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University of Georgia 3-D printing face shields for healthcare workers

Published  April 7, 2020 10:57am EDT
Coronavirus in Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

ATHENS, Ga. - It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is running low on face masks. 

University of Georgia 3-D printing face shields

Using a 3-D printer, the UGA's faculty, staff, and students can produce 300 to 400 face shields daily.

But the University of Georgia’s College of Engineering has found a way to reduce the burden for Athens-area healthcare facilities. 

We’ve seen communities, restaurants, celebrities and now colleges come together in times of need.

With the collaborative effort of UGA, healthcare workers now have at least some access to protective gear that covers the entire face.

UGA’s College of Engineering has partnered with the Office of Research and UGA libraries to manufacture face shields for healthcare workers. 

Using a 3-D printer, the college’s faculty, staff and students produce 300 to 400 face shields daily. One shield takes just minutes to make. 

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“Unlike some medical equipment, this is actually a piece of a medical device that we can fabricate quite quickly on campus, and hopefully we get it to places that are in need,” said Don Leo, the dean of the College of Engineering. 

“It’s just a great example of how UGA, our college, the office of research, others on campus can help the local community, so we’re just trying to do our part in these unprecedented times,” he said.

The college started manufacturing the face shields in late March and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. 

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They are more efficient to make — dozens in an hour.

The shields attach to a piece of headgear and a plastic strap. About a hundred to 150 of the complete units can be made in a day. 

“We heard that there were some healthcare facilities in the community that were in need of this sort of equipment, and this piece of equipment is a great opportunity because we have the facilities on campus to manufacture a number of these,” Leo said.

LATEST NUMBERS: Click here to view the latest coronavirus numbers for Georgia

Although he says they don’t know which facilities receive the shields, Leo is proud of the collaboration among the entire university.

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.