How Make 3D is Helping Companies Fight Corona Crisis with Their 3D Printing Services?

Above: FDM 3D printed components of ventilator enclosure/Image Credit: Make3D

In the current pandemic situation, we have seen many innovative ideas uses of 3D printing on display to fight against COVID 19, various companies & even Startups have developed many helpful products to fight against the spread of coronavirus like 3D printed face shields, mask, nasal swabs, etc. One such company from India is the Surat-based 3D printing service provider and FDM 3D printer manufacturer, Make3D.

As part of their efforts, Make3D is currently working with a local R&D Company for their urgent & emergency need for ventilator development. Earlier, Make3D helped the company by providing them prototyping solutions during their product development stage. The rapid 3D printing services delivered by Make3D were appreciated by the customer.

The Challenge

After setting up electronics and other mechanical parts within the 3D printed ventilator body, the company completed full functional testing and was ready to launch the Ventilator product in the market. However, the R&D Company faced a challenge when it came to the actual production of their product. Due to disruption in the traditional industries, the company found it difficult to create die & moulds for the designed components. Considering the healthcare crisis their product was of utmost importance and time was of the essence. They faced a severe production crisis.

The Solution

Above: Make3D’s range of FDM 3D Printers/Image Credit: Make3D

Make3D was involved with the R&D company right from the product development stage and had provided the company with prototyping solutions and so they proposed that the customer use 3D printing to start production till they sort out their mould issues, a concept called as bridge manufacturing. The 3D printing service provider suggested the use of FDM 3D printing to manufacture the full ventilator enclosure body.

Bridge Manufacturing

Bridge manufacturing is the use of 3D printing technology to manufacture products when the production lies between product launch and full-scale manufacturing. This is generally employed as a tool to rapidly introduce the product to the market instead of waiting for the tooling to be prepared required in traditional manufacturing processes.

Above: Fully assembled ventilator enclosures ready to ship/Image Credit: Make3D

The R&D Company accepted this proposal and asked Make3D to provide them with all the components. The main goal of employing 3D printing for production was to reduce the time-to-market to make the ventilators available to the local hospitals as soon as possible. A critical product needed for every hospital in the current situation.

Understanding this basic aim to save time and rush the production, Make3D decided to employ all of its 3D printer farm consisting of more than 35 FDM 3D printers.

Through the traditional process of die & mould, the production would have required at least 25 days to start and then some more time for scaling up but with 3D printing, was able to produce 25 full-scale ventilator enclosures within a week.

The customer was able to start their deliveries within 7 days helping the hospitals to cater to the patients better.

Make3D team gives credit of their 3D printing service they could deliver to its Pratham 5.0 FDM 3D printer. A powerful FDM 3D Printer with a big build volume of 500x500x500 mm.

Make3D was also able to offer the customer its range of 3D printers that enabled them to not just meet their demand of ventilators enclosure bodies, but also test and launch their products very quickly.

With their unique 3D printing services, Make3D has so far delivered 25 ventilator bodies and is currently supplying them with an additional 50 set of bodies. The customer aims to continue production through 3D printing until the time they get their moulds ready for mass production.

Source: manufactur3dmag.com