SALAMANCA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Students and teachers in the Salamanca City Central School District are using the STEAM wing to build masks and face shields in an effort to combat the coronavirus.
Schools are suing their 3D printers to make the protective gear from home offices and at the district's STEAM wing for healthcare workers and community members in need.
“Each mask costs just over $2 to print with plastic," said retired Dell computer engineer David Springer. "We have the equipment the knowledge and the technology. I thought, we can do this."
The district is working together with local agencies to produce the masks.
“The design is pretty straightforward,” commented Salamanca Science teacher, Cheryl Johnson, who converted a spare 10-by 12-foot area of her home into a remote maker space.
“Each N95 mask is made of three parts. The largest piece, the face shield, takes about two hours to print; two smaller pieces take about 25 minutes each.”
While students are not allowed to directly use the 3D lab due to social distancing guidelines, students have been learning important engineering skills.
“Unlike N95, which primarily covers the nasal and mouth cavities, our proprietary BC19 face shield sits two inches from the face of the user,” said Boundless Connections Director, Christina Lopez. “It can work in tandem with other devices and cover the user’s entire face.”
Health agencies can request 3D-printed mask donations from Christine Lopez at clopez@boundlessconnections.com
People interested in printing their N95 masks can find the 3D files here.
Hand-Sewn Mask or 3D printed mask donations locations can be found here.
