Student-led Organization 3D Prints Face Shields For The Struggling Local Sheriff’s Department

Some LHS students have recently been actively partaking in the effort to aid workers battling with the novel coronavirus. One such student is Sontino Allentuck, who, with other students and volunteers of the newly formed Western Massachusetts 3D-Printing Collaborative (WMPC). The organization has produced 160 face shields in just their first week and hopes to produce 250 more by Sunday. Sontino says, “the number is about to shoot up. We had some kinks in the machine that we are working out and we just got a few big producers on board.”

Now printing face shields and ventilator valves, WMPC has allied with Western New England University and the University of Massachusetts, which is helping with thirty 3D printers, and is now involved in the effort. The face shields are a dollar or under to make, so due to the cheap design they are easy to mass produce. The organization is now also printing cheap working ventilators based on a design provided by Rice University.

WMPC has parts coming from as far away as Alaska. After hearing that the Hampden County Sheriff Department was down 20 officers and had to call in help from the National Guard to police, WMPC contacted the department and is now working to help produce face shields.

If you are a student interested in volunteering for WMPC or if you have a 3D printer at home sign up at westernmass3d.org.