MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The demand for medical supplies is progressively increasing, and despite the influx of donations coming in from some of the country’s biggest corporations, there’s still a serious concern about running out of much-needed safety equipment. An online 3D printing community, “3D Printing for a Cause PH”, is taking initiative to produce supplies such as face shields, ventilators, medical tubing and valves, and encouraging everybody with a 3D printer to do the same.
This project was launched on March 21, calling donations for printed supplies, or printer equipment such as acetate films, garters, and 3D filaments. It has received an immensely positive reaction from even those outside the printing community, gathering 2,484 donations as of March 24, 2020 at 10AM, fulfilling 16% of the requests it has received.
“With feedback from medical professionals, the group was able to optimize a design for a 3D printed face shield. Once the frame of the face shield is 3D printed, a sheet of acetate and a piece of garter are attached to it. We cannot claim that these face shields are medical or industrial grade, but the goal is to give our front liners a form of defense until industrial-level PPEs are finally made available to them. These are distributed for free directly to the front liners and are not for sale,” shared the group in a statement sent to adobo magazine.
Sponsor
Donations and volunteer applications are still being accepted and encouraged. Those interested can contact the following:
Volunteers — Denis Ty, 0917 590 8281
Donations — Ivan Listanco, 0917 775 4993
The use of 3D printing in such a way is an impressive display of technology’s vital contribution to the uplifting of individuals, and how it can contribute to answering the needs of society. It’s also an interesting development to see in terms of how 3D printing can impact and contribute to the manufacturing industry in the years to come.
While the group focuses on the production of the equipment, they are also calling out to those who have the means to transport the supply:
“We would also like to make a call out to those who can assist with transporting the face shields and necessary materials across city borders. The supplies we have are currently limited, and it has been difficult to procure materials and transport them to the volunteers and beneficiaries.”
The 3D Printing for a Cause PH is a group made up of industry practitioners and is not headed by a single individual or entity, but rather a collective effort of the entire community.
