At Machinists Inc. we’ve been taking on challenges and solving complex problems for our customers for decades. On any given day, we could be making parts for boats, planes, rockets and wind turbines. Usually a customer provides us with a blueprint for what they need and we make it.

This time, however, a call came from inside Machinists Inc. We saw what was happening as the global pandemic of COVID-19 grew and medical supplies ran low. We started asking ourselves what we can do to help. We looked no further than our Stratasys F900 3D printer and put it to the test. We set about designing, testing, redesigning and collaborating to create face shields to be sent to local hospitals around the Seattle area. There were challenges along the way as we worked through a functional design for both the base and the shield component.

As we worked through these challenges we realized we were going to need some help. While our 3D printing capabilities were proving successful in creating a base for the face shield, we weren’t able to produce a viable shield component.

We enlisted the help of one of our suppliers, Custom Crating, and their expertise in vinyl products. They used a 20 mil double polished vinyl that they usually use in boat canopy windows. With their help and the kinks worked out on the base, we were able to create a finished product and deliver them to the VA Hospital in Tacoma, WA.

We have been incredibly lucky to be able to navigate these tough times, continuing to operate as an essential business.

We hope that these face shields were able to provide our front line medical staff with some much needed protection to continue to do the incredible work they have been and continue to do. We thank you all.