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Webinar Recap: Built Environment Leadership and Resilience in a Post COVID-19 World
Summary: ULI UK webinar 'Leadership & Resilience', available on Knowledge Finder, by ULI Member Sorrel Pompert Robertson (Blackstock PR).
Member Good News Story: 3D Face Mask Production by PLP Architecture
13 May 2020
At the start of the lockdown, PLP Architecture jumped at the chance to be able to help out through the producing of printed masks by the London 3D printing team. They are currently working across a number of organisations to ensure those that need masks get them through initiative such as 3Dcrowduk and the Do Some Good Initiative. They have also been direct-shipping them to various hospitals, clinics and GP Surgeries that have requested them in the UK and Europe.
When PLP started, they began printing a specific design of the face shield, called PRUSA design, which comes from the Czech Republic and was made available free of charge worldwide. For this one, they bought a supply of plastic and have continued to manufacture them to use up the material. They make them in batches of 40 at a time across all the printers in the office, with each batch taking about 2 days to complete.
Recently they also identified another model that is faster to print – up to 10 per hour – which uses thinner acetate material and so in unison are printing those as well. To date they have produced over 275 masks!
They have two members of the model shop team who then assemble them into individual kits, with the clear laser-cut visor and elastic strap attached. To ensure a steady flow, three of the model shop staff even took smaller printers home and are printing shield components there.
Fortunately they have noticed the demand for the masks starting to slow which they hope is a good sign for the future.
Special thank you to Nathaniel Moore and Alex Davidson for sharing this story with ULI.