EO Community Stories: Make’s modelshop team joins the effort to print PPE for NHS workers

Make Architects’ modelshop team is supporting NHS workers by creating headbands for much-needed personal protective equipment face shields.

The modelshop team, led by Paul Miles, is printing the headbands from home using 8 of Make’s requisitioned studio Ultimakers, with 100 bands created per day.

Make is contributing via #thebigprint, set up by 3DCrowd, which has delivered 65,000 facemasks to NHS frontline workers. Over 500,000 have been requested.

As of April 27th, Make has created 700 bands for the project and is one of almost 8000 organisations to have created almost 100,000 units.

Paul Miles, Make’s modelshop lead, said: “It’s a community-wide effort, and it’s great that we at Make can do our bit. As designers and makers, it’s great to be able to use our skills to help the national effort. I know many other practices are involved too. Our aim aim is to print 100 units per day, using 8 of our Ultimakers that came home with us from the studio. It’s noisy for the homeschooling, but it’s worth it.

“We’re following a ‘Prusa’ design which was verified by local trust, practice and infection control committees. Once created, DPD is doing free collection from our homes and delivering to a central assembly location. From there, the bands are sterilised before delivery to hospitals.”

3DCrowd is looking for volunteers for a variety of roles, not just printing. To find out, more visit https://www.3dcrowd.uk/