Making PPE

NOTICE: We have reached our goal of 400 3D printed face shields and are pausing production until further notice.

Join us in making essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our community’s frontline workers. Here are three ways that you can help:

• If you have access to a high-grade 3D printer, you can print NIH-certified face shield models for medical workers. Please refer to this site for guidelines.
• If you have a sewing machine or are good with a needle and thread, you can contribute sewn masks to Montgomery County through Montgomery County Mask Makers.
• If you have access to a basic 3D printer, join KID Museum in supporting Montgomery County’s efforts to produce face shield for frontline administrative professionals. KID Museum is coordinating distribution of your completed shields (see details below).

Here are the specs and procedures:

We have standardized around the Prusa Face Shield.

Once on the Prusa page scroll down to Useful links > Prusa Face Shield – US version > Files and download Covid19_headband_rc3us_1pc and Covid19_chin_rc1us_1pc for printing.

Montgomery County will be providing the transparent shield itself; however, they need our help with the 3D printed parts that serve as the shield holder.

Our goal is to print a minimum of 100 per week — please help to spread the word if you know of others who can help out.

Please follow these sanitation procedures:

• Printer will be located in a room that is only accessible to the operator
• Operators will always wash hands for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer and wear a face covering whenever interacting with the printer.
• When print has cooled it needs a small amount hand work, this will be done with freshly washed or sanitized hands and tools and the worker will wear a face covering
• When a day’s worth of production is complete shield parts shall be sealed in an airtight plastic bag and labeled with date and time.
• Mark the bag with your organization name and initials of who worked on that print.
• The bag will then be put in a dedicated sanitized plastic bin until delivery.

Drop-off and pick-up will take place Fridays, 3:30 – 4:30 pm at KID Museum, located at the Davis Library — we will have a bin outside under the covered porch area at the main entrance to the museum, which is at the back of the library, closest to Bells Mill Road: 6400 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20817.

Montgomery County has offered to reimburse the cost of supplies needed to make the face shields. It will be important to keep track of how many you produce so payment can be processed.

Click here to support KID Museum and our efforts to provide PPE for our community’s frontline workers.

Any questions or concerns can be directed to info@kid-museum.org.