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Put that 3D printer in your airplane shop to good use for medical personnel

greghughespdx

Well Known Member
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A little off topic possibly, but we can put our aviation design tools to good use right now, so I think it's worth the post.

Some of us have 3D printers available to us - or even sitting idle in our shops. If yours is sitting idle right now, consider this a challenge to go grab this simple printable project and make surgical mask straps for your local hospital personnel. These 3D printed ear guards help relieve some of the discomfort that wearing face masks all day can cause.

This idea comes via Hudson Wiliams, a young man in Alabama who's making them in his hometown for people working the hospitals there - including his mom. He's recruited some friends to print them as well. If he joins VAF (and he should, since he just finished building a Van's sign kit and will one day - I'm pretty confident - build an RV), then hopefully he will chime in and maybe add a photo/thought or two.

We can pile onto his idea here, and help spread even more of the good.

You should be able to print several of these at a time on a typical home 3D printer! Drop them off for your local hospital.



https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4271025

UPDATE from the thread below: Community members getting creative! If you want to print a Van's logo ear-guard band for your local medical heroes, check this link to download the files for your 3D printer. Customized with the logo by BobbyLucas:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4276268

Here's what it looks like - this one churned out by AX-O on his printer:
face-mask-headband1-axel.jpg


And an updated band design, as well:
https://github.com/bccovid-19/printfiles/blob/master/Ear Saver/ear_saver_small_V004.STL

In this together -- 3D printing style.
 
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I'll try these. How do they work?

edit: I think I may understand. It's supposed to fit around the back of the head and grab the mask elastic bands. Correct?
 
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printing now

edit: confirmed, this is a good design and will work.

they are on the plates and will begin delivery tomorrow.

cap1_zpsfkcrc5nq.png
 
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I've been waiting for a reason to buy a 3D printer and maybe this is it. What model do you recommend that does the job and isn't too expensive since I'm pretty much only going to use it for this for the foreseeable future? Must be easy to understand how to make it work, with instructions in English ! Links would be the best.
 
I recently purchased a Creality CR-10V2 and it is amazing. Wickedly good bang for your buck. Easy to use (it was my first printer) and has a large working volume (12x12x16?). I did a bunch of research before settling on it, and it?s turning out every bit as good as I expected. I?m using it for making electrical enclosures and other prototype items for work. Sometimes have it running 35 hrs straight no issue. Only downside is that it doesn?t have and enclosure, so you have to make one yourself if you want to print ABS, but for most things like these medical parts, they print fine with PLA. I just got a spoil of PETG which has similar high temperature and durability properties of ABS but without the need for an enclosure and will try it tomorrow. It is also odor free like PLA. Apparently ABS smells like all **** when it?s printing and is not so good for you.
Good luck.
Tom.
 
These mask straps are among a few things that we have printed. I started with a face shield and my mom took that to the CEO of the hospital. The CEO took it to Auburn University?s (War Eagle!) engineering department and told them this is what the hospital wanted. That problem was solved. Another problem arose when the ICU nurses with small heads were complaining mask didn?t fit well and were very ineffective and uncomfortable. I started printing these mask straps and everyone in the ICU loves them. I know medical personnel across the country and even world are loving the community support.

Here are some more files including a face shield and mask:
Face shield: https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-protective-face-shield-rc2/files

Mask: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4259822
 
FWIW, we've heard back from a number of local health-care providers that this particular shape isn't ideal due to the sharp corners on the arms holding the strap. This design uses a curved holder instead, which removes the crevice into which material can be trapped, and has the benefit of being more efficient to print. Our local health-care providers like it a lot better and the local group printing effort has standardised on it. A few thousand have been printed and delivered already!

https://github.com/bccovid-19/printfiles/blob/master/Ear Saver/ear_saver_small_V004.STL
 
I tried to buy a printer today but they're kind of out of stock everywhere, unless you want to pay a $100 premium. I wanted an artillery sidewinder x1, it should go for about $399
 
I tried to buy a printer today but they're kind of out of stock everywhere, unless you want to pay a $100 premium. I wanted an artillery sidewinder x1, it should go for about $399

$399.99 from China and should arrive by June https://www.ebay.com/itm/Newest-Art...165932?hash=item46a728972c:g:BwIAAOSwRS9eJAVO

$449.99 (+$27.33 shipping) from Texas and arrives by next week. Accepts price offers https://www.ebay.com/itm/Artillery-...479844?hash=item46aadf6ce4:g:MqYAAOSwHNhebR9d
 
$399.99 from China and should arrive by June https://www.ebay.com/itm/Newest-Art...165932?hash=item46a728972c:g:BwIAAOSwRS9eJAVO

$449.99 (+$27.33 shipping) from Texas and arrives by next week. Accepts price offers https://www.ebay.com/itm/Artillery-...479844?hash=item46aadf6ce4:g:MqYAAOSwHNhebR9d

The second one is $60 shipping for me, so basically a hundred bucks to get it sooner. I don't buy stuff unless it ships from north America. He auto rejects price offers


I can get a creality no problem, the arsenal is hard to find. That tells me which one I should get
 
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delivered

Amanda and I delivered the first batch of 40 since I wasn't sure how much they would be needed. we discovered that everyone at the hospital is wearing masks and some had face shields. the straps were very much appreciated. I could see that most had the mask bands around the ears and their ears were red and stressed. we returned and redoubled our efforts to reduce the print time from 17 minutes to 11 minutes with 99% of the quality. we should be able to output a couple hundred per day.
 
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The second one is $60 shipping for me, so basically a hundred bucks to get it sooner. I don't buy stuff unless it ships from north America. He auto rejects price offers

You must be in a country he doesn't like because it's not rejecting me when I try to make an offer.
 
You must be in a country he doesn't like because it's not rejecting me when I try to make an offer.

You can make the offer, but if it's below a certain threshold it auto declines. The threshold is well over $400, I don't know where it is but it's higher than I'm willing to pay

Amazon has some but they're not shipping for awhile
 
Amanda and I delivered the first batch of 40 since I wasn't sure how much they would be needed. we discovered that everyone at the hospital is wearing masks and some had face shields. the straps were very much appreciated. I could see that most had the mask bands around the ears and their ears were red and stressed. we returned and redoubled our efforts to reduce the print time from 17 minutes to 11 minutes with 99% of the quality. we should be able to output a couple hundred per day.

This is awesome. :D
 
Amazing how quickly things get moving when someone ignites a spark. Thanks for kicking things off on here Greg.

All I did was start the thread. :) Hudson (hudson._williams here on VAF) is the person who inspired the post, and he's been printing these in his hometown already.

I've been pinged by a few people, including someone who might create a Van's edition of the printed part. That would be pretty cool! Keep an eye on this thread!
 
All I did was start the thread. :) Hudson (hudson._williams here on VAF) is the person who inspired the post, and he's been printing these in his hometown already.

I've been pinged by a few people, including someone who might create a Van's edition of the printed part. That would be pretty cool! Keep an eye on this thread!

And it's done!

 
one day production = 162 straps on three printers. the forth printer will come on-line over the weekend.
 
Awesome!

Super cool stuff! If anyone has any tips or tricks for settings and getting good prints, please share them!
 
You guys are awesome. I was sick (just a cold) last week and wore a mask when I had to go meet someone. I only had it on for a couple of hours, and I thought my ears were going to fall off. This is a wonderful idea.

I've got a batch printing now. I can do five, maybe six at a time on my printer. I've got ABS in there now, but I'll try PLA tomorrow just to save the time it takes to print the brim I have to use to keep the ABS stuck down. As soon as I have a few more done I'll drop them off at a couple of doc's offices and see how many they need.
 
Super cool stuff! If anyone has any tips or tricks for settings and getting good prints, please share them!

We reduced cycle time from 17 to 11 minutes by extruding more plastic. changed print width from .6 mm to .9 mm. the straps are fully functional and just as strong. material is ABS. bed temp = 100C. nozzle = .5 mm. no glue on the bed to keep the parts clean.

probably the most important thing you can do is have a calibrated machine. make sure these two things are calibrated before each print or at least at a material change: feed rate from the nozzle (the 100mm test), compensate feed rate for filament diameter (measure filament diameter and set parameters to compensate flow volume).
 
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Super cool stuff! If anyone has any tips or tricks for settings and getting good prints, please share them!

The variables are near infinite; just as much art as science. Settings will vary with your choice of filament, hardware, software, firmware, and the phase of the moon. ;)

If anyone is running into specific issues I'm sure one of us can help.
 
Laser cutted !!

I can cut this face mask clip very fastly with my laser. One clip take 38 sec. if I use ABS plastic, and only 15 sec. if I use 0.040 cardboard !!

20200411_093145.jpg


20200411_093203.jpg
 
how are you guys finding facilities to accept these? I can find orgs looking for home made masks, but I haven't found any accepting face shields or these
 
we returned and redoubled our efforts to reduce the print time from 17 minutes to 11 minutes with 99% of the quality. we should be able to output a couple hundred per day.
Steve, our group redesigned the ear saver to reduce print time to 6 minutes... I can do 7 in 42 minutes or 10 in an hour (depending on the layout, i'm having better success with the 7-item layout) on my Prusa Mk2.5.

Here's the pattern: https://github.com/bccovid-19/printfiles/blob/master/Ear Saver/ear_saver_small_V004.STL
 
Super cool stuff! If anyone has any tips or tricks for settings and getting good prints, please share them!

The recommended settings we're using in the BCCOVID-19 site seem to work really well: https://github.com/bccovid-19/printfiles/tree/master/Ear Saver

As much as I like the intent behind the "branded" ones (the VA one looks pretty cool in two colours like that), it's been pointed out that it takes longer to print them (so less get made), makes the center of the strap more rigid and less comfortable, and as this is about freely supporting the community nobody should be using it as advertising space. Our group is asking printers to not apply branding.
 
how are you guys finding facilities to accept these? I can find orgs looking for home made masks, but I haven't found any accepting face shields or these

That's definitely a challenge... I lucked into hearing about the group I got hooked up with here in BC, Canada. We're organizing using Slack, and have a central couple of people who are managing the supply chain and tracking who has what inventory. When inventory gets to a high enough level, we arrange for someone to do a drive by and pick up all the inventory in an area.

Someone else is managing requests for product, and tells the delivery drivers where to go once they have them.

You might want to get in touch with a local makerspace, or maybe a community college that has 3D printers? I see many of those are involved in these initiatives around the world.
 
as this is about freely supporting the community nobody should be using it as advertising space. Our group is asking printers to not apply branding.

The ones I am making are free to those using it, not to me (the one making them).

I am trying to help a little, and have some fun while I am at it. At the end of the day we are both helping and should do so however we feel is right. Just like the young man that got this particular project going.
 
how are you guys finding facilities to accept these? I can find orgs looking for home made masks, but I haven't found any accepting face shields or these


My local hospital is taking all that I can print, done over 100 so far and got more on the printer now. I can print 14 at a time and it takes about an hour.
I am using ABS , 100% fill, .1mm resolution.
 
this design is good and prints faster. these are 60 minutes per board for me.

cap1_zpsjspaybhr.png


********

squeezed two more on the board

cap1_zpsvsf9acy8.png
 
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My local hospital is taking all that I can print, done over 100 so far and got more on the printer now. I can print 14 at a time and it takes about an hour.
I am using ABS , 100% fill, .1mm resolution.

my printer will be here tomorrow, I've wanted one awhile anyway. I've got a spool of PTFE coming, trying to keep the smell down. We'll see if I can make it print OK and then I'll make some calls. I'm working 5 on, 10 off and have been looking for things to do anyway
 
Update on Hudson's production line

Hudson has been busy keeping his printer running. Kristy (mom) got to work yesterday and some other groups had dropped lot of headbands at the hospital. The immediate demand there has been met.

I had been contacted by a doctor's office to get some of the bands so we will be dropping some by on Monday. Several of the primary care offices are still working seeing patients. A friend who owns a pharmacy requested another printed mask frame for his staff. Hudson will be cranking those out later today. I will see what else they need and Hudson can focus his production on the smaller medical facilities.

Our cousin works in a nursing home in Mobile and has requested some also. We sent a dozen out to her last week. We will get another fifty or so in the mail Monday to them.

Its great to see how quickly people come together to meet needs and solve problems!
I will be sporting my Vans logo mask strap tomorrow when I go back into the hospital for my shift. Proud of my kid and what he has done just because he wanted to do something to help.
Thanks to everyone. Stay safe and isolate!
 
Dentists can use these too.

Once we get past the medical crisis, keep in mind we will need to get the dentists back to work. We are shut down except for emergencies and due to the shortage of PPE, it will be risky getting even the emergencies taken care of. These can be used along with rubber bands to jerry rig some better masks and maybe get back to work sooner. Check with your dentist once the real docs are taken care of.
 
I've only got a little makerbot knockoff that only has room for 6 at a time but I've made about 150 over the last few days. I've got several doc friends here in Portland and these are a hit so far.
 
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