Josef Prusa, founder of Prusa Research, the world's largest 3D printing factory in Prague, said that during the COVID-19 crisis, the company was doing all it could to help produce much-needed medical supplies. The Prusa research team has focused on manufacturing protective equipment. Prusa has questions about the production of 3D printed respirator parts and proposes to use 3D printed medical protective masks.
The main reason for Prusa's doubts about the production of 3D printed respirator parts is related to the effectiveness of the seal. Prusa believes that the part of the wearer's face wearing a mask is moist and warm, and is an ideal hotbed for bacteria. We cannot effectively disinfect these masks, which may cause more problems. According to reports, this virus can survive on plastics for more than 48 hours.
With these limitations in mind, the Prusa Research team shifted its focus to manufacturing other protective equipment and proposed a 3D printed protective mask. Face masks will provide protection for doctors from patients’ droplets and help meet the needs of many hospitals and clinics. Before obtaining approval from the Czech Ministry of Health, the team completed the testing of multiple prototypes in just three days.
Once the prototype is fully verified and approved for medical use, one-fifth of Prusa's 3D printer will be dedicated to printing these masks, allowing the company to produce 800 masks per day. In theory, Prusa can produce up to 4,000 masks per day. The materials required for each mask cost less than $1, and the team promised to donate 10,000 masks to the Czech Ministry of Health in the coming weeks.
