USC hoping to produce over 1,000 face shields a week to fight coronavirus
Researchers at the University of South Carolina are hoping to produce more than 1,000 face shields per week to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Using 3D printers — and plenty of social distancing — the team of faculty, a doctoral candidate and around 15 student volunteers have been producing face shields for places like the Medical University of South Carolina and Lexington Medical Center, said Sowmya Raghu, a mechanical engineering instructor at USC.
The team is shipping completed masks, but is actually making only two of its key parts, said Robin James, a USC doctoral candidate. Those parts are the headgear and the strap lock on the back that connects the elastic band, James said.
The 3D printers are not large machines. They’re small enough to fit on a desktop, James said. That’s why team members have taken home the machines to print the parts. Then, they attach the parts they did not manufacture such as the actual face shield and the elastic band, and prepare to ship them.
The actual, see-through plastic shields themselves are ordered from manufacturers, Raghu said.
So far, the team has produced 750 face shields and is hoping to produce 1,000 face shields this week, Raghu said.
“We’re going to keep increasing that as we get more (3D) printers,” Raghu said of the weekly goals. “Demand is really high.”
The 750 completed masks will “go out either today or tomorrow,” Raghu said Monday.
USC isn’t the only S.C. college that’s using 3D printing to help with a coronavirus-related mask shortage. Coastal Carolina University is using its 3D printers to create parts for the N95 masks to send to MUSC, the school said in a press release.
3D printing the N95 parts is a long process, taking about five hours to create parts for one mask, according to a video Coastal Carolina released regarding the masks.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.