In the ongoing effort to provide critically required PPE in the fight against Covid-19, laser system manufacturer Trotec has successfully developed a face shield that can be laser cut from a single sheet of PET plastic.
This compares to other designs of face shield currently being produced, which require both 3D printing and laser cutting to make.
A previous laser-cut design used by Trotec required 6mm acrylic to produce, however the firm realised that the material was both expensive and hard to acquire, which is especially relevant when looking to facilitate mass production of the masks in order to meet the current dramatically increased levels of demand for PPE.
Therefore, Trotec Laser Canada produced a design that all laser users can create with just one 0.007" thick, 12" x 18" sheet of PET plastic.
Using a Trotec Speedy 400 120W CO2 laser, the firm was able to create a single face shield in 90 seconds. The face shields then require some minor assembly before they can be worn.
'The strap is adjustable and we've placed holes on the side if you want to use string or thin rope to tie it at the back.' said Lev Uzlaner, marketing director at Trotec Laser Canada
'We got the design from Thingiverse and modified it to make sure only one single material is being used,' he continued. 'If you don't have acrylic or a 3D printer, and you still want to make these face shields, all you need now is a laser cutter.
'I personally find this mask to be lighter and easier to wear than the other design using acrylic.'
The face shield can be cut in 90 seconds using a Trotec Speedy 400 120W laser.
While the design has not yet been approved by a medical authority, Trotec Laser Canada will be looking to address this in the coming weeks.
Download the design files
The design files for the mask have been made available at: https://bit.ly/COVID19Kit
