AIMPLAS says that it plans to make its knowledge of materials, design, prototyping and manufacture available to public and health authorities to facilitate the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The plastics technology center has also made its 3D printing capacity available to produce protective face shields for hospitals in Valencia, Spain. It is also reportedly participating in Resistencia Team, a virtual community of more than 1,800 makers developing respirators, protective shields, masks and valves using 3D printing.
AIMPLAS is also carrying out a feasibility study about making masks with replaceable filters using injection molding processes, with its scientists cutting and supplying transparent PET sheets in order to make protective face shields and distribute them to hospitals.
The center says that it has also donated a total of 5,000 arm sleeves, 100 disposable gowns, 16 masks, 15 Tyvek suits, 15 litres of hand sanitizer and 10 pairs of glasses to health centers in Paterna (Valencia).
This story uses material from AIMPLAS, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.