3D printing firm, Essentium, is working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Military Department, and other groups at a State level, to supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
PPE will be essential as businesses reopen and lockdown restrictions are eased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The organization has shifted its capacity in its Texas operations in order to produce protective face mask kits based on FDA emergency use authorization. The resuable mask frames are made with Essentium PA (thermoplastic nylon), to allow for easy cleaning. The frames are combined with a single-use, replaceable filtration media that is ASTM level 2 certified.
Currently, Essentium has produced more than 60,000 3D printed face mask kits for the State of Texas. Blake Teipel, CEO and co-founder of Essentium, commented: “The State of Texas is creating a potential blueprint for sustainable access to PPE. We are proud to be part of this initiative, and I commend Governor Abbott’s visionary leadership in setting a path of clarity and water-tight coordination in its creation and ensuring it is subject to the highest level of oversight.”