Kitronik are Making PPE Visors to Help with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hi Kitronik. For the past few weeks we have been using your design to make visors for care homes. They have worked really well the dxf file downloaded without any problems, the feedback from these care homes has been good and that the staff think are comfortable to wear. To date we have made over 1000. Thank you for making this free to download so schools like ours can help our community.

I can’t open this link to the 1mm version. Is there another way of opening it? Also is there any way of making them fully sterilisable and re-usableusing 1mm for the whole shield?

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is specialized clothing or equipment, worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials or any potential infectious disease exposure. PPE is designed according to the type of work, and one of the examples is PPE for medical personnel aims to reduce the risk of contracting an infectious disease. http://www.unair.ac.id/site/article/read/2863/-news-fk-unair-students-creating-200-face-shield-equipment-in-2-days.html

Just to update, we are successfully using 1mm Polyprop, and are now cutting these to meet the needs of our hospital (and then hopefully more widely). Using 1mm PP we are also able to make the headband cleanable (by sterile services dept), with the acetate sheet replaced as a consumable. The tweaked design and some additional instructions for manufacture and use are here: https://github.com/simonjudge/Face_Visor_PPE/tree/1mmPP Many thanks for the design and hard work all.

Hi Amy, it is difficult to advise as each laser is different. I would practice cutting out something small on an offcut, try increasing the speed and/or lowering the power until it works the way you want it to. Sorry I couldn't come up with a definite answer for you.

Please share the Stephen Perse Foundations efforts, which used your designs. https://twitter.com/SPFSchools/status/1251201320788336643?s=19 Thanks, Alan

Hi, My White 0.5 Polypropylene has just arrived. I have the template ready for the visors, can anyone advise the best power/speed setting for cutting on a 60w laser? I keep getting the brown burnt edge. Thanks Amy

Hi there, I am presently trying to get some acetate/pvc binder material. The one you showed on amazon is around 200 microns. Would 180 microns be suitable as we cannot find any 200 microns sheets in stock at the moment?

Hi Ash, Others have had success by changing the units to inches when importing into 2D Design. Let me know if this doesn't work for you. I'm not in the office for the duration so would have to get the dimensions from someone who is, which might not be immediate as I believe we are now back on top of orders, but only just.

Hi there, please could you tell me the overall finished length & width of the three pieces of pp used for the headband. I'm struggling to download the files that you have kindly provided, onto my school system PC, it's probably an issue our end more than anything else… So instead, I've taken a screen shot of the design preview via Dropbox, opened it into 2D Design and traced around the design. But I'm doubt that the sizing is accurate after using a screenshot. Please could you provide the finished measurements. Many thanks, Ash

Hi Justine, I've had a look on google and have seen that mylar has been used by others. I am unfamiliar with this material and don't know if it is safe or not but your supplier should be able to help with that. You can convert dxf files to PDF and to scale a number of ways but it wouldn't be easy to make this design by hand.

We purchased 1000 sheets of Acetate and polypropylene. We are cutting 130 per day on the laser and getting them out to local care homes. The clear sheets came from Print finishing superstore. 1000 for £179 We set up a just giving page and raised £500 for materials.

Hi Neil, fingers crossed that you get approval and you're welcome. We're glad we've been able to do something to help those in frontline positions, directly and indirectly.

Hi, just to add to the comment, in Wales the PPE isn’t getting to places fast enough if at all, so this design is ideal for quick and efficient manufacturing rather than 3D printing. I have tweaked the design slightly to save material, use of elastic on the back and poppers to connect the acetate. Before continuing, I have been in touch with NHS Wales clinical engineering and they will assess two versions on Monday 20th (normal, and with the top part). I will then respond accordingly. Thanks Kitronik for these designs!

Hi. I make stencils but have a vinyl cutter not laser. Would it still work? Providing I can find stock here in Australia, I would love to assist our frontline workers making these if I can. I also have a 2 massive roles of 7mil mylar. Can i use that instead of polypropylene? Thanks Justine

I read on the Stamford school site that the headband did not fit his head. They state that they needed a further iteration to allow for those with larger heads.

HI , Great stuff you made. Can i get all dxf files on my email? avinengitech@gmail.com

We’ve been using HIPS to make the headbands and cut them with a bandsaw into 35mm width. We’re using the clear plastic sheeting that the school uses to cover noticeboards. I think it is a polycarbonate. The parts are joined together using paper fasteners as we struggled to get eyelets. A rubber band provides tension. We based our design on one from Birchwood High school.

Thanks – I sourced some 1mm and tested this – it works well in terms of comfort/fit – but the circumfrence-adjustment tabs need some tweaking to make them fit better… we will try and do this over the next day and post it back (unless someone has done already?). Great stuff, many thanks. S

Hi Adrian, that's fantastic! I'm about to add a new design file download to the blog post. The design is slightly more compact than the original making it ideal for the smaller white sheets. Will take a couple of mins to organise. Thanks for all your efforts, I think we've collectively made a big difference.

Thanks Mark, just ordered a load more sheets! Made 50 visors this morning, already on the way to Dorchester hospital! Hopefully when we get more acetate we will be able to make about 200 next week.

Hi Adrian, We have several thousand sheets in stock at the moment. The line with the most stock is; https://www.kitronik.co.uk/43142-white-polypropolene-sheet-05mm-x-1020mm-x-720mm.html

Hi Mark, How much pp do you have in stock if I ordered today?

Hi Chris, we're reasonably sure that if you choose Import rather than Open it should open for you in 2D Design. You may have to experiment with a couple of import settings.

Hi Simon, we haven't any specific reports yet but I am sure that there will be people out that are trying.

Hi Ben, I would make one and test it. Maybe wear it for a day and see how you get on.

It's possible today (9th) that file designs compatible with “2D design” will appear on-line (try the TECHSOFT website.)

Hi, we have 1mm polypro…do you think this would be ok to use in terms of tolerances when bending?

Great stuff. Has anyone tried this with 1mm sheet (which seems easier to source) – will it/does it work as well?

Hi Phil, I've no idea, maybe he didn't like the colour :) There's always one…

Hi Lee, We still have stocks of some colours of 0.5mm, with more ordered. Though with each delivery we are seeing fewer and fewer colours.

Hi Lee, We still have stocks of some colours of 0.5mm, with more ordered. Though with each delivery we are seeing fewer and fewer colours. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer our collection service at the moment.

you need to import it not open it, leave the settings to inches when you do that :)

Hi, Do you have stock of the 0.5mm polypropylene? are we able to collect if needed? i work at a college ane will be meeting with the head tomorrow to discuss making a large batch of these, materials pending of course thanks Lee

Hi, do you have any of the 0.5mm Polypropylene in stock to purchase tomorrow? I run a workshop at my college and will want to start to produce these but will need more as I don't currently have the 0.5 in stock. thanks Lee

Hi, ran few of these off today and intend on making many more tomorrow and taking them to.the local hospitals procurement as we have already took our PPE stock there too. However, my curiosity is getting the better of me. I cant help but wonder why the consultant in the centre of you photo of health care professionals isn't wearing a shield and is giving a thumbs down.

Key worker PPE 3D support have a Facebook page and a file for making the headbands using 3D printer if any good. You might need their visor file too but this its virtually the same

Hi Robert, I've just downloaded 2D Design and was able to get the .dxf file opened using import as opposed to open. As I am unfamiliar with this program I am unsure how to test the accuracy of the import. I will investigate further when I have the opportunity.

Hi Jeremy, I've just downloaded 2D Design and was able to get the .dxf file opened using import as opposed to open. As I am unfamiliar with this program I am unsure how to test the accuracy of the import. I will investigate further when I have the opportunity.

Hi Leah, I've just downloaded 2D Design and was able to get the .dxf file opened using import as opposed to open. As I am unfamiliar with this program I am unsure how to test the accuracy of the import. I will take a closer look when I have the opportunity.

Hi Simon, I've just downloaded 2D Design and was able to get the .dxf file opened using import as opposed to open. As I am unfamiliar with this program I am unsure how to test the accuracy of the import.

Hi Cant seem to open or import the dxf file in 2D Design is there a way to do it that you know of? Thanks

any chance of a 2d design v2 version or instructions to convert the dxf please

Hi Sarah, thanks for getting and touch and for getting involved. I don't know how many visors we've collectively made, but I'm sure that it has made a big difference.

Hi Ian, thank you for getting involved and for your kind words. We've all contributed to helping those who are helping us in a time of crisis.

Hi Kitronic Last Sunday I chanced across a news report by the BBC concerning schools making PPE Visors. I arranged with a colleague to meet in school, (Brooksbank School, Elland, West Yorkshire), to see if we had the neccessary acrylic in stock to use with our Laser Cutter. Today, Tuesday, with a second colleague, we made and delivered 60 PPE Visors; 10 each to two local surgeries, plus 40 Visors to the Head of Procurement at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. We will make more tomorrow, with a plan to provide Bradford Royal Infirmary's respiratory ward with another batch. NB. We have been using archived GCSE Portfolio covers for the headbands! These would otherwise have gone in the skip. Your DXF files are brilliant; I am so pleased and proud that you have made these files 'open source', to enable schools across the country to manufacture these Visors. Please contact all secondary School head teachers to 'get on board' with this wonderful initiative. Very kind regards, Ian Walker

Thank you so much for the design template. I managed to get some pp today and have begun to make some visors at our school.

Hi Damien, We have bought our acetate through 5 star stationary at present but most places are getting pretty wiped out. Staples and other stationery suppliers are other places you could try.

Hi Ciaran, Hopefully today, but stocks will still be below normal levels for a while until demand settles down. Some colours and sizes are already not available.

Do you have a link for the clear plastic, we are having issues finding some through amazon right now, stocks are very limited. Thank you.