Page 23 - Machines Italia Vol. XIII Next Generation Manufacturing

Mass producing face masks in a flash: A Mark One 3D printed exoskeleton combined with a replaceable filter.
COVID-19 impacts, current and future
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted manufacturing firms to make immediate changes to processes or products. It has made them consider long-term equipment changes and realignments in the supply chain. In a study conducted
by SME in April, 2019, over half of all companies surveyed knew they were going to make drastic changes to their operations, and another 30% were contemplating such changes.
3D printing figures prominently in these adjustments. In the same SME survey, 25% of respondents were planning on investing in 3D printing. A company that can meet that demand is Mark One Srl (Cesena, Italy, www.3dmarkone.com), a 3D printer manufacturer. As Owner and CEO Marco Zani recounted, when COVID-19 cases spiked in Italy in February and March, international trade was also disrupted and the country found
itself unable to either import or manufacture a sufficient number of face masks. The solution was to design a new two-part mask that combined a 3D printable polymer exoskeleton with a replaceable filter.
This approach had several advantages, Zani explained. For one thing, the print file could be sent instantly to others around the world and they could immediately begin their own production. Second, the exoskeleton could accommodate different filters. “You might not have the same type filter in America that we do, but you have some type of interchangeable filter and can still use the mask,” he said. Fi- nally, the approach also scales beautifully. The filter portion must be changed daily, but it’s inexpensive, while the exoskeleton is reusable. “So printing 30,000 exoskeletons per month allows for the monthly replacement of at least 900,000 traditional masks,” said Zani.
COVID-19
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