Bunbury school answers the call to build shields for medics

Students at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School are putting their resources to good use by 3-D printing personal protective equipment to assist frontline medical staff.

After reading about a call-out by Brisbane based company, 3D One Australia for 3-D printers to assist in manufacturing PPE, technologies teacher Paul Good decided to use their 3-D printers to help.

The printers, previously used to manufacture items such as robotics components and key tags, are now being used by Mr Good and two Year 12 students to print face shield components.

With the current rate of printing, the school estimates it will send off a minimum of 60 face shield components a week.

“At the moment the printing is fairly slow, taking about an hour and a half to print one face shield component,” Mr Good said.

“However, a new design has just come through that takes two-thirds the time to print, and 20 per cent less material. This will definitely speed things up.”

Technologies staff at the school donated $300 worth of materials for the project.

“3D One Australia will also pay for materials but I am going to wait on that and see how things unfold — $300 of stock will take a long time to print with each component utilising $1.50 worth of material,” Mr Good explained.

The printed components are sent off to 3D One Australia where they will be assembled with other components and then treated, packaged and distributed to hospitals around the country.