- On Facebook, the group Makers contre le Covid, brings together French makers who want to make equipment to help healthcare workers.
- They are appealing to the authorities so that they can come to the aid of the medical profession while respecting safety rules.
- They have a striking force of around 4,500 machines, ready to manufacture masks, helmets with visors, devices to open doors without hands, etc.
Masks in fabrics ... But why not in 3D printing? While the shortage of protective masks is causing heated controversy in France, textile companies, at the request of the medical profession and the State, have started to make fabric masks, washable and reusable, allowing a level of protection in terms of particles similar to that of conventional disposable surgical masks.
The Noyoco brands and the CL Group (Chantal Thomass, Chantelle, Passionata) manufacture a model validated by the CHU of Grenoble, the northern textile company Lemahieu, assisted by 10,000 volunteers, a model validated by the CHU of Lille.
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UPDATE: 10,000 washable and reusable cotton masks are being manufactured for health personnel, at their request and with their recommendations. (Grenoble CHU model). The whole team was mobilized: Kenny and Miruna our product managers in Romania took care of recovering the necessary fabrics: cotton and fleece. Floriana, the stylist and Dana, pattern maker, created the pattern and approved the prototypes. To date we have shipped 1,500 masks. The remaining 8,500 will be delivered by Wednesday. A big thank you for their work 🇪🇺 PS: the first 50 masks went to the clothing teams, for their safety during work. - English version: We just started the production of 10,000 masks in cotton. We co-created them with the health workers to be sure our masks would be helpfull. These masks are washable and reusable. All the production team got involved, Kenny and Miruna our products chef in Romania went to find the fabrics. Floriana, our stylist and Dana our modelist created the pattern and we got the prototypes approved. Yesterday we have shipped 1500 masks and the other 8500 will be shipped within wednesday. Thank you for their work 🇪🇺 ps: our 50 first masks went straight to our production team to make sure they work safely.
A post shared by noyoco, the eco brand (@noyoco) on Mar 21, 2020 at 2:54 am PDT
In order to remedy the lack of protective equipment in the face of the health crisis, a community is ready to put itself at the service of health professionals, makers , that is to say the people who manufacture objects using 3D printers . "Help us to help! ", Says to the authorities Yann Marchal, administrator of the Facebook group, Makers against the Covid, which brings together 1,487 makers , determined to" not sit idly by ". Explanations.
With this Facebook group, Yann Marchal wishes to create "a national coordination, the most effective, and if possible as soon as possible". The group is already associated with a Discord gathering, a Just One Giant Lab project (JOGL), a research and innovation laboratory operating as a platform for massive mobilization, and the NGO OSI.
"In research and development phase"
On JOGL are listed the initiatives and solutions offered by Open Source Maker and collect the needs of caregivers. "We are not yet in the production phase, but in the research and development phase," warns Yann Marchal. The makers of the Facebook group and those of Discord are testing different solutions, such as the 3D printable mask file N95, offered by the manufacturer of printing materials, Copper3D. “This model is based on PLA, an organic plastic filament, generally derived from corn starch, antibacterial, but what about viruses? Asks Yann Marchal. The masks tested for the moment are "neither suitable nor effective", he deplores.
"Health professionals to help us in our technological choices"
“We would need recommendations from the Directorate General of Health. We need health professionals to help us in our technological choices. We also need a logistics system. We must avoid putting ourselves in danger and endangering others, ”underlines Yann Marchal. The administrator of the group has already tried to contact the authorities, but to no avail: "I tried to contact my deputy, Pascal Brindeau, my requests remain unanswered," he regrets.
Health professionals seem at the local level willing to work with makers . “Many hospital purchasing departments have contacted us. Some have switched to cloth masks, they have nothing left to lose, ”he explains.
"A fleet of 4,500 machines"
Because it is not only masks that 3D printers can make, but a whole bunch of supplies that could be useful to nursing staff: protective visors, door or drawer opening systems without hands, etc. . “We have already printed some visor masks, with that, we don't take big risks. We helped a doctor, who didn't have any medical equipment. He contacted us because he couldn't find protective glasses even at Bricomarché, ”he explains.
A “health simulation engineer at the Bordeaux University Hospital Simulation Center, a former nurse in medical intensive care at the CHU” indicates on the Facebook group that the “Bordeaux CHU (…) asks us to print visor helmets (the Prusa RC2 model) (…) Are there any motivated makers in Bordeaux to help us in this project? "" I have requests from a hospital in 78 for fittings for round door handles. Contributors near Versailles? », Can we still read.
"An emergency mechanism that automates a manual ventilator"
Even more surprisingly, a group of young engineers from Barcelona have even developed Oxygen, an emergency mechanism that automates an AMBU type manual respirator, in order to remedy a possible shortage of emergency respirators in hospitals around the world , which can be printed in urethane methacrylate resin. "Anyone with a little skill can make an assisted breathing device according to his manual," says one of the promoters, Ignasi Plaza, 26, in the columns of the Spanish newspaper El Periodico .
The makers have a real production force. “I assess the fleet of 4,500 machines on French, Belgian and Swiss territory. Our strike force is interesting, ”says Yann Marchal, who however fears“ the supply of raw materials ”. The Amazon platform, one of the main platforms used to purchase filaments for 3D printing, will “stop delivering non-vital”. But he assures: " Makers generally have stock at home. "
And to conclude: “All the makers are together, we are waiting for the green light and a reaction from the officials. We would need an authorization, even temporary, and a dedicated platform. "
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- Coronavirus
- High-Tech
- Health
- 3D printer