The Universidad de Talca leads an initiative to manufacture face shields for hospitals in the context of the emergency due to the Covid-19 coronavirus. The Technological Development Unit, UDT, participates with equipment, materials and human resources in this collective 3D printing.
FABTEC Covid19 is the name of the initiative that brings together different universities and civil organizations in the country with the aim of providing knowledge and infrastructure available to support technological solutions in the public health emergency facing the country. The first goal will be to provide 100 thousand face shields free of charge to the national hospital network.
For this, the Health Architecture Committee, Universidad de Talca, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad de La Frontera, Universidad Austral de Chile and Universidad de Los Lagos met, with the support of the Regional Ministerial Secretariats of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation of the Central-South and South Macrozones.
The participation of UDT was made possible thanks to the SEREMI of Science, Central-South Zone, Dr. Paulina Assmann, who explained that “within the different needs and emergencies that we have raised in the macrozone, it has been to provide basic medical supplies, to the personnel working in the health area. Different public and private actors have approached with the aim of collaborating and this is how coordination between universities and technology centers was born, in order to create a prototype and respond to the demand received. For us as a ministry it is a great pride to be able to see how institutions that have been working with us for years have made themselves available to this global alert”.
In this regard, the head of the UDT Biomaterials Department, Álvaro Maldonado, explained that “the task is being carried out by the engineer Catalina Castillo, who is printing the pieces of the face shields; depending on the capabilities of our team, we can print 100 masks per month. We currently have 10 kilograms of filament, enough material to print 200 masks, so we can work during April and May. As this is a collaborative work with other universities, they told us that they can deliver more filament, so we can continue working during June and July, if required”.
The invitation is extended to all universities, technology centers, maker communities (fans of 3D printing) and to all those who have equipment, raw materials or human resources to join this collaborative work. You can help by printing the face shields or donating raw materials or equipment.
More information at: http://www.coronavirus.utalca.cl/fabtec.html
E-mail: fabtec.covid19@utalca.cl.