As coronavirus cases mounted in Colorado, several dozen 3D printers on the CU 色吧亚洲 campus roared back to life to make personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.
A small team of volunteer engineers and students took on the project, making the plastic bands that hold together face shields, plastic barriers that cover the eyes, nose and mouth, which can help keep nurses and doctors from picking up infections.
鈥淭he supply chain for a lot of this equipment has broken down. We鈥檙e trying to help fill that gap,鈥� said Mark Borden, a professor in the听Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The effort is part of a听 that advises makers across Colorado on how to create safe and effective PPE using high-tech tools like 3D printers and laser cutters.
Image credit: Rachel and Lauren Sharpe