The global issue
There is still an enormous demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to the ongoing pandemic and local care providers are among the ones that are struggling to secure their supplies (Guardian, 9 May 2020).
In order to address the PPE shortage among local care providers, the team at AV Engineering decided to manufacture face shields, which we then donated to local care homes and care sector workers.
Latest technology solution
Using the latest 3D printing technology, we produced face shields out of PLA (Polylactic Acid) which is a light and durable material, most commonly used in 3D printing. The other benefit of 3D printing the shields is speed – the turnaround time from design to a finished product is significantly shorter compared to the time it would have taken for the shields to be injection moulded or vacuum formed.
Once the face shields were manufactured, our team donated them to the following local care services providers:
- Southwell Care Home, Melbourn
- Moorlands Court, Melbourn
- Maycroft Care Home, Meldreth
- Clair Francis Care Home, Peterborough
- Florence House, Peterborough
- The Beeches Residential Childcare Services, Peterborough
- St. Margaret’s, Peterborough
- Prestige Nursing + Care, Peterborough
Even though it is a small step towards solving a global problem, we plan to continue helping address the shortage of PPE on a local scale.
Thank you messages
The local care homes and a childcare services provider were very grateful for the donations – here are some of the thank you messages we have received:
Please note, none of the above-mentioned care providers have any confirmed cases of Covid-19.