During the COVID-19 outbreak I wanted to help develop a face mask solution that could be deployed as quickly as possible. I iterated on what my coworkers had designed, which took 7.5 hours to print, and was not moldable in a two part mold. I was thinking outside the box, and instead of just 3d printing the frames, I wanted to try to utilize the metal 3d printers that we had at Markforged to 3d print a mold, and utilize the in house injection molder so that we could make thousands of these face shields as quickly as possible to administer to the health care workers in need, instead of only printing hundreds of them. I thought that this was a great idea, in that it would both increase the impact that our efforts could have since the cycle time on the injection molder is one face shield every 20 seconds, vs one every 7.5 hours. The face shields could also be made from FDA approved materials, which would improve adoption, and the ability to disinfect. It would also allow us to market our Metal X 3d printer by showcasing the ability to 3d print injection molds and quickly adapt to customers needs.
However, in order to do this, I needed to redesign the face shield frame so that it would be moldable in a two part mold. I quickly realized that the design had two side actions needed in its current configuration.
To get around those side actions for the elastic webbing I rotated those holes so that they were in the pull direction of the mold, and surfaced in a gradual 90 degree rotation fin to guide the elastic band 90 degrees so that it could still lay flat on the wears head and didn’t just bunch up.
An added benefit was that it reduced the print time by over two hours! My redesign wasn’t over yet though. As I stayed after hours to assemble the face shields I realized that in our attempt to iterate off of the Budmen design, we hadn’t fully thought about all the components needed to assemble a full face mask, and how non accessible this design was for other 3d printer hobiest around the world. This lead me to try and design a face shield that didn’t require a bunch of elastic webbing. I recalled how flexible our material is if only a couple layers are printed, and decided to make a design the used thin printed plastic as a “web” to replace the need for elastic. At .4mm thick the “web” came out amazingly strong yet flexible. The clasp held the web in place and also allowed for adjustments. The new design was also designed with injection molding in mind. We could injection mold the main frame, and print the “webbing” parts. Those around the world who also wanted to help but didn’t have an injection molder could print the entire design. We could also print more injection molds and send them to other companies who also had injection molders and wanted to help.
While I understand that nothing about my design is truly remarkable, I think it showcases my creativity, desire to always improve designs, and my strong work ethic. I worked on this project on the weekend and after work hours three nights in a row in order to try to get something out as quickly a possible that could have the largest possible impact.
Unfortunately, before I could get traction with my design at Markforged, I was laid off due to COVID-19 and the effect it was having on our business. I hope that my coworkers are able to take the design forward and help out the medical staff in dire need of PPE.
