COVID-19 Pandemic – BatStateU Action Center

3D-printed vacuum-sealed Face Shields for health workers fabricated by Batangas State University

Face shields for health workers fabricated by a Batangas State University (BatStateU) laboratory using 3D printing technology have been optimized through a vacuum forming method that reduced production time to just 6 minutes per item.

The Center for Technopreneurship and Innovation and the Department of Trade and Industry-supported LIKHA FabLab of BatStateU first shared on March 22, 2020, that they were producing the Red Spartan Face Shields using 3D printed face bands and acetate films.

News about the project went around and led the university to produce more face shields as requests were received.

Each 3D printing machine produced an average of six face shields per day. It took one hour and 46 minutes to produce one. With eight machines in the school, they are able to produce 48 face shields per day.

The Optimized Vacuum Forming Method for fabricating Red Spartan Face Shield allowed the BatStateU FabLab to reduce the time of fabrication to 6 minutes per face shield as compared to the 1 hour and 46 minutes just using the 3D printing process.

The new process makes use of a 3D-printed Mold, a Vacuum Forming Machine, Acetate Films, staplers, cutters, scissors, and garters.

BatStateU Engr. Louie Villaverde provided the rationale for the innovation, saying that patients with COVID-19 experience significant respiratory issues, resulting in coughing, so virus particles are easily spread in the fluids expelled from the patient during episodes of coughing.

The face shield is an additional barrier between the healthcare worker and the patient and reduces the risk of viral transmission via airborne droplets.