Face Shield : COVID-19 Initiative
SITUATION
Hello everyone, my name is Aditya Arjun Anibha and I am an 11 th Grade student from Genesis
Global School, Noida. As you all know, the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns
have radically changed our lives. The threat is still growing and hence, as you must know, it is
important for everyone to exercise social distancing and self-isolation to ensure we can recover
fast and reduce the burden on hospitals and doctors who have to work without breaks for
continuous hours, carrying the weight of an entire nation on their shoulders.
Till such a time when a cure or a vaccine is developed, precaution is the best way forward.
Maintaining hygiene, washing hands, using masks, gloves, sanitisers etc are most essential.
However, we can go one step further and provide equipment to doctors and other service
workers like security guards who are facing shortages and have to work in infection hazard
environments on a regular basis with insufficient protection against coronavirus.
In this regard, my colleague and I took the initiative of Janata Shield and decided to
make these face shields which reduce the risk of infection, and it logically follows that
the more individuals we save from infection, the faster we can counter this pandemic, saving
people’s lives, and ensuring we can go back to our own normal ones.
DESIGN
The design used to make these face shields are NIH approved in Europe, Sweden and the
United States where a lot of people who have the facility to, manufacture them in substantial
quantities. This DIY movement is working there, and so applying this tried and tested face shield
in India is crucial. Every Faceshield consists of a 3D printed headband, which takes about 30
minutes to print and a plastic sheet (PETG, PET or OHP etc) which takes about 10 minutes to
assemble with the headband.
ADVANTAGES
The 3D printed headband acts as a rigid but slightly elastic reusable frame to hold the plastic
sheets that act as a barrier against the coronavirus when airborne due to sneezing or coughing
of infected persons. Besides this, it also protects the eyes and ears, something which normal air
masks do not do. Furthermore, this adds a physical guard to prevent the subconscious
face-touching we do on a regular basis. The face shields are lightweight, making sure wearers
do not have headaches or other pain by wearing it. Also, the plastic sheet barrier is replaceable
with a new one in cases of damage or exposure to infection. Alternatively, it can also be
sanitised and washed with plain soap and water.
PROGRESS
Since the beginning of April, I have been using my personal 3D printer to create PLA
headbands, which can be assembled with any transparent plastic sheet to create a cheap and
easy to manufacture Face Shield. From early to mid-April, I have produced and distributed over
300 face shields to doctors, security guards, police officers and other service staff. I am
also supplying face shields to the initiative Janata Shield.
CHALLENGES
A major challenge I faced was the manufacturing speed. Initially, I started off with a design that
took above 2 hours to print. This restricted production to a maximum of 12 per day. To counter
this, I researched over several days to optimize the printing process using Cura, a slicer
software for 3D printers. After many iterations, I was able to knock down the time from 2 hours
down to about 20-30 minutes per headband – allowing for a theoretical maximum of 72
headbands per day. Of course, a more practical number would be around 40-50, which is a
substantial speed improvement from the starting point. However, there is a shortage of raw material
like plastic sheets and 3D printing filament rolls due to lockdown. Furthermore, due
to the continuous printing without break, there were often issues with the printer such as
blockages, overheating and failed prints etc. which took hours to fix.
I appeal to other individuals who can use their resources to create this equipment and take on
the role of producers. 3D printing is not the only method – Laser cutting or cardboard cutouts are
two other examples, and any other innovative means which can be used for this application are
encouraged. Hence, it is imperative to spread awareness of this project to those who can help
like the media and manufacturers or those who need help, like doctors and security guards and
other staff who are on the frontlines for our, and the nation’s, survival.
PROGRESS UPDATE:
Over 10000 Face Shields have been distributed all over India as a part of this initiative.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/newshound-tales/two-wonder-boys-their-unique-mask/