My goal is to make a substantial dent in the lack of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for our health care workers and first responders. There is a genuine need for PPE and Ventilators throughout the world. I am currently focusing on 3D printing face shield headbands that fasten on to the clear plastic shield. Once I have my two 3D printers consistently producing face shields, then I will finish setting up my CNC mill to help cut out the clear shields. After that, I plan to design a version of the face shield headband that is milled out of Acrylic or PET plastics on the CNC machine. It is much faster to Laser Cut or CNC mill these face shields than to 3D print them, but there are fewer of these machines available.


If you choose to help me on this project, then I want to be clear that you are helping me, I am not a non-profit. Your contribution will go towards 3D printing supplies, CNC materials like Acrylic and PET sheet plastics and, if possible, extra equipment such as a laser cutter or additional 3D printers or anything else regarding producing PPE and shipping fees to get these to where they need to go. If there are additional funds beyond what's needed for PPE related supplies, then I may use them to help pay my studio's rent as my business has been closed since March 17, 2020, and I don't have any other revenue. I have been working on the face shields 16 hours a day for the last 14 days straight.


I have produced over 95+ face shields over the last 12 days, and on my best days, I've 3D Printed 15 of them per day. I believe 20-24 is possible with just my two machines as I dial in all the parameters. If there is enough funding, then I plan to add at least three more 3D printers so I can get to over 50 a day. Afterwhich, I will add a laser cutter if funds permit. It is much faster to laser cut or CNC the face shields than 3D print them. The benefit of laser over CNC is that the edge where its cut is left clean and sealed for better disinfecting between uses.


When we were placed under the Stay At Home orders here in Sonoma County on March 17, 2020, and later the entire state, I couldn't believe there was this massive shortage of PPE. At first, I was thinking this is just crazy. Somebody should do something to help this terrible situation. Then I thought maybe I could help.


I first wanted to see if I could do something about the ventilator issue because I have an interest in robotics. I have been tinkering with microcontrollers, motors, electronics, IoT and robotics and thought I might be able to build something. 


I still believe that us Makers could be even more beneficial if we knew all the parameters in the making of ventilators and Powered AirPurifying Respirators (PAPR). I decided to continue looking around at something I could work on NOW and make an immediate impact. I discovered several groups and settled on starting with the face shields through the Bay Area Medical Faceshield Emergency Production group. It's a collection of individuals, groups, and small companies working specifically on producing these Face Shields. There are 3 main components. The headband holder, the transparent shield, and the elastic band. 



I have been focusing on 3D Printing the headband with my two 3D printers. I can print three at a time on each machine and hope to be able to produce 20+ a day. If you would like to get more involved, than check out some of these links below. These are the same ones that lead me to start producing face shields, but masks, gowns, ventilators, and more are also needed.

Open Source COVID19 Medical Supplies
https://www.facebook.com/groups/opensourcecovid19medicalsupplies/

Open Source PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/643195019795216/

Bay Area Medical Faceshield Emergency Production
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1129956960692640/

Maker Nexus  - once of the places I'll be sending my face shields to have the clear shields and elastic bands put on and then shipped to where they are needed.
https://www.makernexus.com/covid1

Another Bay Area GoFundMe page:
Bay Area Medical Faceshield Emergency Production
https://www.gofundme.com/f/bay-area-medical-faceshield-emergency-production?fbclid=IwAR3Ba_10uMKunBRERQd8fbL4Ohs3G-nRzwFsV5jYR2CkinJT7yqjYslUluk

Please get involved until there is no longer a lack of PPE.

Thank you,
Alfredo Tofanelli
https://www.facebook.com/al.tofanelli
https://www.instagram.com/alfredo_tofanelli/