The 2-minute G-shield: Face shield construction & supplier info for Coronavirus

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The 2-minute G-shield.

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Construction:

We came up with a design that can be made in about 2 minutes per unit, when built in series with one person building it. That’s easily 80X faster than 3D printed anything. And can be built by anyone who does not have a 3D printer.

Besides improving yield, this design tackles the issue of safety and prevention of the unintended consequences of good-will contamination. We designed these to provide system, specs, and assembly instructions to hospital personnel so they can setup an assembly line in a controlled clean environment based on their emergency standards. As compared to having everyone build these anywhere, without standards and then send (possibly contaminated) units to hospitals.

How to build these:

Step 1: Cut your grid of shields from 4x4 sheet (yields 25 shields) or 4x8 sheet (yields 50 shields) of PETG 0.020” thick (thinner is too flimsy, thicker is too hard to cut and too much resistance against elastic.

Step 2: Miter corners

---- Steps 1-3 can be skipped if shields clear sheets are ordered pre-cut, info below ----

Step 3: Cut 0.75 inch thick polyethylene foam spacer from sheet/roll

Step 4: Apply spray adhesive (or strong double sided tape)

---- Steps 3-4 can be skipped if foam spacers are ordered pre-cut + with adhesive backing pre-applied info below ----

Step 5: attach foam strip to PETG shield

Step 6 (added after testing): remove chunk of foam for upward exhaled air venting (prevents fogging)

Step 7: Staple 0.75” thick (14” long) braided elastic band (or substitute, hair bands work too) ---- if elastic folded over before stapling it will be stronger —

All explained here:

Sourcing: (relevant for northeast USA region)

Dr. Sergio Waxman is implementing this design for Beth Israel Medical Center in NJ. Here is his sourcing information (there may be more convenient ones for your area).

1. Clear PETG Plastic Face Shield
.020” x 9.50” x 9.50” (2 cut corners 1/4” radius)
(Pre-cut saves time on assembly)
Supplier 1:
Emco Industrial Plastics, Inc.
99 Commerce Rd
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
#800-292-9906 x1113
Direct #973-559-8062
www.emcoplastics.com
Supplier 2:
ACME Plastics, Inc.
222 Browertown Rd
Woodland Park, NJ 07424 US

2. 2.2# PE (polyethylene) strip
1” x 8” x .75” with PSA (adhesive) one side (1” x 8")
Most manufacturers are willing to add the adhesive (saves time on assembly)

Supplier 1:
New England Foam
760 Windsor St.
Hartford, CT 06120
860-524-0121 - Phone
860-522-5830 - Fax

Supplier 2:
New Industrial Foam Corporation
1355 W Front St, Plainfield, NJ 07063
newindustrialfoam.com
(908) 561-4010

3. Elastic band:

Dritz 3/4″ Braided Elastic
Item Number: 9534B
https://www.dritz.com/product/3-4-braided-elastic-5/

(Got it from JoAnne Fabrics, also available in Walmart/E-bay/other retailers)

4. Staples and elastic band:

Heavy Duty One Touch Stapler (STAPLES Store)

Heavy-Duty Staples
stapels_stapler_elastic

We are continuing to work on more solutions trying to address similar PPE needs and safety requirements. You can follow progress in my LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavo-fontana-5a24a21/detail/recent-activity/)

Any questions/concerns please email/text/call me.

Best wishes to everyone and stay safe out there,

Gustavo

Gustavo Fontana
Fresco Design
Co-Founder / Creative Director
+1.617.233.5844
gustavo@fresco-design.com

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…yes, I used Rhino for this. For about 5 minutes :upside_down_face:

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With 3D printing technology, you could lower your production rates to 1 per hour or less, plus have a higher failure rate in the field :upside_down_face:

I appreciate your focus on actual useful solutions. Thanks!

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I have 7 3D printers. I don’t even trust and of them them for a serious deadline in all our non-serious first-world-problems bullshit work. Let alone in a life-and-death situation.

There are several solutions with 3D printing, like the super awesome Prusa Shield, that “It takes about 2 hours to print the different parts that make up the face mask.”:

I think those things are great to help a handful of people, but we also need pandemic-level solutions.

We are working in a few more right now too: Suspension hood and Ambu-bag based ventilator. We’ll keep sending updates as they are ready.

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And simple! Which is the best.

On a useless sidenote: @gustojunk I now read all your posts with your voice in my head.

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On another useless sidenote, these face shields would be way cooler with gradient view. Maybe some shading at the top to keep the sun glare out of my eyes?

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you could try gargling some fancy paint, misting it onto the shield :wink:

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Very nice project. Simplicity and easily available materials. Very good. And a superb presentation. You should get into the presentation business… :wink:

Hint: In Sweden some companies found in their archives and warehouses some old OverHead (OH) plastics, which is now being made into similar protection at hospitals. Good also for others to know if they can’t get hold of the plastic sheets. Article behind paywall, but part of a picture is visible. Header reads “Forgotten office materials becomes protection gears at hospitals, We laughed when we saw what the boxes contained”

// Rolf

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image here : https://bildix.mmcloud.se/bildix/api/images/8617e075-bb88-4ce2-9572-7563442311b0.png

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Why not a 2 liters coca-cola P(have it drink by another one, obviously …) cut and unfolded ?

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Could you please post a video here or some other instructions of how to do this: keep in mind most people in the world do know know how to do this by looking at a single image. And we want to help them all.

Your comment is like if my accountant said:

“Why not a 24374 form with exclusion 2B, and quarterly re-allocations. It’s an obvious solutions”

Love,

G

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Apologies @gustojunk for not being didactic.
I’ve made this small answer because I strongly believe in KISS (so Keep It So Simple) rule and reuse existing stuff and also bicose I’ll tend to become too much sarcastic here confined in my 25 m² flat … (hopefully not at 4 or 6 peoples like families I know here in Marseille, France)
For extending my first answer, I’ve seen several youtube videos using plastic bottle for making either a respiratory mask or a screen one like yours. This one in Spanish, very complete, it lacks maybe oneway valves for blocking exhalating air going thru input air filter -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDc7vbWEP_s
Face shield : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLk-oK5Ckp4 : usable ?

  • On top of that, after having worked in asbestos removal sector, best mask are positive pression ones, you need an external battery powered ventilator that push air into a closed half or complete mask. That way, no dust can come into the air your inhalate in case of air-tightness failure of your mask.
  • For the end, the traditional “Savon de Marseille” is your best friend now : https://www.tallet1870.fr/111-thickbox_default/cube-de-savon-de-marseille-sans-huile-de-palme-300g.jpg
    Have a good & safe day on your part of the sea
1 Like