PROGRESS UPDATE

April 14th 2020

3D PRINTING TO BEAT CORONAVIRUS

OUR AIM:

From the moment of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, hospitals and front line healthcare staff in Poland have been missing personal protection equipment (PPE). Doctors, nurses, ambulance crews and medical administrators who are coming into in everyday contact with a dangerous virus needed help.

Unable to accept this situation, a group of three young Tri-City students initiated a campaign “3D Printing to Beat Coronavirus” to produce faceshields for the healthcare staff in the Morski Hospital in Gdynia. Starting from their home printers, in the first four days they succeeded in programming the printers, designing, printing, assembling and delivering 140 faceshields. These faceshields were immediately delivered free of charge to the doctors and nurses on the frontline in the hospital in Gdynia. Now, after 27 days of their efforts, they have delivered over 4,600 faceshields to 40 different institutions across Poland. Their faceshields are now protecting medical stuff in Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia, Wejherowa, Starogard Gdansk, Nowy Sacz, Radom, Olsztyn, Elblag, Szczecin and Warsaw from Coronavirus.

OUR SUPPORTERS: 

The positive effects of the campaign have been amplified by the support of many people and institutions. The City Of Sopot which has provided the space where most of the printers are located and the President of Sopot and the Youth Council of Gdansk are patrons of the campaign. When it became clear of the enormous requirement for faceshields, FISP (the Foundation for Saint Patrick in Poland) delivered six new 3D printers to the campaign within a week. Their rapid reaction was amazing. Allegro, Poland’s number 1 internet site, purchased a further ten printers for the team. In addition, the III High School in Gdynia and the Autonomic High School of Gdansk have given the team the use of their printers and other resources. Screw producers and suppliers Marcopol sp zoo and Omit sp zoo are donating the screws which are needed for the assembly of the faceshields. Stationery suppliers Staples and Dalkom are donating the PVC foil which we are using for the front of the shields. Simplify3D gave us their professional software for programming the 3D printers. Prosperity sp zoo have been using their laser cutters to cut the PVC sheets into faceshield shape.

BY HELPING EACH OTHER, WE ARE SAVING LIVES TOGETHER:

Thanks to the support of many people and institutions, a campaign that began with three students has been able to reach out and help thousands of people. Everybody can help us in these difficult times by contributing to our Crowdfund. The money we collect from the Crowdfunding is used to buy printers and raw materials for printing. 

To all of you who have donated your funds to us: thank you. Each and every one of you is helping those who are fighting to save lives every day!

THE INITIATORS OF THE CAMPAIGN:

Mike Ryan: a resident of Sopot and a final year student at III High School Gdynia. Mike is a 3D printing enthusiast and director of the school's 3D workshop. For more than 18 months, Mike has been engaged in the development of an innovative endoscopic biomedical device of his own invention which has subject to patent procedure. Mike is in his final year of his secondary school studies and intends to become a biomedical engineer.

Kacper Falkiewicz is a resident of Gdansk and a second year student at III High School Gdansk specialising in mathematical/geographical studies under the patronage of Warsaw’s Higher Academy of Trade (Szkola Glowna Handlowa. Fascinated by technology and 3D printing, Kacper is a coordinator and co-organizer of many Tri-City conferences and events focussed on business for youth. He is also engaged in many community activities.

Nicolas Rauber, a resident of Sopot is studying in the Gdansk Autonomic Secondary School. Nicolas has just finished his first year of maths physics and is an enthusiast of 3D printing. Nicolas has always been engaged with charity activities and initiatives.

We have been helped enormously by our parents and by our brothers and sisters: Adam, Jean, Nell and Linda. 

As our production increased from 140 faceshields to 4600, many others have stepped forward and joined our team to help in the production, assembly and delivery of the masks.

Link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ratujemyzyciaw3d/