Terex Utilities had joined the community effort to supply face shields to health care workers by making use of its 3D printing capabilities in the United States.
The company acted upon a request by the Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI), led by the Electronic Systems Technology and Robotics department at the technical college.
Two other companies and more than a dozen individuals have also joined the effort.
“Because it takes up to 13 hours to print four face shield bands, they sent a request out to local businesses to lend a hand by printing parts needed for a completed shield,” Terex Utilities Director of Engineering Dan Brenden said.
Terex Utilities initially started printing mask parts but stitched to printing the bands needed for the face shields, as there was higher demand for them to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19.
The company can produce eight bands every 20 hours and is running the printer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Terex Utilities usually uses its 3D printer for rapid prototyping of small parts for digger derrick or aerial device product design.
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No students are able to access the technical institute, allowing its 20 3D printers to be used for the effort. To date, around 800 face shields and 100 masks have been distributed to health care providers in South Dakota and Minnesota.
“We have had tremendous community support for the effort. In addition to those using their 3D printers, we have also had material donated,” LATI Department Supervisor for Electronics Systems Technology and Robotics Brooks Jacobsen said.