Canadian AM community responds to COVID-19 crisis

As the need for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) intensifies in response to COVID-19, the Canadian government put out the call to the manufacturing and supplier community for whatever assistance they can offer.

In a LinkedIn post late last week <>, Justin Trudeau wrote, “To every university, college, polytechnic, and CEGEP in the country: We need your expertise and your resources. If you have masks and ventilators we can use, or if you think you can help with things like 3D printing of medical supplies, let us know.” The post includes a link to the government’s “Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease” procurement site:

For their part, company’s in the Canadian additive manufacturing space are lending their resources toward the cause. Ontario Solidworks and 3D printer reseller, CAD Microsolutions, is offering of resources its dedicated COVID-19 support page.

For those with 3D printing capabilities, CAD Micro is compiling a list of Canadian businesses and individuals that can aid in manufacturing supplies if needed. The site also offers those in need of medical supplies to request assistance from the AM community.

To address a potential shortage of ventilators, the company’s Director of Additive Manufacturing, Deep Singh, has designed a number of ventilator splitter designs so one machine can be used by multiple patients. CAD Micor says Singh is currently working with Prabmeet Sarkaria, MPP and Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction on medically validating the designs for use in Canadian hospitals.

In addition, the company is providing Khalsa Aid Canada with 3D printed face masks for the charitable organization’s grocery delivery workers. The .STL file for the face shield is available for download on the company’s web site. The page also provides STL files for other PPE devices, including Venturi ventilator valves, hand-free door openers and a mask adjuster.

Similarly, Javelin Technology’s 3D printing division, Cimetrix, is offering its additive manufacturing capabilities to create protection equipment for Canadian medical workers. The company says it possesses medical design expertise and manufacturing as well as medical-grade, sterilizable production materials, including ABS-M30i, PC-ISO, ULTEM 9085, and ULTEM 1010.

Medical facilities in need can request help on the company’s website: https://www.javelin-tech.com/3d/covid-19-manufacturing-support/#ppe

In addition, Waterloo-based InkSmith is also offering face shield visor design files and says it will sanitize, assemble and distribute the face shields produced by the local 3D printing community. Likewise, the #thePPEdrive initiative provides face shield design files and 3D printing instructions and encourages Toronto area 3D printer owners to donate their time and materials to Michael Garron Hospital, in Toronto.

Similar initiatives are also underway headed by Maker Militia, Shield Makers YYC in Calgary, LNG Studios in Vancouver and Panthera Dental in Quebec City. For an up-to-date of PPE drives in Canada, 3dprintedppe.com hosts a comprehensive list of global PPE drives.