize FFF 3D printing technology for rapid production of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) face shields. Full-cycle
implementation, from project concept, sourcing required
materials and components, to final production in the 3DGence
Rapid Production Center.

Protective face shield

Challenge assemblies are 3D printed
on the 3DGence DOUBLE P255.

Due to the shortage of PPE caused by the sudden and

wide-spread SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, many
medical and health personnel including hospital, clinic and
first responders are increasingly at risk of exposure to this
highly contagious disease. Restrictions and shortages on
domestic and foreign supplies, as well general disruption in
From Prototype to Final Model Production:
the supply chain, left medical facilities and staff without basic how 3DGence went from concept to 950 piece production runs in 5 days.
required safety measures. 3D printing is perhaps the fastest
way to address this sudden shortage and quickly retrofit
health centres with the missing PPE face shields and other
vital PPE equipment.

THE PROCESS AND URGENCY

Quality Control
In the initial phase of the project, due to the escalation of the
pandemic and fast depletion of existing PPE supply, face 1. 8.
The sudden demand for PPE worldwide caused Correct and optimize the initial design and align
shield prototypes were immediately created, escalated and by the COVID-19 pandemic. production.
approved through quality control and testing, and shifted into
production within a matter of days. Face shield batches are 2. 3DGence escalates the objective to aid the 9. Fast reorganization of the 3DGence Rapid Production
continuously produced daily and delivered to medical facilities supply disruption with PPE concepts. Center and deployment of additional capacity.
in the most urgent need on a regular, as needed basis.
3. Meeting of R&D and Production teams to speed 10. Configure internal quality assurance, control and
a full-cycle roadmap. certification process.
Project Details
4. Alignment of needs with technology; 11. Set goals of 1000 fully finished face shield
prioritization of the face shield concepts. assemblies per day.
3D Printed Protective face shield frame
Product assemblies
5. Sourcing of required 3D Printing materials and 12. Start of continuous batch production over 3 shifts
shield material grades for testing. per day.
Materials PLA
6. Design test prototypes and escalation of quality 13. Delivery of the first several hundred face shields to
3D Printer 32 x 3DGence DOUBLE P255 control for pilot production run. medical facilities in need.
Type and Model (FFF Technology)
7. Deliver the pre-production face shields to
medical facilities for field fit tests.
Output Quantities 950 pcs. / day
 GOALS 3D PRINTING ADVANTAGES
for PPE

1. Rapid Crisis Response and Accelerated Product significantly accelerated Product

Development Cycle time - from concept to
delivery
Due to the critical community needs, 3DGence designed and printed
a prototype of the face shield assembly, and sourced the shield
material and accessories, within two days. A nearby hospital was low material and production costs
selected based on urgent need for a field fit test of the initial prototy-
pes. After working closely with the end-users over a 24 hour period,
the 3DGence team made the necessary modifications to the prototy- quick modification and optimization
pe design. Production of several thousand fully assembled protective of designs
face shields began within days of the project initiation. 3DGence
executes the 3D Printing Value Proposition. The total product cycle
time from concept to delivery was 5 days.
3D Printers can print 24 hours
per day with minimal labor
and oversight

2. Rapid Production with 3D Printing

Rapid production emphasizes the automation of manufacturing

significant quantities of products in an accelerated time frame
compared to conventional production processes. 3D printing has
evolved to meet this challenge, and has proven to be a viable alterna-
tive to conventional production methods. While 3D Printing has been
used primarily for rapid prototyping or small batch production in the
recent past, the technology has evolved to provide rapid production
capabilities. The evolution of 3D printing into rapid manufacturing is
due to the progress and technological innovation of machine coding
and high-speed components, which optimizes the 3D model to be
printed with required quality at fast speeds, without additional steps
or molding processes. To optimize the production of multiple face
shield components at one time per each 3D printer, the 3DGence
production team optimized the 3D model using CAD design software,
as well as leveraged the enhanced capabilities of 3DGence SLICER
4.0 industrial-grade software. The 3DGence DOUBLE P255 can
produce two full sets of face shield components in 25 minutes. The
available print area is 190 × 255 × 195 mm.

PLA and PET-G materials were used to

procue face-shield assemblies.

3. The 3DGence Rapid Production Center

3DGence owns and operates Rapid Production Centers in Europe and

the USA, each equipped with over 40 machines for rapid prototyping
and production - from professional to industrial grade high-tempera-
ture 3D Printers. The face-shield assemblies were printed on 32
professional DOUBLE P255 3D printers - which were specifically
designed for high-volume prototyping. They are equipped with 0.6
mm diameter high-strength steel nozzles. The increased diameter
enables significant shortening of the total print time, while mainta-
ining the high-quality and durability. The use of 32 printers produced
950 face shield assemblies per day with two production shifts. 10,000
pieces are produced in just over one week.

3DGence DOUBLE P255 during 3D

printing process.
 The daily production
was 950 pcs.

Assembly of the
protective face shields.

Packing in ziplock bags.

The face-shield assemblies

were printed on 32 printers.
10,000 pieces are produced
in just over one week.
RECOMMENDATION
Our Gratitude Goes to The Medical
and Health Personnel Taking Care of Us
National Research Institute of Oncology
in Gliwice
Thank you 3DGence for 200 protective
shields for our employees. Your help is
priceless. By supporting the National Institute
of Oncology in Gliwice, you are helping not
only our medical staff, but above all patients
who feel safe thanks to you.
Medical Centre in Sosnowiec.
Hospital in Tychy
Thanks to your commitment, delivered
shields will ensure the safety of patients and
medical staff during the coronavirus
pandemic. The purchase of personal
protective equipment is currently very difficult
due to the lack of wholesalers, product
prices are inadequately hig. Thank you for
your support. Thank you for being with us!
Health Care Centre in Gliwice.
Emergency medical services in
Tarnowskie Góry
Paramedics stand on the front line.
That is why it is so important to
ensure the safety of those, who save
our health and lives. Thank you
3DGence for delivering face protecti-
ve shields in such a short time!
Hospital in Gliwice.
FROM THE 3DGENCE TEAM

In such crisis situations, when there was a shortage
of assortment in the warehouses, it was essential to
provide medical staff with the necessary equipment to
work. The use of 3D printing technology enables this.
In 5 days, 3DGence team designed, prototyped,
verified, and began mass production of face protective
shields with the use of 3D printing technology. We are
very proud that we can support the medical staff in
Poland.
Until recently, 3D printing technology in industry was
used primarily in the process of rapid model prototy-
ping. Today, 3D printers are used to support manufac-
turing processes, making functional parts or necessa-
ry tools. What's more, with the example of printed
shields elements we show that additive manufac-
turing technology can already be boldly used for mass
production.

Andrzej Kukuła, Łukasz Lipiec,

President of Board at 3DGence Technical Sales Support Engineer w 3DGence

Watch the video

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