Ideas? Volunteering Your Laser to Help Against Covid 19?

[Doug Fisher]

Please post ideas for ways to use a laser to help in the Covid19 fight.

The only idea I have had is to volunteer to cut fabric pieces for the people who are volunteering to sew together personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies for healthcare workers. A few people have posted on the neighborhood chat boards about groups making these items but it has been hard to connect with actual decision makers.

My thought was to set up two disinfected "clean tables", one on each side of the laser. Put the box of raw fabric on one and the box for finished product on the other. I would put down a metal sheet on to the laser's cutting bed to use as the "clean" cutting surface that I could easily disinfect by wiping down between cutting runs to keep it disinfected. I would wear sterilized gloves as well as my fume protection respirator.

[Tim Mellor]

The major issue is finding someone who will accept what you do for a start unless they have instigated the request for assistance?

Laser Cut cloth near the nose for hours on end might not be a good option depending on the fabric the pong will linger. Old school multi layered cutters or die-cutting are likely to be the better option and if they are setting up a sewing room could be done in that room too.

There is a project Joe Prusa started for his local health service and some to and fro has resulted in this https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25 ... shield-rc2 The Shields are PETG but could also be made from Polycarbonate so the shield parts or replacements for existing medical ones might be an option. This is also providing you can source material and find someone in need.

Whatever you make a hospital/medical service is going to sterilize before use so working clean is great but it is not the major issue.

There is some websites popping up putting services/products together with end users but nothing that suits this sort of model.

Keeping Safe is the most important thing for us all and probably the best thing we can do for the health sector

[Doug Fisher]

Watch this video for inspiration. Check out the design for a face shield that has a laser cut frame to attach to the head and then a laser cut piece of flexible plastic for the face shield.

https://nyti.ms/2WEXgNp

[Tim Mellor]

Some good ideas in there. Getting them when happy to use' rather than approved (no time for BS here) onto person X's Laser or printer and then to Hospital Y for use is the next link in the chain to sort out.

At least at this stage our health service is holding up but as it is majority Federally funded via a 2% Tax Levy better prepared than a lot of places in the world.

Maybe if we keep an ear and eye out for websites or links for small custom manufacturing of needed bits be it 3D printed or Lasers as a bunch of us have both and post them here regardless of country?

Best avoided is things like the Respirator project used on patients directly and they already have an active project page going. This project is way beyond what backyard/small manufacturing should be doing IMO.

[Doug Fisher]

Here are the GA Tech open source design files:
https://pwp.gatech.edu/rapid-response/face-shields/

[Doug Fisher]

I received an email back from one of the GA Tech professors. He said that if we really want to help we should submit our information at the link at the bottom of this page: https://pwp.gatech.edu/rapid-response/face-shields/ . They will use the information to coordinate resources. FYI, the form isn’t very well structured. Just start filling out the information and it will begin to make sense. Skip all the stuff about hospitals and click the arrow in the lower right corner of each page to move forward. For the capability question, I noted my laser wattage, laser tube type (CO2 versus RF) and bed size just so they have a decent idea about my capabilities.

You can download and see the files at that link. Also, watch the short video. I think they have further refined the design since making that video. Note how they cut the replaceable clear face shield material on the Trotec using a roll of PETG. In his email today, the professor mentioned they are really looking for waterjet cutters for the frame. Since they specified polycarbonate, I can understand why. That isn’t the easiest to cut with a laser.

Please pass along this link to other laser owners you know. Get them to fill out the form IF IF IF you think they are the type of person to really follow through and be dedicated to helping.

[Doug Fisher]

That first link to the New York Times video article may not work today. Hopefully this direct link will work:
https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000 ... ews-update

If Pete or the other moderators see this post, please modify my original post with this new link.

[Doug Fisher]

Here is a simple coronavirus-related product design that seems useful in a conceptual sense.

https://twitter.com/AMAP_Sunderland/sta ... 2418819078

[Jeffrey Aley]

Here's another face shield design, developed by someone who works at Intel (as I do) :

https://www.rivertec.co/engineering

He also sent me the following resources for those who want to get involved:
Website to request PPE
- https://covid19masks.info/webapps/f?p=2222:1::::::
- https://getusppe.org/give/