Companies produce over 1,000 kits to protect Italian medics

Manufacturer, RadiciGroup, and plastic fabrication company, Rimplast, have provided the materials and technology for the injection moulding of visor frames which are designed to protect healthcare workers from Covid-19.

The companies worked together by RadiciGroup donating its polyamide six material, which Rimplast then moulded in to frames to create protective visor face shields for healthcare professionals.

The initiative was started as a follow-up to a project carried out by the young members of the Interact Bergamo club, who, during the last few weeks, produced 300 protective visor shields in collaboration with FabLab, a 3D digital printing lab at the professional training association Patronato San Vincenzo in Bergamo.

The teenagers produced frames using 3D printing technology, and then attached them to polyvinyl chloride sheets to make visor face shields for extra protection. These shields were created and designed to be used in addition to, and not as a replacement for certified Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

FabLab Bergamo then joined the 'Easy Covid-19 Mille Respiri per Bergamo e Monza Brianza' initiative for the distribution of the face shields to primary care doctors and paediatricians in the province of Bergamo, Italy. However, the number of requests for the devices grew to the point that a new and faster solution was needed to meet the demand, only a few days after this news was announced.

Nicolangelo Peduto, research and development manager of RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers commented: “We were already working with some companies in the Bergamo area on projects for the supply of materials, 3D printing of respirator valves and 3D printing of visor frames.

“After the initial positive response from the doctors who had already started using the first 3D-printed visor shields, FabLab contacted us and asked if we were willing to offer our engineering polymers (Radilon S) for injection moulding of the frames.

“At that point, we started collaborating with Rimplast, which had also decided to get involved and join the solidarity network. In a matter of a few days, we delivered the necessary materials, performed trial runs and produced three thousand pieces. It gives us great satisfaction to be able to make our contribution to the healthcare system, especially in the communities where our production sites are located.”

To date, FabLab has produced a thousand kits which each consist of three frames, six polyvinyl chloride visors, and an instruction sheet. The members of 'Easy Covid-19 Mille Respiri per Bergamo e Monza Brianza' were responsible for delivering the visor face shield kits to the Bergamo ATS (Health Protection Agency), which then distributed the kits to primary care doctors and paediatricians in the Bergamo province.