FAQ
Some useful information about our PPE
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF YOUR PPE
Your shields are produced in our on-site 3DPrinting lab based upon the original designs from 3DVerkstan. The 3DVerkstan shield is (arguably) the most popular 3D printed shield produced worldwide and was one of the first designs that received NIH approval for 3D printed PPE (https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013306).
Headpieces are printed in PLA, a strong and lightweight material, on our high-speed 3D printers. The transparency part of the shield is punched on site in our hole punch press. Once all components have been produced, the headpieces and transparencies are manually joined together in a clean workspace, packaged, and then sprayed with 200 ppm hypochlorous acid (electrolyzed water) for cleanliness.
WHAT KINDS OF PPE DO YOU MAKE?
We produce a number of designs for primary care, optometry, and opticianry. You can view these on the NIH print exchange here: https://3dprint.nih.gov/users/bcplemanski
We also produce miscellaneous PPE devices such as “ear savers” at no additional cost.
WHAT IS THE LEAD TIME FOR AN ORDER?
At present, orders are delivered on a first in first out basis. Shield orders under 50 units can be returned in approximately 1-2 days. Larger orders may take 3-5 days depending on the size.
Specific PPE for medical staff (e.g. indirect ophthalmoscope shields, etc) are produced on an as needed basis and can generally be returned within 24 hours of the request.
Custom PPE orders take approximately 1-2 weeks to design, test, and finalize.
Because of the demand for shields at present, ear saver production times are 2-3 weeks for orders over 50 units.
HOW DO I CLEAN MY PPE?
To clean the shields, we recommend gently spraying the shields with a dilute bleach solution (prepared fresh) or using electrolyzed water. We have also observed that some hospitals clean their shields by submerging them in a small tub of dilute bleach, prepared fresh daily. If you do this, we recommend separating the headpiece from the visor to maximize the number of shields that can be cleaned at any one time.
We recommend air drying whenever possible to prevent damage to the transparency, as the transparency can scratch easily if dried with a paper towel. However, no matter how well maintained the shields are, eventually the transparency will become scratched. Should this happen, we can provide replacements for you at no cost.
STORAGE / TRANSPORTATION INSTRUCTIONS
We recommend keeping the shields stored in a climate-controlled environment below 80 degrees F. Shields stored in a car or truck may soften due to excessive heat. This will cause warping of the transparency and / or damage the headpiece as well.
ARE THESE REALLY FREE?
Yes, all PPE that we produce will always be free. While we gladly accept material donations to make shields, we have not asked for any financial compensation from any of our donees.
Because these shields are donated from our group, if you decide to pass them onto someone else that needs them, you may not charge any fees to that other person or organization.
DO YOU SHIP PPE?
We do! However, because we do not charge for any of our shields, we ask that the requestor send us a pre-paid shipping label to mail the items out. In general the cost of shipping shields is minimal.
We have successfully shipped shields all across the state of New York as well as Florida and New Jersey.
FINAL REMARKS
If you or someone you know requires shields for their organization, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If these shields were indeed helpful to you, please consider nominating us for a COVID-Hero award. By doing so, you would be helping us increase the exposure of our group, getting the word out that we are here for our community to produce free PPE.